Norv Turner: Vikings Have a “Top Flight Quarterback” in Bridgewater
Austin Belisle
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The Minnesota Vikings’ decision to trade into the first round to draft Teddy Bridgewater in 2014 was an all-in play — a commitment to a young, talented, and underrated football player whose stock had fallen in the weeks prior to the draft. As training camp continues in Mankato, Minnesota, it’s clear that their investment, and continued development of the second-year quarterback, is paying off for the organization.
Virtual Reality Revolutionizes Film Study
On Sunday, during the team’s first practice at training camp, virtual reality cameras followed Bridgewater as he broke the huddle and ran through plays. As the official website states, the Vikings are the fourth NFL team reported to have a partnership with STRIVR Labs, Inc., a provider of virtual reality instructional technology.
Through the use of virtual reality headsets, cameras, and powerful software, STRIVR and the Vikings can take footage from the perspective of players like Chad Greenway and Teddy Bridgewater and make it available for film sessions and team meetings — giving coaches and players new perspective while breaking down games or understanding specific assignments.
[quote_center]“We are constantly looking for opportunities to help our players prepare and improve on the field,” Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said. “This is just another example of the Wilf family’s commitment to helping our team compete for championships.”[/quote_center]
On the field, cameras behind players capture all of the on-field action, from audibles at the line to defensive checks and alignments. That footage, like traditional coach’s tape or All-22 film, can be cut, edited, and broken down when positional groups meet for film study.
Below, courtesy of Eric Thompson at Daily Norseman, a look at the virtual reality camera in action:
Good example of how close the #Vikings put the new @STRIVRlabs system to the action at practice. pic.twitter.com/xRokc6oSLq
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) July 27, 2015
Imagine placing this behind Teddy Bridgewater in practice and getting a sense for what he’s processing — the alignment of the defensive line, the cushion (or press) of the cornerbacks, linebackers creeping into the A gaps, or an alert to call and audible. It’s a lot to digest, especially for a quarterback entering his second year in the league. Thankfully, STRIVR’s technology is making the learning process easier.
After practice, Norv Turner and other positional coaches can sit down with Bridgewater and point out mistakes, script scenarios, and even listen to Bridgewater’s calls, all from Teddy’s perspective. This application will open up opportunities for coaches to understand certain plays from the mindset of the quarterback, revolutionizing the way teams watch film.
Turner Dismisses the Bridgewater Critics
On the field, virtual reality and a second year at training camp will only help Teddy Bridgewater progress as a quarterback. Off the field, Norv Turner is taking notice of his growth from year one to year two.
After Monday’s walkthrough, Turner addressed media members in attendance, specifically focusing on the idea of evaluating quarterbacks and trying to rank them No. 1 to 32. To start, he elaborated on his process of gauging Bridgewater’s development this offseason:
[quote_center]”I don’t break it down year one, year two. I break it down in terms of his normal progression, the way he went through the season, we saw him improve dramatically as the season went on. At the quarterback position, there’s always going to be ups and downs.”[/quote_center]
As fans, we saw Bridgewater go through these growing pains, most notably in the early part of the 2014 season. In a four-game stretch (Week 3 to Week 7), Bridgewater threw five interceptions to just one touchdown. He struggled to read safety coverage, forced the football into tight windows, and caught a case of the check-down blues. But, Turner believes Bridgewater’s greatest strength, his level-headedness, helped him succeed. “He has the mentality, the approach, the demeanor, that he doesn’t get affected too greatly by the highs and he doesn’t get affected too greatly by the lows,” Turner said.
We’ve seen some of that this offseason, with Bridgewater deferring praise to teammates and dismissing the notion that the Vikings are ready for the playoffs. When he led the Vikings on a game-winning drive against the Cardinals last preseason, Teddy simply smiled. When he received the Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award, Teddy smiled. In a little over a year, his attitude hasn’t changed — Bridgewater eats, breathes, and sleeps football.
When Sam Gordon asked the young quarterback about the team’s expectations yesterday, Bridgewater expressed his desire to get better. “You talk about the team finishing 7-9 last year, that wasn’t good enough,” he said. “And if we play that way this year, it won’t be good enough.”
While fans expect Bridgewater to play better in 2015, the national media and anonymous executives aren’t as optimistic. In a number of recent quarterback rankings, most notably Mike Sando and Ron Jaworski’s at ESPN, Bridgewater was much lower than expected. Sando placed Bridgewater 23rd, while Jaworski dropped him down to the 27th position, three behind former teammate Matt Cassel. On Monday, Turner dismissed such rankings:
[quote_box_center]You try not to pay attention to those things or see them. I see some of the rankings and none of them matters because, obviously, how he plays is the key. I have not been around very many guys, there is only four or five guys I would trust in talking and talking to and evaluating quarterbacks because I don’t think there are many guys that understand what you’re trying to do at the position and understand the evaluation process. That really makes those evaluations less meaningful.[/quote_box_center]
Under Mike Zimmer, it’s no surprise Norv Turner and the organization are ignoring the outside noise. At the end of the day, the only evaluation that matters is the one happening right now in Mankato and the one that will happen throughout the season at Winter Park. To the critics and analysts, Bridgewater lacks an “NFL arm” and doesn’t have the skills to lead a team to a Super Bowl. Within the Vikings’ organization, he’s a “top flight quarterback,” and their gamble on Bridgewater looks like an excellent investment heading into 2015.