On Monday, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer named Matt Cassel the team's starting quarterback to open the 2014 season. The decision came down to deciding between Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater. Picking Cassel can hardly be considered a surprise. He's a veteran. He's picked up nicely the offense introduced by new offensive coordinator Norv Turner. He's played well in the Vikings three preseason games. Cassel is the safe choice. He is also the smart choice.
Teddy Bridgewater has also played well in the preseason. His first NFL appearance against the Oakland Raiders in preseason game #1 was a little shaky. He played like a rookie quarterback making his first NFL appearance. No better or worse than that. He played like he might have been wound a little tight. Zimmer told him to play football like he had since he was a kid. He told him to have fun out there. Bridgewater has played like the franchise quarterback that he was drafted to be ever since. When it truly came down to it, there might not have been much of a quarterback competition at all. Despite that, Bridgewater likely did enough to force Zimmer and Turner to consider the possibility of going into the season with a rookie quarterback under center.
Three of the first five games of the Vikings 2014 season are against the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers. These are three of the best teams in the league. There really aren't any easy games in the NFL. There are no easy starts to a season but the Patriots, Saints, and Packers present challenges that most teams can only imagine. This would be a rough way to start the career of a rookie quarterback. Even one as prepared as Teddy Bridgewater. Matt Cassel's veteran leadership and experience will be crucial in running this opening gauntlet. He is the right choice for the job. Bridgewater is the future of the Minnesota Vikings but for now the team is Cassel's.
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