Lions Defense Provides a Litmus Test for Vikings Rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater

Nothing against the most impressive rookie quarterback of 2014, but Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings has been mostly eased into life in the NFL.

His first two regular-season games—as an injury replacement against the New Orleans Saints and as a starter versus the Atlanta Falcons—pitted the No. 32 overall pick against two of the worst defenses the league has to offer in 2014.

The struggling Saints have allowed the fifth-most points and eighth-most yards per game this season. The pressure-lacking Falcons are 29th in both of those categories.

Bridgewater completed 62 percent of his passes for 467 yards and a passer rating of 92.7—while also rushing for 54 yards and a score—against the two ailing defenses.

The rookie's third NFL appearance will not offer such forgiving opposition.

	Yards*	Points*	Opp. Passer Rating	Sacks
NO	379.6 (25th)	28.2 (28th)	103.2 (27th)	6 (25th)
ATL	407.2 (29th)	28.6 (29th)	95.5 (20th)	4 (31st)
DET	282.4 (1st)	15.8 (2nd)	80.1 (5th)	12 (7th)

Bridgewater, who missed Week 5 with a high ankle sprain, is expected to return Sunday against the Detroit Lions, a team featuring the top defense in yards allowed per game and No. 2 overall in points allowed per game.

The Lions' combination of a suffocating front four and playmakers in the back seven will provide Bridgewater with a litmus test of sorts for his early NFL career.

"We know we're going to be up for a challenge, but it's one of those challenges that we're looking forward to," Bridgewater told reporters.

The Lions defense will especially challenge the Vikings up front.

Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are arguably the best pass-rushing defensive tackle duo in the NFL, while Ziggy Ansah and Jason Jones have combined for 25 quarterback disruptions this season.

There's arguably more talent on the Detroit defensive line than any combination of players the Saints and Falcons could amass.

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Sacks aren't a be-all and end-all to the pressure argument, but it is worth noting that the Saints and Falcons have just 10 combined sacks this season, while the Lions already have 12—the seventh-most in football.

A Minnesota offensive line that allowed six sacks and 16 quarterback hits on Christian Ponder in Green Bay can't be expected to handle the Lions' talented defensive line for all 60 minutes Sunday.

Bridgewater will almost certainly have to be strong against pressure. There's hope in that regard. He's not only light years better inside the pocket than Ponder, but his internal clock and ability to escape disruption inside confined spaces have been obvious even during his small early sample size as an NFL quarterback.

Against the Saints and Falcons, Bridgewater faced 19 plays against pressure over 59 dropbacks, or roughly one-third of his total passing plays. He successfully scrambled away from pressure six times—three in each game—but he also failed to complete a pass when under duress against the Falcons in Week 4.

	Dropbacks	Scrambles/Sacks	Cmp/Att	Yards
at NO	11	3/2	4/6	54
vs. ATL	8	3/0	0/5	0
TOTAL	19	6/2	4/11	54

When Bridgewater wasn't under pressure during his first NFL start, he completed 76.9 percent of his passes and averaged nearly 13 yards per attempt.

The Vikings' offensive line has to be a concern ahead of Sunday. Struggling left tackle Matt Kalil is in the running for worst tackle in the NFL this season, and there's no comfort in the thought of guards Charlie Johnson and Vladimir Ducasse attempting to block Suh or Fairley inside—especially after watching former Viking Letroy Guion bully his way for 1.5 sacks against Minnesota last Thursday night.

Among the five linemen who will start for the Vikings against the Lions, only one—center John Sullivan—has a positive pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The entire group has allowed 56 disruptions this season, with Kalil leading the way with 19.

"

5 weeks in &we've got some O-line rankings. See who ranks where & who we think are the studs & duds for each unit https://t.co/swaTIZRh8d

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 8, 2014"

A struggling offensive line against a talented front four can be a recipe for disaster, regardless of who is playing quarterback.

Luckily for Bridgewater, his ankle injury should be a non-factor.

"On Sunday, I'll be able to play full speed," Bridgewater said, noting no limitations in terms of running or cutting on the bad ankle.

The Vikings must also factor in Detroit's ability to control the running game.

In both of Bridgewater's appearances, Minnesota operated out of a run-first, play-action-based offense. Against the Falcons, the Vikings rushed for a season-high 241 yards.

However, the Lions are uniquely capable of making Minnesota one-dimensional. Through five games, Detroit is allowing just 74.4 rushing yards a contest, which ranks third in the NFL. Opponents are averaging 3.2 yards per carry, while only one team in five—the New York Jets—has breached the 100-yard mark running the football against the Lions in 2014.

	Attempts	Yards	Yards/Att
vs. NYG	22	53	2.4
at CAR	24	62	2.6
vs. GB	22	76	3.5
at NYJ	27	132	4.9
vs. BUF	22	49	2.2
TOTALS	117*	372*	3.2*

In fact, Detroit has already held at least two teams built around the running game—the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers—to under 70 total rushing yards this season.

The Packers tried to get Eddie Lacy going in Week 3 but finished with just 76 yards on 22 attempts.

Chances seem astronomically high that Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will focus the majority of his energy on stopping the run Sunday, which would put the game solely in Bridgewater's gloved hands. It would be a situation the rookie quarterback hasn't yet faced since stepping onto an NFL field.

While Detroit defenses of the past might have crumbled at the back, the 2014 version finally has the personnel capable of forming an elite defense.

Cornerbacks Rashean Mathis and Darius Slay have each allowed an opposing passer rating of under 65.0, and the versatile Glover Quin and physical James Ihedigbo now make up an ideal, modern-day safety combination.

Throw in do-it-all linebacker DeAndre Levy, one of the most underrated defenders in all of football, and the back seven of the Lions defense no longer looks like the glaring weakness it once was.

Remember, less than a month ago, Detroit held Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to just 162 passing yards and seven points.

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

Add it all up, and it becomes more and more difficult to envision Bridgewater playing the game's most important position with the same kind of ease Sunday.

Being a rookie quarterback in the NFL is all about learning and adapting with the ups and downs. There have been many highs for Bridgewater through just two appearances. The possibility for a few legitimate struggles looms in Week 6.

Facing the Lions defense—a polar opposite of the first two Bridgewater has dealt with this season—should provide a better measuring stick for where he truly is at this point in his rookie year.

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report.

Follow @zachkruse2