“I’m very confident,” Bridgewater said about his circumstances. “If it’s my turn, it’s my number, I’ve just got to answer the bell.” It was certainly a tough and unexpected moment for him and the team as he had to replace the biggest leader in the squad, but he was more than willing to take everything in stride and try and turn a negative into a positive. Besides, the game was already decided well before Bridgewater had to step in. Throughout the game, Mayfield was constantly harassed by the Rams front seven and went only 9-for-19 for 41 yards as a result. Bridgewater was not much better, going 8-for-15 for 62 yards. Both QBs were sacked twice.
Bridgewater’s Leadership Amid a Difficult Night
After this game, it’s safe to assume that the Bucs’ stick is not very high at the moment as they were exposed by a far superior NFC contender. Still, it has to be reassuring that Teddy Bridgewater understood his role in the moment and lifted up his teammates with his postgame comments. You’ve got to give the guys that reassurance,” he said. “I don’t care if the score is 100 to 0, I’ll be out there just continually trying to motivate guys. That’s part of the coach in me, that’s part of the player that I am. But at the same time, when I’m out there, it’s just fun. Because I always tell myself, I’m not even supposed to be here right now. So any opportunity that I get to go out there and play, I’m gonna make sure I try to leave some type of everlasting impact, whether it’s on the field or off the field.”
A Veteran Backup Ready for Another Opportunity
It is not as if Bridgewater is just talking the talk. He knows what it takes as a backup in the league and has been thrown into a lot of interesting situations. He has 65 starts amidst 83 overall games played and has thrown for 15,182 career yards and 53 touchdowns over an 11 year career. Should Bridgewater get the start next week, the Bucs would be the sixth team he has ever started for in his career.
This all largely depends on the results of Mayfield’s MRI. Still, it is worth noting that Bridgewater has the requisite experience to potentially succeed in this offense. It seems likely that a clearer picture will come in the days ahead, but he is ready for whatever happens from now until game day. “If I had a crystal ball or a text message in my phone that could tell me about the future, I’d be able to answer that,” Bridgewater said Sunday night. “But we’ll take this one day at a time. I’ve got to just continue to prepare the way I’ve been preparing all year and if it’s my number that’s called, I’ve just got to go play.”
