Denver Broncos: Most disappointing players of 2021 so far
QB Teddy Bridgewater
This one hurts bad. While giving up just a sixth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, it still doesn’t make his play “okay.”
Yes, Bridgewater went the first four games of the season without throwing an interception. He also only threw five touchdowns in those four games. While the Denver Broncos won their first three games, that doesn’t excuse the team dropping the last four.
Sure, the Denver Broncos got what they paid for. How much better is he than Drew Lock? Did acquiring Bridgewater move the needle at the quarterback position? After last year’s overall performance by Lock, it was exciting for some to acquire someone new.
We want a game-changer. We want someone who will win games despite other issues around the team. Unfortunately, the Broncos have fallen to the three AFC North teams they’ve played so far. They’ve looked flat. The quarterback should be a strong part of a team and that’s just not what’s happening for Denver.
Now, this could fall on offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, but another big, big issue I’ve noticed with Bridgewater is that he throws short of the first-down marker on third down.
That’s just unacceptable. To me, it shows signs of being too careful. Take a shot down the field. Call audibles. Make better reads down the field. It’s tiring seeing this happen so frequently.
This season appears to be lost and unfortunately, it’s going to fall on the quarterback, as well as the team’s coaches.