Teddy Bridgewater – October 16, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Postgame – Minnesota
QB Teddy Bridgewater (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Opening statement:
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: It’s unfortunate today, especially tough loss today. We can’t get that one back, but we can get the next one. Just got to get our minds right, learn from today, come to work tomorrow, watch the tape, see what we did well, see what we didn’t do so well, correct those things so that we can turn this thing around. It was great being back out there on the field in front of home fans. Obviously we’d like to win to just give them something more to cheer about, but it’s unfortunate today, especially even some of the things that happened today, but this is a tough team, man, a team that just faces adversity and embraces it. You watch as the game continued to go on, the defense continued to fight. Offensive guys continued to fight as the game went on. Things just didn’t work out for us. But we’ve still got more work to do
Q: With your situation during the week how prepared were you to get in there and how much work did you do during the week?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: The toughest part about this kind of situation is it’s similar to last week, what happened with Skylar (Thompson). I got an opportunity to just prepare mindset as I’m a starter this week, get all the reps in practice, and then boom, I went down first play. Skylar had to get in there and just run plays that he didn’t really rep physically. He had to throw a lot of mental reps. It was the same today for me. Limited reps, but it’s an offense that I know. It was just cool just getting back out there running around, competing, getting hit a little bit. But obviously we want to win these football games, and obviously we want to execute better, starting with me or whoever is out there. It was a tough situation to come into, but it was one that I was prepared for.
Q: This is the first time we’re speaking to you since you were cleared from concussion protocol. Obviously a unique situation with the spotter saying that you stumbled in the Jets game. Did you get an explanation why you were taken out? Did you think you stumbled and did you have any concussion symptoms the past few days, the past week?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: You know, I talked with the doctors and stuff, and different people throughout the week and those conversations I’d rather not talk about. But I was just happy to just continue to practice this week. Just happy I got an opportunity to go in the game today and who knows what’s in store.”
Q: Did you take any snaps before today?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, I took a couple snaps Thursday.
Q: Can you describe what it’s been like for the quarterbacks as a whole? Four straight games where the guy who doesn’t prepare as the starter has to go into the game.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, it’s tough, man, and it’s just our luck that the guy who didn’t get to prepare as a starter has to go in the game and play most of the game. But man, this game is so crazy. It just applies to life, also. You wake up one morning prepared to do one thing, and boom, something happens, and how do you adjust. And I think this team has responded well to adversity, to the bad luck in the quarterback room, if you want to call it that. But I think the team has responded well. And the good thing about this team is they have faith in anyone who’s out there, whether it’s Tua, Teddy, Skylar. Those guys show up to play. Hell, even if we had to put Thomas Morstead down there at quarterback, those guys would be ready to go to war. It’s a great locker room who just give their all for this team.
Q: How would you assess the job Skylar did?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Skylar did a great job just executing his first game. It’s totally different from preseason, and for him to go out there and execute the way he did. I was very pleased with just some of the things he was able to do, whether it was competing or completing passes, keeping plays alive, scrambling, protecting himself. It was great just to watch the young old fella go out there and have fun.
Q: How do you feel your chemistry has been with the receiving corps? You had over 300 passing yards this game. How are you feeling with them?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Man, it could have been better. Missed a couple throws. Jaylen (Waddle) on a crosser. The pass before the interception before the half, if I hit Jaylen in stride, who knows, he’s one on one with the safety; he might make him miss and run. But it was a low ball on his hip, had to go to the ground. You know, I want to be perfect when I’m out there, and no one has ever played a perfect game, but we take pride in just being accurate as a quarterback room, as a team. I take pride in being accurate just as a quarterback. Obviously the numbers say whatever, but trust me, there are some things that — some throws I would like to have back. Some ball placement things, intentional grounding, and probably just trying to do too much. So yeah, it was just cool, man, but I obviously want to play better.
Q: These new rules being what they are, first couple was a couple times today you got hit and you bounced right back up. It was almost as if to say “look, I’m fine.” Is that in the back of quarterbacks’ minds now that the spotter can see whatever and that’s it? Do you have to…
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Man, your pop-up game, got to be elite. You get hit, you’ve got to pop right up these days. I’ve always been a guy who takes his time getting up, mad that I might have gotten hit, slapped the ground frustrated, and then okay, next play. But can’t do that anymore. Today I was just popping up just so it wouldn’t happen to me again.
Q: When you walked off the field last week did you feel like you could play again and were you frustrated, angry? What were your emotions when you learned you could not go back in that game after one play?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, frustration definitely sets in when you’re told you can’t play again because you spent so much time preparing for that game, just being focused and ready for that moment and then being told that you can’t go back in, yeah, you get a little frustrated. But obviously the league is just trying to protect us, and I respect it. Just being a guy who’s had multiple concussions and things like that. So I understand their viewpoint, but the competitive nature in me it’s like, man, I’m good, let me get out there. But I respect that they care about our safety.
Q: You know Dalvin (Cook) from (indiscernible)? What were you thinking when he ran for that touchdown?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: I was hoping he tripped. (laughter) Yeah, I was hoping he tripped over the turf or the grass. He’s a little bowlegged or parrot-toed, and sometimes when he runs, he trips, and I was hoping he had one of those moments where he tripped and our defense would get a stop. But hats off to the Vikings, man. They’re a great team. They’ve been playing some good football offensively, defensively, and we came up short today.
Q: Do you talk at all to Jaylen because of a fumble? It’s something that’s going to happen to every player, but you have seen it in the league. Do you go and talk to him? He’s still a young player.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, you definitely just go tell him it’s going to be all right. These guys here, they’re wired different in a good way. Like they’re so competitive, and they want to perfect every play, every rep, and it’s fun to see that in these young guys like Jaylen where every play you’re getting 1,000 percent from him. So when he fumbles on a play like that, yeah, you’re mad, because of when it happened, when it occurred in the game, but man, if you look at it, he caught the ball and he ran, made a guy miss and just guy made a great play getting the ball out. But he was straining, and we always talk about straining. He was straining just to try to get to the end zone. Like these guys, man, they strain so much. Every time the ball is in their hands, they’re trying to just maximize every play, every rep, and I just love it. We’ll look at it like oh, man, we can’t fumble in that situation, but I’m just happy to see that strain out of him.
