FanPost

Managing the Vikings QB Situation



Now that the second pre-season game is in the books, let's re-visit the QB situation and how best to manage it going forward.

First, both Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater turned in very good performances against Arizona. One could argue which was better, but both performed very well. Cassel has generated a 120 passer rating in his two starts, while Bridgewater turned in a 136.9 rating with his come-from-behind 2-minute drill performance against Arizona. Both Cassel and Bridgewater showed improvement in the second pre-season game compared to the first. Bridgewater's improvement from game 1 to game 2 was much greater than Cassel's.

One could argue that Bridgewater, as a rookie, did more to answer questions about his ability than Cassel did about his. The comparison seems to be one between a fairly certain average, maybe a little above average QB in Cassel, or a less certain, much higher potential QB in Bridgewater.

In any case, fairly or not, Bridgewater is getting the star treatment.

Ponder hasn't played much, and when he has, he's looked well, as bad as ever to be honest. Which is also how he has looked in camp.

So, with all that in mind, let's look at the best way to manage this situation between now and the start of the regular season.

Dump Ponder

There's no getting around the fact that Ponder isn't playing well, had his chance to prove himself over the past few years, doesn't deserve more reps, and needs more reps for any hope of improvement. At this point, he's a less than ideal backup in the NFL. His potential at this point is very low. All this points to cutting Ponder at the last cut, or dealing him if a deal can be done.

Some argue that Ponder's contract situation, combined with his performance, make it difficult at best to deal him. That may be true. But from a team standpoint, there is no reason to give Ponder a valuable roster spot. None. Any honest assessment of the best 53 players currently on the Vikings roster would not include Ponder. Moreover, there is no need to carry a 3rd QB. Most teams carry only two. In an emergency, Jerick McKinnon could be 3rd string QB. Cutting Ponder, in the event no deal can be done, means eating his $1.7m final year salary, and some modest salary cap savings. If some deal could be reached before the final cuts are made, presumably with a team unhappy with their backup QB situation after training camp has played out, so much the better. But at the end of the day, it's better to dump Ponder, one way or another, rather than waste a roster spot on him in lieu of keeping another DB or WR or some other player with more potential and in a position of greater need than keeping a bad 3rd QB with no upside.

Don't Arrest Bridgewater's Development

There is an argument that you need to give your presumed starting QB more reps at some point during pre-season to get them up-to-speed with players, develop rapport, etc. While I can agree with that generally, particularly when the starting QB is well established, I also think there are exceptions to that rule. This is one of them.

Teddy Bridgewater is going through a very active and productive period of development right now. He is also clearly the QB of the future for the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, it is extremely important to maximize Bridgewater's development right now. That means reps. Pre-season game reps. Practice reps. First team reps too. Bridgewater should be getting roughly equal reps as Cassel, although perhaps Cassel getting more first team reps as the current #1 QB on the roster.

The reason for giving Bridgewater those reps is return-on-investment (ROI). The ROI for each rep given to Bridgewater, as a young, rapidly developing QB, is at least 2X, and probably more like 5X, than that for Cassel. It's nothing against Cassel, but as a 9 year veteran, there is less development that is going to happen with him.

Since the beginning of training camp, Bridgewater has progressed through knowledge-based development- improving as his knowledge of the NFL game, Vikings offense, and opposing defenses has improved. He has also improved his fundamentals/technique from outstanding college QB to very good rookie NFL QB level.

This past week, he hit a knowledge-based plateau in his development. Trying to continue to develop his knowledge, he began over-thinking. This led to some sub-par performance in practice, and some new advice from the coaching staff- just go out there and play. And in his 2nd pre-season game, that's what he did- combining his improved knowledge with his natural talent and improved fundamentals. His performance ramped up considerably, which in turn may well lead to the next leg-up in his development.

Typically that next leg-up will combine greater confidence, quicker decision-making, greater familiarity with the NFL game, and more play-making. Allowing Bridgewater the opportunity to make this leg of development in pre-season- with less pressure and nothing on the line- is ideal. It offers a low-risk opportunity for Bridgewater's development and confidence to take root and become firmly established.

Remember Christian Ponder never had a pre-season or off-season after he was drafted, because of the lock-out that year. With less natural talent and ability than Bridgewater, and without the opportunity of off-season and pre-season game development for the most part, he wasn't ready to be a starter. But when an aging veteran QB proved to be a mistake, he was thrown out there anyway.

Right now, Bridgewater has shown that with more pre-season reps, he COULD be the starting QB for the Vikings. He may not be the BEST option, but he could start week one and be expected to perform reasonably well. Giving Bridgewater the additional reps - and opportunity to continue his development - may result in Bridgewater not only proving that he could start, but also that he is the best option. Giving Bridgewater the additional reps and opportunity for development during these last couple weeks of pre-season may also prove to be worth it from an optimal development standpoint (remember the Ponder example) if, at some point during the year, Bridgewater is called upon to replace Cassel.

Make Cassel Work

Matt Cassel has had a pretty good off-season and training camp. Not outstanding- that's not really in the cards for the 9 year vet anymore- but still pretty good. I think a lot of that has to do with the competition with Teddy Bridgewater. Cassel knew early in the off-season that the Vikings were going to draft a QB high in the draft to compete with him. He also knew he had a descent chance to be the starter. So he worked a lot this off-season to improve himself physically, while playing the part of a starting QB when it comes to his demeanor, comments, etc.

But Cassel also knows Bridgewater is on his heels. He NEEDS to work, to be his best, if he is going to hold the starting QB position this year. He also knows this is probably his last real chance to be a starter.

All this is good for Matt Cassel. He may not like it, but it's good for him. Cassel needs the competition to reach his potential, limited as it is compared to Bridgewater's. Keeping the heat on Cassel by continuing to keep the QB competition open, and giving Bridgewater the reps that make that real, may well help Cassel be a better QB than he has shown the last couple years.

Matt Cassel could do a very good job as starting QB for the Vikings this year. An aging Brad Johnson passed for over 4,000 yards and the 2nd rated offense under Norv Turner when he was with the Redskins. Cassel could have that type of year. But he needs to work, and be properly motivated, to get the best out of him. Teddy Bridgewater breathing down his neck helps a lot in that regard.

Making the Decision

The coming pre-season game should be an important one in the QB competition. Typically the 3rd pre-season game is the one closest to a real game, with starters typically getting the most playing time. For the Vikings, it makes sense to play the first team offense and defense for 3 quarters, but with some rotation at a few positions where competition is still undecided- including QB.

Allowing Cassel to play for the first half, and Bridgewater the second- one quarter with the starters and one quarter with the second team, makes some sense. Depending on how Cassel plays, perhaps allowing Bridgewater a series in the first half as well. In any case, Bridgewater deserves to have a few series with the first team- and against the first team defense. How he does compared to Cassel in that situation should go a long way in determining the week one starter.

After the Chiefs game, I would be prepared to make a decision on the starting QB. Hopefully performance on the field will make the decision easier, but if performances were similar to this week's game against Arizona, but with both QBs having playing time with the first team, I would be more inclined to go with Bridgewater.

Not sure Zimmer shares that view. Or Norv Turner. But here's why:

Bridgewater has shown he is a very mature young QB, and has demonstrated his ability to rise to the next level quickly in the past. There has been nothing since he was first drafted that suggests otherwise at this point. If Bridgewater can show he's as good as Cassel, better to let Bridgewater continue his development, rather than pause it. Some rookie QBs could suffer from a setback with poor performance as a starter. I think Bridgewater is far less likely to suffer from poor performance, given his superior skill set and poise in the pocket, and is more likely to bounce back from it should it happen based on his character and attitude.

Other young QBs have not had Bridgewater's talent and ability in qualities more likely to lead to success at the NFL level. Things like pocket presence/poise, progressions, ability to read defenses, make adjustments, mobility in the pocket, taking care of the football- these are areas Bridgewater has excelled in throughout his college career. And were the reasons the Vikings drafted him in the first round.

Most top QBs out of college don't have an NFL-ready skill set and experience making decisions at the line. Bridgewater has been running a pro-style offense his entire college career, with extraordinary decision-making authority- even as a freshman. That background - which was a big reason why he was drafted in the first round - combined with his progress and development in training camp- make the case for him to start week one if he proves himself at least as good as Cassel.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.