NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Dolphins hurt by trade talk, Bears look foolish

Ahead of their final game with the Rams, the Denver Broncos announced their starting quarterback for the 2021 season, which was Teddy Bridgewater. Added to the team in a trade with Carolina, Bridgewater beat out Drew Lock which might not have been very easy considering how much team president John Elway liked Lock.

The third-year quarterback has an absolute cannon for an arm and in the winter months in Denver, that could lead to a huge advantage. Unfortunately, he never really found any consistency and struggled with durability.

Bridgewater, who had his own serious injury to overcome early in his career, might not be able to launch the ball 70-yards in the air but he’s a smart player who will make the right reads. With Carolina last season, he had 3,733 yards while completing 69.1 percent of his passes.

His 15-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio needs to be better but he was playing on a new team with a first-year head coach and lost his best offensive teammate for most of the season. None of that means he will be elite in Denver, but the idea that he can improve upon his 2020 campaign isn’t crazy.

Having said all that, the road ahead will be tough for them. Denver plays in an incredibly tough division that includes the Chiefs who are talking about 20-0, the Chargers who are expected to be a contender for the playoffs, and the Raiders who have to overcome Jon Gruden but can put together some solid games themselves.