THE Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a huge match this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a match of two undefeated, the Buccaneers will seek to defeat the Eagles for the third consecutive season. Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia in each of the last two seasons, including during the playoffs at the end of the 2023 season. The combined score of these two games was 65-25.
Teddy Bridgewater, who is in his first season in Tampa Bay, describes the “leadership” as a great reason why the Buccaneers are a prosperous team.
“I think these first three weeks of the season showed the type of leadership of this team in these tight matches,” said Bridgewater in a head-to-head interview with RG. “I was one of the teams where you go out in contrast to these tight matches. Baker Mayfield And Lavonte David and the group of veterans they have with Antoine Winfield Jr, these guys (are great). Me being on the touch to look at, it’s a special group. “”
“Regarding leadership, but not only in the locker room, with coaches,” also said Bridgewater. “With Todd Bowles, he does an excellent job by preparing the team for each match each week, he reminds us that each opponent will be different, the result of the game will be different, and the teams that remain the longest, which makes the least errors and games together, presents itself.”
Decision to sign with Bucs
Bridgewater saves Mayfield for the first time after spending the end of last season as a backup of Jared Goff with the Detroit lions. The 32-year-old quarterrier was temporarily withdrawn before getting out of his retirement after a short passage as a chief coach of Miami Northwestern. Bridgewater directed his former high school in a state title.
However, He was suspended For the 2025 season due to “unacceptable advantages”. These advantages included spending money for his players on Uber journeys and a pre-season training camp.
Bridgewater details what led him to sign with the Buccaneers.
“There are a number of things that led me to sign with Tampa Bay,” said Bridgewater. “On the one hand, with everything that happened with the high school situation. Thad Lewis, the quarter coach with Tampa Bay, he is a guy in the south of Florida. We are from the same neighborhood, Opa Locka, Florida. We stayed in touch, we simply went to our guys like that. ” They extended this opportunity.
The former Pro Bowl QB is obviously used to being a starter, having started 65 games in his career. However, he also played the role of safeguard, doing so for the New Orleans as the main backup for Drew brees Before doing it with the dolphins of Miami and Tua Tagovailoa a few years ago.
Praise for Mayfield
Although Bridgewater is obviously open to the idea of starting again for another team, he says that he adopts the role of safeguard with the Buccaneers and Mayfield. Mayfield has become one of the best quarters of the NFL in the past two seasons, going to Pro Bowl in the consecutive years.
“This chip on his shoulder,” said Bridgewater for Mayfield’s best line. “I just try to remind him of never forgetting what it did not seem to be wanted. There was a moment in his career where he was exchanged, he was cut and you did not know what was going to happen afterwards. Learning to know that he was a Walk-on to university, being transferred to Oklahoma of Texas Tech. These are some of the things that I have.
“Everything makes sense, everything is looped in the promenade, to have to win everything he has earned in his career and in life”, “Bridgewater continues to say of Mayfield.” It is logical to know why he plays as he plays. I’m just a big fan, and I’m even more a fan now than I’m on his team, and even more a fan that I know about his goal. “
This “chip on his shoulder” was exposed after the victory of the Buccaneers 29-27 on the New York jets in week 3. It is because Mayfield obtained the best end of the defensive jet coordinator, Steve Wilks, who was the interim coach when the Caroline panthers decided to separate from Mayfield during the 2022 season.
“We talked about throughout the week,” said Bridgewater. “It was a personal game because of what happened to her in Caroline. I am happy that we were out in mind. They were able to drive the guys there to the winning basket of the game. I’m just happy to see him play so well and see Tampa’s city continue to rally around him, kiss him and his family.”
Bridgewater is three years older than Mayfield. As a slightly older veteran, Bridgewater says that one of the best advice he shared with Mayfield is “the completion is good”. This is the message that Brees gave him when the two were in New Orleans.
“As a quarter, you get this confidence,” said Bridgewater of Completions, the confidence of a quarter. “You are starting to get into a little rhythm, get an idea of the game and see how to get the big one. Continue to scaper, cut the wood, and finally they will give you the big one.”
Bridgewater always hungry for QB1 luck
As mentioned earlier, Bridgewater – which is a former recovery choice in the first round – says that he still has the desire to be a quarter -back from the League, and see the competitiveness of Mayfield has only unlums his fire.
“It started again to slip into my mind, being just around Baker, just seeing how its fire is still on, how it is still led,” explains Bridgewater.
“Every day, I come to work, I am motivated and I am three years older than him. I came to the League about three or four years before him, something like that. But it’s like, I am always motivated by someone younger than me.”
“It was the same thing when I was training in high school, but now that I am with Baker, his fire is lit every day,” explains Bridgewater. “Sometimes you wake up and it’s like” guy, I don’t want to do that. Now that I am in a room with Baker and look at it in practice, I do not allow myself to go to this place where it is like “I don’t want to do that. Allow me to go through.” It’s like, “guy, this guy is there, he wakes up, his fire is lit and he is ready to leave.
When they asked him how long he plans to play, Bridgewater says he “plays as long as he can”.
“I drive this thing for as long as possible,” said Bridgewater. “I had a taste of high school training, but it’s a little less stressful on this side. I probably stay in the league as long as possible.”
