Help me break down this game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKN-F6fk6I
I'm not seeing a QB that I would be thrilled about taking with the #1 overall pick.
Series #1 is flawless.
#2 - incomplete pass due to WR falling down. Good throw. Eats a sack on an overload blitz to his left. No chance. You can blame him for not changing the protection but nobody on his line blocked anyway so it's a wash. Dropped pass on 2nd & 18 on next play. Nobody open on 3rd down so he hits his underneath guy and settles for a FG.
#3 - WR in motion doesn't chip the blitzer on play action. QB has no chance.
#4 - Under pressure makes a stupid throw into coverage. Should have thrown it away. Telegraphs a throw into the flat and has it batted down. 3rd & 15 buys time for six seconds but nobody gets open. Hits WR on the sideline short of first down.
#5 - Awesome placement on a checkdown throw to his back. Dropped pass on next play. Buys time on both of the next two plays but has to throw it away both times because nobody can get open.
#6 - 3rd & 3 he drops a perfect pass in over the top between a CB and S. Not a terribly difficult throw. His guy had at least three steps on his defender.
#7 - good throw on a corner route. Put it high but away from defenders. Nobody gets open on 3rd & 9 and he forces a bad ball over the middle. Lucky it wasn't picked. Survives for a FG.
#8 - Quick read and release beats a blitz on first play. Wild throw on a bubble on the next play. Dropped pass on first pass of 4th quarter. On 3rd down beats pressure by hitting a crosser for a first down. 3rd & 7 he overthrows his guy high but keeps it away from defenders.
#9 - Eats a sack on 3rd & 4. Stepped up but couldn't get the ball out.
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When I scout guys I want to see them at their absolute best and at their absolute worst. Their flaws are just as important to me as their strengths. This was Bridgewater's worst game of the season, and I still come away seeing only two bad throws plus two more bad decisions. One should have been picked. If that's the worst game he has put on tape then I feel safe saying he has a pretty high floor. If you want to see his ceiling look at the tape from the Miami game.
In this game I see an ultra conservative gameplan and WRs who can't get open the whole game save for two or three plays. His guys do get him some YAC when they actually catch the ball. Houston did do a great job covering WRs off the line and disguising pressure.
Bridgewater honestly looked like a guy who knew where to go with the ball on nearly every single play, but his guys couldn't get open so he was forced to check down far too frequently. He got greedy and tried to force two balls, one which was dangerous and should have been picked.
If you want to compare the top three, then compare this to what Manziel did against LSU and Bortles did against Memphis this year.
Bridgewater may not quite show the ceiling of Manziel, but there is no doubt his floor is significantly higher.