Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater sharp vs. Raiders

Aug 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback

Teddy Bridgewater

(5) watches from the sidelines late in the game as his team defeats the Oakland Raiders 20-12 at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday night, the Minnesota Vikings put together a solid outing against the Oakland Raiders that was overshadowed by the suspension of play due to the weather in the second quarter.

With play returning 65 minutes later, the fans who sat through the delay were treated to a Christian Ponder (loudly booed) homecoming and a grisly two and a half quarters of football.

Ben Goessling of ESPN talks about Teddy Bridgewater, who was the highlight of the night for Vikings fans. He finished the night completing 71.4 percent of his passes (10-of-14) for 89 yards and a touchdown. He moved the offense well, putting them in position to score on two of his three drives. The TD came at the start of the second quarter and Blair Walsh missed a field goal midway through the first quarter.

I cannot emphasize enough just how sharp Bridgewater looked. He had a decent rookie campaign, but in this preseason game he looked to be in complete command of everything around him and capable of doing whatever he wanted against the Oakland defense.

While the Raiders are fresh off a 2-14 season and probably aren’t the best measuring stick, Saturday night’s performance was a continuation of his two other solid performances so far this preseason. Overall, he is now 22-of-28 for 219 yards and one touchdown pass without an interception.

If Bridgewater can keep it up he won’t just find himself the best among in his draft class, but among the best in the NFL for the preseason and momentum built up for the regular season. Backup Shaun Hill didn’t look as sharp against the second team defense, finishing the night 11-of-17 for 87 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He had an embarrassing miscommunication with Cordarelle Patterson that proved to be a big mistake.

Aug 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) and Oakland Raiders quarterback Christian Ponder (9) talk after the game at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Oakland Raiders 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

While the preseason game against the Raiders wasn’t all about Bridgewater, he continued to show why he was such a great selection by the Minnesota Vikings last year. He stood out in comparison to Hill and Oakland’s Derek Carr (4-of-8 for 78 yards) and former Viking Christian Ponder (7-of-11 for 69 yards).

Other Vikings players with impressive outings include Matt Asiata putting together 15 yards on just two carries and 36 yards on three receptions, defensive end Justin Trattou racking up three tackles and a sack, and Brian Peters intercepting Matt McGloin and nearly returning it for a touchdown.

The preseason is a great evaluation tool and it looks more and more like the Vikings have a team that can put together a strong 2015 season and push for the playoffs. A modern NFL team is only as good as its quarterback and the Minnesota Vikings have the right guy leading them in Bridgewater.

Next: Playoff hopes put stress on Vikings tackles

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