Just after leading the Minnesota Vikings to an 11-5 finish and an NFC North crown, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod, Teddy Bridgewater suffered a freak, grievous knee injury during offseason workouts. His career was under threat and many believed he'd never play again.
Bridgewater wasn't about to go out like that and so he battled back over the course of about an 18-month period. With help and support from others, the former Louisville star turned the corner and eventually retook the field in the NFL.
One of those people who helped Bridgewater get through his tribulation is Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. With the Raiders currently embroiled in a disgraceful controversy, the Broncos draw their old division rival on the schedule this week just days after Jon Gruden resigned as head coach.
Naturally, the Raiders disarray came up when Teddy was at the podium on Tuesday and he quickly dismissed the notion of them being easy pickings before explaining that his bond with Carr began when he reached out to him early on in his career to pick his brain about the deep ball.
“We came in together, and when I got injured, he used to text me a lot," Bridgewater said on Wednesday. "I actually reached out to him early in my career because I admire the way he threw the deep ball and things like that. I just asked him for some little tips and pointers. We’ve texted a lot throughout the course of our career.”
Bridgewater doesn't believe Carr will let his teammates succumb to the whirlwind the Raiders have been swept up by.
“Just knowing Derek personally—I know he’s a guy who’s going to rally those guys together," Bridgewater said. "He’s a great leader. He’s a great man, and a lot of people respect him. I know I respect him, and I know he’s a guy who’s capable of pulling his troops together and just keeping them focused."
Teddy, being wise beyond his years, hit the nail on the head when it came to how the Broncos can be sure to beat the Raiders and snap their two-game slide.
"We’ve just got to go out there and play the game we know how to play and the way we know how to play it," he said. "[We have to] make it about us.”
The Broncos will not be short of motivation to indeed make it about them. The club's winningest head coach all-time — Mike Shanahan — will be inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame on Sunday in front of the Mile High Faithful.
Considering Shanahan's past with the Raiders, if the Broncos allow themselves to lose this game, it might aggrieve the Football Gods so that the team will never recover in 2021.
So, as Teddy said, the Broncos can't fall prey to the notion of the Raiders being consumed. The Broncos have to "make it about us."
Gruden may have left in disgrace but he got the last laugh by sweeping the Broncos in 2020. It's time for Denver to right the ship.
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