(Denver Broncos interview)
Broncos - 33, Vikings - 6
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: It was great getting back out there today playing football. Just great week of work here in Minnesota. We're thankful that they extended their facilities to us, great hospitality here. It was a great week of work. It was good being out there competing against those guys all week. Coming here to the game today and getting the reaction out of the crowd today, that was pretty cool. And just seeing fans in the stands at a football game today. That was exciting to see. The guys on the sideline felt that energy today. Had a lot of Bronco fans here today.
It was great to get things going in the right way, right direction. Talking about having a young football team and a team that is thirsty for success. And what better way than to start the preseason off with a win, get that winning feeling around here, especially for a young culture.
Q. What did you like most about what you and your offense did on your two drives?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: You watch different guys go out there compete at a high level making plays, you sit back and you realize, man, the work we did back in the spring, past couple of weeks meant something. A lot of times when you get to that point and you think, oh, man, we're just running plays, running plays, to go out there, see them have success, sometimes going against our defense it could be like, man, this play, oh, man, have little doubts about certain things. But to go out there and execute at a high level today with all three units, it's good to see.
Q. You both played well and (inaudible)?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, it's definitely great that we're making this team a better football team. In our room we're trying to do the best we can, and just take (inaudible). Whether it's Drew out there and I'm supporting him or if I'm out there and he's supporting me. The team is behind both of us. Even when Rip was out there he's out there letting it rip. And we're all behind each other. That's the thing I like about this team. No one really cares about who is back there. We just want to win football games.
Q. When you have a young team like this, you just touched upon it, it's only an exhibition, how important is it for a young team to taste that, especially early?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: It's very important. Like you said, even though it's just an exhibition game, winning is contagious, and that feeling that comes with winning. No matter what it is, we can compete at shooting a basketball, we can compete throwing a piece of paper in a trash can. If I beat you, I'm going to walk away with this feeling of satisfaction. So it's good that the young guys get to feel that.
To have so many guys step up make plays, Javonte, Trinity, those guys, PS II, man, he don't play no games, but -- no, it's just great bringing that winning feeling around here, like you said, it's an exhibition game. It still matters.
Q. How different was the first exhibition for you going in next week (inaudible)?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: For me it was just one of those deals where it's just like just stay ready. I've been in a position where I was backing up Drew Brees. And you never know. I learned a valuable lesson when I was backing up Drew Brees, man. We played the Rams, I went into that game when he got injured, I was prepared. So it was like, man, whatever I've got to do, if I'm not starting at the start of the game, just make sure you stay locked in mentally and physically. You want to stay loose on the sidelines.
Q. How valuable were those plays, in particular in the red zone?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: The red zone reps, they were cool. It was very beneficial for us. We work red zone a lot around here. I love it. And today, to be able to get some reps down there today, I tried to score a touchdown today. I pulled out one of my moves, I think I used that move on Vaughn back in 2015, it didn't work back then. It worked today. Just getting those reps today, it was very beneficial for this team. This offense would get to see different guys make plays, offensive linemen blocking, different run schemes, just playing fast.
Q. What does 30 (indiscernible) when you're the competition. Do you say I've got to take what's there instead of trying to make the big play (indiscernible)?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: I said this days ago, couple weeks ago, when I'm out there I'm not even thinking about competition, how can I maximize this one play? How can I maximize this one rep?
There's ten other guys out on the field competing to earn a spot on this team. If I'm out there thinking about me at this moment, I'm hurting this team, the other ten guys out there with me. In that moment it's hey, man, just keep being yourself.
It's a situation where I start at 16, okay, we throw the ball eight yards and we still take a field goal. We throw it at four yards and still take a field goal. In that moment it's just staying within the system, staying true to my game and end up with a field goal.
Q. Your respective (inaudible) events to kind of happen (inaudible) had so far?
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: TB, I told him, for one, he's got to change his name from TB because every time someone calls his name I look up. But we're going to try to endorse TB squared, something like that. But TB, he's a guy been working extremely hard since I've gotten here. In the little time I've gotten to know them, he loves ball. He loves just competing. We were talking on the sideline, we both came off the field, and talked about some messages that our moms gave us when we were younger, how it's coming to life to fruition right now.
He's a guy working extremely hard. We're happy to see that he's having the success he's having. And bunch of other guys that I can name. But TB, he's the guy, he's been showing some flashes and excited he's on our team.
Q. When you take off and run, when the touchdown got called back, what do you think that does to a defense? Feels like it opens things up in coverage because they're counting for you being able to take off.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: Yeah, I think it goes hand in hand. I think sometimes you change their rush patterns -- still play the same coverage on the back end, do different things up front to try to contain the quarterback. But it does bring a threat to defense, especially down there when you're trying to prevent a touchdown through the air and you play great coverage and quarterbacks scramble.
That's another weapon that's in my bag. I'm happy that I was able to show that I could still move around a little bit. I joke with the guys all the time now how a lot of our moves don't work anymore. But it was just good being out there running around and seeing the guys flying around and having fun.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports