Unproven rookie or not, the Falcons aren't going to sleep on Teddy Bridgewater

Teddy Bridgewater was picked apart ad nauseum before this May's draft. He went from "the most NFL ready quarterback in the draft" to a scrawny, small-handed afterthought who can't throw the deep ball. That's a far way to fall, and falling that far has an effect - it makes you hungry. And make no mistake, Bridgewater is hungry heading into Sunday's game. Credit to D. Orlando Ledbetter for the quote.

"As far as scoring, the biggest thing is that we have to score touchdowns when we get down in the red zone. We have to take advantage of each opportunity [regardless of] whether if it’s a big play. In the run game, we just have to do a good job across the board and try to put some points on the board."

And for their part, the Falcons aren't taking him lightly. They respect his game and will plan accordingly. Credit to Vaughn McClure for the quote.

"Well I'll say this: We never take a rookie lightly," Nolan said. "After all the years I've been in .... last year, Geno Smith, his numbers weren't great, but he did enough to win the game. On the last drive, that's where he made hay. Otherwise, we should have won the game. But, it is about winning, and that last drive obviously cost us the ballgame."

In short, in the NFL, you don't take weeks off. You don't look ahead, no matter who you're playing. The Vikings could literally have Jared Lorenzen under center, and it wouldn't matter. Admittedly, Bridgewater has talent. He's a smart football player, the type of guy who can find a way to win. Plus, for what it's worth, the Falcons haven't had an extended look at Bridgewater. They have his college tape coupled with whatever can be gleaned during a single preseason. Going forward, the Vikings may struggle. But Bridgewater will surprise some people, especially those that overlook him.

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