There's been a lot of discussion about rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's release after he was sacked eight times in the 17-3 loss against the Lions on Sunday.

Bridgewater shouldered the blame, believing he could've got rid of the ball quicker to avoid some of those sacks. The stats, and offensive coordinator Norv Turner, say otherwise.

Per ESPN Stats & Information, Bridgewater released the ball, on average, in 2.49 seconds last week. It was the ninth-fastest time in Week 6.

"His release is not the issue," Turner said.

Turner believes Bridgewater's first career interception on the first offensive series might've rattled him throughout the game. We dissected the play on Wednesday for our weekly Vikings Rewind series. Bridgewater clearly didn't account for Lions safety Glover Quin, who made the interception and left wide receiver Greg Jennings wide open in the end zone.

"I think after you do that, you can be a little bit too careful," Turner said. "You can make sure on some throws, and I think on a number of throws where it wasn't about his release. It was about his anticipation, trusting what you see and turning the ball loose. Detroit did a great job of mixing what they do, and they're an outstanding defense."

As for the protection, which has been inconsistent this season, Turner believes the Vikings can fix some of the recent breakdowns along the offensive line. While Bridgewater may not admit it, the offensive line played poorly against the Lions. It's the second consecutive game where the pass protection hasn't been great for Bridgewater and quarterback Christian Ponder.

"We believe we can fix them, and the scheme is equip to fix them," Turner said. "Certainly there's a time when you want to keep an extra [blocker] in, and there's times when you want to get everyone out."

Turner said Bridgewater will face a similar defense this week against the Bills, who are tied for second in the NFL with 19 sacks. The rookie will look to bounce back from a three-interception performance in his second career start.

"It's a growing process for a young quarterback," Turner said. "He obviously in the Atlanta game got in a rhythm and things just came up unbelievably well for us that day. The ball came out, and he showed what he's capable of doing. He's going to go through some periods where you're not sure, you see a different look, they're defending you a little different. You got to trust what you see, and you've got to go."