After playing 12 games in a Carolina Panthers uniform, we can comfortably say that we know what this version of Teddy Bridgewater is all about. That is to say, he’s the same quarterback he’s been for his entire career. Bridgewater’s game is about as average as it gets in the NFL. While he won’t make ugly mistakes that cost you wins, he also can’t carry your team to one.
These two stats from Pro Football Focus explain Bridgewater’s season (and career) pretty much perfectly. Heading into Week 15, Teddy ranks second in avoiding negativly graded plays and third-worst in positively graded ones.
Teddy Bridgewater is absolutely the quarterback we thought he is: 2nd best in avoiding negatively graded plays, 3rd worst in generating positively graded plays.
— Moo (@PFF_Moo) December 16, 2020
While PFF’s grades are subjective, they also reflect what we’ve seen on tape from Bridgewater this season. His instinct to take the easy, underneath throws the defense gives has helped Carolina field a relatively efficient passing game. The downside of that mentality is that it makes it very difficult to lead comebacks or game-winning drives, of which Bridgewater has zero this year.
You can win in the NFL with an average, conservative-minded QB. However, the rest of the roster needs to be very deep and these Panthers simply don’t have that going for them. Unless they somehow land several defensive superstars and a play-making tight end in the offseason, it’s difficult to see this group competing for a playoff spot in 2021.
For this team to get back to being a contender, they will need to make a change and find a more aggressive and dynamic passer to lead their attack.
