Here's why Teddy Bridgewater still has Vic Fangio's confidence

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Even injured, even at 70 or 75 percent, even after five interceptions in 73 attempts since the final play of the Week 5 loss at Pittsburgh, Vic Fangio still has his man at quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater.

Part of it is because those five interceptions in such a rapid-fire span match the total Bridgewater had in his previous 383 attempts, which spans 12 games going from last Nov. 8 through Oct. 10. Unless the spate of giveaways is a new normal, Bridgewater’s giveaway rate should ascend back to his mean after a rough two-plus games.

“He’s still running the operation very well, making good decisions — for the most part,” Fangio said at midday Wednesday at UCHealth Training Center.

“The players have good confidence in him, and I’m confident that we’ll get it turned around, and when we do, the quarterback will get too much credit — as maybe now he’s getting too much blame.”

But another part of it is simple: When Fangio named Bridgewater the starter in August, No. 5 became his man, full stop.

And when Bridgewater was hobbling around last week before the game against Cleveland — at around 70-75 percent, as Bridgewater himself estimated in an on-air phone appearance on KOA-AM 850 on Tuesday — all Fangio needed to know was whether his starting quarterback believed he could play.

When Bridgewater affirmed that, it was all Fangio needed to hear — even though he suspected Bridgewater was better than the percentage the eighth-year passer let on.

“Well, I think he was a little higher than that, but I’m not doubting his word on it,” Fangio said. “I thought he looked fine out there — I didn’t think he was 100 percent.

“But he’s our quarterback, and when your quarterback can go, you go with him unless he can’t go. He never said he couldn’t go, and I’m confident in taking his word on that.”

Six days later, Bridgewater was no longer hobbling as he walked up to the outside podium at Broncos headquarters for his weekly question-and-answer session with media. He was not even among the 10 names listed on the post-practice injury report.

“I feel pretty good,” Bridgewater said. “I really can’t put a percentage on it. I feel good, though.”

That has allowed him to turn his focus to two areas: getting back up to speed with Jerry Jeudy, who is expected to return from a high-ankle sprain Sunday, and snapping the team out of its funk.

Bridgewater used the phrase “sense of urgency” three times in the first moments of his question-and-answer session.

Another loss and he might be using another term.

“Man, we’ve got to have a sense of urgency. It’s not time to panic, but it almost is,” he said, “because this thing can go in the wrong direction fast.”

It already has veered off track, given the four consecutive losses, all of which saw the team trailing by double digits at halftime.

That has happened just twice before in Broncos history: in the final two games of 1964 and the first two of 1965, and during a 5-game stretch of the 2017 season — the opening five games of that season’s mind-numbing 8-game losing streak.

But getting Jeudy back and starting a three-game stretch that features two games against 2-5 clubs — the Football Team on Sunday and the Eagles a fortnight later — gives the Broncos a chance to get back on their feet before a demanding close to the season.

“It starts in practice. If we practice with the right mindset and make this a competitive environment, then we can turn this thing around,” Bridgewater said.

“We’re sitting at 3-4. I think if you look at it, we’ve played 10 games — three preseason games and seven regular-season games. We’re right at the halfway point, and we’re not in a bad position. We’d like to be in a better position, but that’s on us. All we can do is control what’s in front of us.”

But how does this “sense of urgency” differ from other recent weeks? It could be said the Broncos just had two must-win games and lost them both, never leading at any point in those games.

“It’s hard to explain,” Bridgewater said. “It’s really just an energy thing and a vibe thing. When you’re out here, you sense that guys have something to prove, and guys have a chip on their shoulder.

“It’s not that feeling of, ‘Alright, yeah. We say we’ve got to have this urgency. Let’s just start fast.’ You sense it, whether it’s in the meetings, or if guys are clearing the locker room five minutes early before meetings. Things like that [are] those small things that are going to help us when it comes to playing on the football field.”

“I think we’re just trying to figure out and find something that will help us flip the switch,” added wide receiver Courtland Sutton. “Obviously, the things that we have been doing haven’t been working. We’re just trying to find things that will help flip the switch and help us be able to get back to the winning ways.”