4th Quarter Heroics from Teddy Bridgewater Lead Vikings to Another Late Win

After a back-and-forth game, Teddy Bridgewater was able to will an enigmatic Vikings offense to another victory through a clutch performance late in the game.

The early struggles of the offense combined with some untimely penalties gave the Vikings a hole to climb out. At the half, the Vikings had only run the ball seven times for 14 yards, dialing up the pass on 28-of-35 offensive plays. That imbalance caused problems for the offense as a whole, not only in tasking the rookie quarterback with too much right away.

Bridgewater also put the Vikings in a hole, missing multiple downfield throws that would have directly became touchdowns. It was the same story of Minnesota’s inability to capitalize on glaring opportunities to take control of the game.

So the Vikings battled with Washington throughout in a game that saw five lead-changes in the second half. Two of those came from long drives with Bridgewater the conductor.

The first was a 10-play, 76-yard drive that began in the third quarter and ended in the fourth. Bridgewater completed three of his five pass attempts for 41 yards, leading Minnesota to a 21-10 lead. The drive included 19 rushing yards from the rookie, one scamper converting a 3rd-and-1.

After the Redskins answered with a touchdown of their own, the onus fell back on Bridgewater to lead a game-winning drive.

Starting at 9:01, the Vikings marched on an even more impressive 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. Bridgewater completed 5-of-7 pass attempts for 64 yards. On top of his efficiency, he converted two crucial third downs. The first was a 3rd-and-10 completion to Jarius Wright. Then he converted a 3rd-and-5 in the red zone, allowing the Vikings to plunge it into the end zone on the ground.

Bridgewater is showing his knack for late-game heroics. Scott Kacsmar provided details of Bridgewater’s effectiveness in fourth quarter comeback opportunities:

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Presented without comment: Teddy Bridgewater starts his career 3-0 at 4QC opportunities.

— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) November 2, 2014"

Minnesota’s ability to rely on a young quarterback in these late-game situations has proven invaluable.

A few different traits make Bridgewater so effective late in the game, with defenses bearing down on him and the crowd at its antsiest.

First of all, he doesn’t allow pressure-packed situations to get the best of him. Bridgewater has always been a composed customer at moments when many young quarterbacks fold, believing in his ability to execute instead.

The uptempo nature of these drives also keeps him in rhythm, which helps him get the ball out of his hand sooner. His entire process of reading the defense and releasing quickly is streamlined by the rhythm he's able to play with in drives with a time constraint.

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Bridgewater is also a smooth operator in the pocket, which relates closely to his mindset. If the opponent brings the farm on a blitz, he knows where to deliver the football before rushers get home. If the defense drops off in prevention of big plays, Bridgewater can nickel and dime his way down the field. He did both to Washington most of the day.

Finally, Bridgewater is always improving over the course of the game. He learns within that three-hour window, adjusting his process to what defenses are showing him. His second-half statistics, per The Daily Norseman, show how effective he is as the game wears on:

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Bridgewater in the second half today: 11/14, 120 yards

— The Daily Norseman (@DailyNorseman) November 2, 2014"

In the first half, Bridgewater was inaccurate down the field and uncomfortable with the decision-making process. After making half-time adjustments, he made better decisions and was sharp in his passing, keeping the offense in rhythm. Four of the final six offensive drives ended in a touchdown, a major credit to how the rookie grew into the game and led an offense without a consistent ground game.

For all these reasons, the Vikings can count on Bridgewater to perform late in games. After leading comeback drives in the fourth quarter in wins over Atlanta, Tampa Bay and now Washington, an early track record is developing.

Bridgewater continues to endure the trials and tribulations of being a rookie quarterback in the NFL, especially one with an offensive line that hemorrhages pressure left and right.

The sticking point for the young quarterback needs to be incremental improvements both over the course of the season and over the course of the games. In-game growth is becoming clearer every week, and Bridgewater has improved each week since the Detroit game.

As long as Minnesota stays patient with its quarterback, many more late-game victories could be in the cards. Bridgewater has the traits to make that happen. Hopefully they are only needed against much better teams in the future, but the rebuilding Vikings will take the victories as they can get them for now. Their win over Washington provides an encouraging glimpse into the future.

Statistics via ESPN.com unless noted otherwise.