"Yeah I heard the people talking, it's hard not to, ya know." 

 

Teddy Bridgewater confidently sat at his locker with after a week 17 victory locked up a playoff berth for the once tumbling New Orleans Saints. "Honestly, a lot of people said our season was over when Russ went down," Bridgewater continued. "They would call me Noodle-Arm Teddy, or Limp-Dick Bridge. Coach was saying it too. He didn't care if I overheard."

 

When Russell Murphy got hurt just before halftime in a week 10 loss to the Buccaneers, Bridgewater took over a team that would fall to 5-5 a week later. Several games out of a playoff spot without their starting quarterback and runningback, the Saints season looked bleak. 

 

But Bridgewater refused to quit. He used those words to fuel the Saints to a 4-game winning streak to end the season, securing a playoff berth with the help of an unprecedented slump by the Arizona Cardinals, who sources close to the team say, "for some unknown reason, they were literally not trying to win in the last two weeks." 

 

In those last four games, he threw 17 touchdowns and averaged 356 passing yards per game. Asked to reflect on what pushed him to such great heights, he said, "I just wanted to shut coach up to be honest. He was getting to me. But I guess that's what coaching is, right? He got me to play my best ball, and it got us to the playoffs."

 

"I know I earned my playing time, but Russ is back now, so I'll just have to be ready the next time my number is called," said Bridgewater. Asked if he's received any positive affirmation from his coach in response to his solid stretch, Bridgewater said, "Nah, he just keeps calling me names. I don't know what his problem is."