Getty Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been nothing but cool under center for the undefeated Denver Broncos.
There has never been a time in their respective careers when Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson would ever be considered equals on the playing field — and then the 2021 season happened.
That’s because despite being a former league MVP in 2019 — a unanimous one at that — Jackson isn’t having nearly as successful of a season, to this point, in 2021, as Bridgewater is having for the unbeaten Broncos.
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Jackson has passed for 761 yards, with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 86.4. He’s also added 251 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Bridgewater, meanwhile, has registered 827 yards passing, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a robust quarterback rating of 116.4. He also leads the league in completion percentage (76.8%), is seventh in average length of completion, and that passer rating is good for fifth in the league.
The two good friends and University of Louisville legends will try and top one another, Sunday, October 3, at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, when the Broncos (3-0) host the Ravens (2-1).
What Have You Done Lately?
Jackson’s career achievements and accolades obviously dwarves Bridgewater’s, but the NFL is a league all about recency bias, and it’s been the latter who has experienced more recent success in the early portion of the 2021 season.
During Jackson’s 2019 campaign, he finished with 1,206 yards rushing, which was sixth best in the entire league and the single-season record by a quarterback. He was just the second player in NFL history to unanimously win the MVP — joining Tom Brady (2010) — while also being the youngest quarterback (23 years old) to ever win the award.
The Ravens’ leading man is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 3,000 passing yards, while tallying 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He is also just the third quarterback in league history to pass for at least 35 touchdowns to go with seven rushing touchdowns in a season. Hall of Famer Steve Young (1994) and 2015 MVP Cam Newton (2015) were the other two.
Despite all those achievements, it’s been Bridgewater who has garnered praise from around the league for his amazing start to the 2021 campaign, and for raising a once-dormant Broncos offense with poise and precision.
Bridgewater has rallied his teammates and coaches, to the point where the praise has been effusive. Left tackle Garett Bolles (6-foot-5, 310 pounds), who may be both figuratively and literally Bridgewater’s biggest supporter, said he loves everything his new signal caller brings to the table.
“Quit doubting Teddy, man. I love Teddy dearly,” Bolles said to the post-practice media gathering, September 28. “Let me tell y’all something … he’s a dog, man. The man can come in here and win the team over and continue to do the things that he’s going to do. I love protecting his blind side.”
Bolles went on to marvel at how composed Bridgewater is during the most stressful of times of a game, which is comforting to a team that hasn’t had such leadership since Peyton Manning was running the show.
“Watching him [Bridgewater] do his thing, the dude is composed back there,” beamed Bolles. “He knows exactly where to throw the ball. I’m telling you right now, man, he’s a dangerous threat. If we do whatever we can to keep his jersey fresh, we’re hard to beat.”
Different Styles, Similar Results
The two are great friends, being that they’re both south-Florida natives and Jackson was Bridgewater’s successor at Louisville — where Jackson was the Heisman winner. Jackson starred at Boynton Beach High School in Boynton Beach, Florida, while Bridgewater performed at Miami Northwestern High School — roughly an hour away. They were both even selected 32nd overall in their respective drafts (2018 for Jackson, 2014 for Bridgewater) after their teams traded back up into the first round to acquire their talents. Their backgrounds are very similar, but that’s where the similarities end, because they can’t be any more different on the field.
Bridgewater is considered a pocket passer who can move when needed, while Jackson is the arguably the greatest dual-threat in league history, able to demoralize defenses with his arm and legs. Jackson has registered back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons (2019 and 2020), while Bridgewater has accumulated just 44 yards on the ground in 2021 and 757 yards for his entire seven-year career.
The Broncos know they have to key on Jackson’s running ability just as much as his passing ability, if not more.
“It’s hard [to defend Jackson]. That’s why the guy has won an MVP,” Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said during the September 27 media availability. “That’s why the Ravens have won a lot of games since he’s become their starting quarterback. He’s hard to contain. He’s a special talent.”
Fangio went on to say that not even Michael Vick could compare, reasoning that Jackson is shiftier.
“It’s almost like [Pro Football Hall of Fame running back] Barry Sanders is playing quarterback. We’ll try our best.”
Follow Tony Williams on Twitter: @TBone8