1:25Norv Turner's opening statement on Thursday was more like a filibuster.
There wasn't a question taken during the Vikings offensive coordinator's first four minutes on the podium. Instead, Turner rambled off 545 words; the subject was rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who Turner said has carried the offense.
"I've seen a bunch of guys really, really have a tough time with that and a bunch of guys that are good players," Turner said. "It's pretty incredible to me what he's done, how he's handled it, the things he's gotten done, and what he's really done is made everyone around him better and that's a quality that you're looking for."
Turner said when he worked with young quarterbacks such as Troy Aikman with the Cowboys, Alex Smith with the 49ers and Philip Rivers with the Chargers, they all had great running backs — Emmitt Smith, Frank Gore and LaDainian Tomlinson — to ease the load.
Bridgewater has Matt Asiata, Ben Tate and Joe Banyard with Adrian Peterson serving his suspension for pleading no contest in a child injury case.
Bridgewater is also dealing with an offensive line that's rotated eight different players because of injuries.
He completed 76.5 percent of his passes in a 16-14 loss to the Lions on Sunday, the highest mark for a rookie quarterback throwing more than 40 attempts in NFL history. Bridgewater went 31 of 41 for 315 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against one of the top defenses in the NFL.
"We've kind of had an interesting group, and the people we've played on offense has been wide ranging," Turner said. "To do the things he's done, it just tells you something about the type of person he is, the type of player he is, and the thing that excites me is he can make any throw you need to make. … He knows how to play football and that's the starting point of the quarterback position. He's got the intangibles you need and he's going to continue to get better and better."
