Teddy Bridgewater burned every bridge in Broncos Country with one play

Fans can accept a lot of faults. Some they should. And some they probably shouldn’t. But as a general rule of thumb, they’re a pretty forgiving lot.

When it comes to playing quarterback in Broncos Country, these rules generally hold true. Despite having watched two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, John Elway and Peyton Manning, for two combined decades, the fan base in Denver is pretty willing to give other signal callers the benefit of the doubt.

They did with Brian Griese, the man who had to follow Elway. They did with Trevor Siemian, the QB who had to follow Manning. And they’ve done it with several other quarterbacks over the years, from Gus Frerotte to Tim Tebow.

Their evaluations seem fair. They provide chance after chance to for a QB to prove that it can work. They aren’t quick to pull the plug.

But that’s all based on one thing, however. Broncos Country has to see an effort. That’s the prerequisite to a long leash.

Griese clearly wasn’t Elway, but the guy played hard. And when he gutted it out through a separated shoulder against the hated Raiders, the fans were sold.

Siemian had obvious physical limitations, but he got the most out of everything he had. He took a beating, but kept coming back for more, which got people in his corner.

The same can be said for Craig Morton, who limped his way to Super Bowl XII. The same can be said for Jake Plummer, who got the team to an AFC Championship Game. And the same can be said for Tebow, who won one of the most-memorable playoff games in franchise history.

They all played hard. They all seemed to care. They all had some passion.

So the fan base embraced them. They gave them umpteen chances. They believed even when it probably wasn’t warranted.

Why? Because they had heart. And that’s easy to buy into.

For every yin, there is a yang, however. There are always two sides to every coin.

While there are Broncos quarterbacks who have endeared themselves to the fan base, there are others who have done the opposite. By showing a lack of heart, they got everyone in Denver to turn against them.

Paxton Lynch jumps to mind. He didn’t work hard. He didn’t study his playbook. And he cried on the bench in Oakland. As a result, the fans were out.

Kyle Orton is another. He never displayed any emotion, seemingly unfazed by whether or not Denver was winning. Consequently, Broncos Country wasn’t in on him.

Now, it’s time to add Teddy Bridgewater to the list. During the course of one play on Sunday against the Eagles, the quarterback lost the faith of the fan base.

No one cares that he’s 5-5 this season, a marked improvement for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2016. No one cares that he’s completing 70 percent of his passes, while tossing 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

Those things don’t matter. Not one bit.

Instead, Bridgewater is going to be forever remembered for the effort he gave against Philadelphia. Lack of effort would be a better description.

On the final play of the third quarter, with the Broncos trailing 20-13, Denver went for it on fourth-and-two from their Eagles 23-yard line. It didn’t work out.

Melvin Gordon fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Darius Slay. The cornerback bobbled the ball, twice, but no one got anywhere near him to make a tackle. So he steadied himself, ran toward the left sideline and started making his way downfield.

Near midfield, Bridgewater was in his way. The Broncos quarterback was in perfect position to make a play. Even if he didn’t make the tackle, he could at least slow Slay down, allowing for some of his teammates to come to the rescue.

Instead, the QB bailed. Bridgewater made a “business decision” and decided not to make an attempt at the tackle.

He tapped out. He didn’t try. And it was painfully obvious to everyone watching.

After the game, Bridgewater tried to explain his effort. He said he was trying to force Slay back to the middle of the field, a laughable defense to anyone paying attention.

In reality, the quarterback showed that he didn’t have any heart. He proved that he doesn’t really care.

The game was on the line. It was 20-13, with one quarter to play. If the Broncos stop Slay, they’re still in it. If he scores, it’s over.

Bridgewater should’ve done everything he could to make the play. A player who truly cared would’ve done just that in that situation.

But he didn’t. He ducked out.

It was 20-13. And this is the effort made to stop the fumble return. Oof. pic.twitter.com/dWuCypqkyM

— James Merilatt (@jamesmerilatt) November 15, 2021

In that one play, everything that is wrong with the Broncos was on display. They’re a team that always talks about a “sense of urgency,” but their actions don’t suggest that they truly have one.

Kickers and punters make better efforts than Bridgewater did. In a crucial situation, his effort was unforgivable.

Broncos Country is a fair fan base. If a player gives an effort, shows heart and truly tries, they’ll give him every chance to succeed.

But if they don’t, if they show that they’re not in it to win it, they’re quick to turn. They have no patience for a lack of passion.

That’s why Teddy Bridgewater is done in Denver. One play ended erased all of the goodwill and benefit of the doubt that he had in Broncos Country.

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