What Teddy Bridgewater winning the starting job means for the Raiders
By Alex Perl
What Teddy Bridgewater winning the starting job means for the Raiders
How the announcement affects AFC West, Raiders
The move for the Broncos is a win for the Raiders, and also the AFC West because while he may not be as mistake-prone as Lock, he also has a way lower ceiling, and his knack for complacency replaces that for spectacular. The Broncos have a very solid supporting cast on offense around Bridgewater, and with stellar defense in place, the Broncos just might shock many around the league.
However, with Bridgewater behind center, do not expect the Broncos to shoot it out on offense.
When you look at the AFC West, you see the level of quarterback play is stellar. With one of the best in the league in Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs, a superstar in the making in Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, and solid Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr for the Raiders, the outlier here seems to be Bridgewater.
Taking a look at the man Bridgewater beat out in Drew Lock is a bit unfair as well. Lock faced plenty of criticism last year in Denver, in his first full season as a starter, he lost his best receiver Courtland Sutton early in the season to an ACL tear, his second-best option was banged up tight end Noah Fant, and his third option was a rookie in receiver Jerry Jeudy.
The Broncos may regret not giving Lock a chance to truly show if he can lead a healthy and efficient Bronco offense.
Bridgewater’s naming as the Broncos starter is surely a win for the Raiders, as I do not expect Bridgewater to throw many touchdowns or go over 4,000 yards, even if he does have a strong core of receivers. The Broncos at most have a decent quarterback, but one that is not a superstar, and this should fare well for not only the Raiders but the rest of the division.