With spotters lurking, Dolphins QB Teddy Bridgewater rethinking how he reacts to big hits

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — After nine seasons, Teddy Bridgewater is changing his style.

And this has nothing to do with how he manages a game, or his throwing motion or accounting for the wear and tear of playing the most targeted position in football.

None of that. This has everything to do with the most scrutinized and controversial addition to every NFL stadium in the country – The Spotter.

Bridgewater was diplomatic answering questions about his departure from Miami's loss at New York last week. What he was clear about was how that one play, in which the spotter determined he stumbled enough to rule him out of the game, will change how he reacts each time he is knocked to the ground.

Bridgewater, who played the final three quarters of the Dolphins' 24-16 loss to the Vikings after rookie Skylar Thompson left because of a thumb injury, described himself as a guy "who takes his time getting up."

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No longer, not when someone sitting high above the field will have the binoculars trained on every quarterback who hits the turf looking for any misstep, stumble or wobble.

"Can't do that anymore," Bridgewater said. "Just popping up."

Which is what he did after one particular hard hit Sunday – and there were many considering Miami's patch work offensive line had a difficult time keeping Vikings defenders off their quarterbacks. Thompson and Bridgewater were hit 13 times and sacked six, the majority of the punishment taken by Bridgewater, who endured five of those sacks.

Miami's quarterbacks have enough to be concerned about besides whether they will be confined to the sidelines after being hit.

The Dolphins have started a different quarterback in three consecutive games, something that has not happened with the franchise in 12 years, and lost all three. Adding to the confusion, that starter has left each of those games early because of injury.

Talk about being cursed ... this group must be walking under ladders and breaking mirrors in the presence of a black cat.

"It is unique to my NFL career with regard to the things that have happened probably the last three weeks," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said.

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And for the second time in three weeks, Bridgewater was the one thrown into a game after the starter was injured, replacing Thompson early in the second quarter.

That means executing a game plan he had very few snaps to work with during the week.

Not ideal, is how McDaniel describes the situation. But not one he wants to hear as an excuse.

"I'm going to demand the team does not point at that to be a reason for what happened, a reason for the loss," McDaniel said. "I think that's the easy thing to do. I think that's the path of least resistance.

"I thought we had the capabilities to overcome that. We didn't."

That's because that Bridgewater-led offense started slow and only moved the ball after falling behind by two scores. Bridgewater finished with respectable numbers – 23 of 34, 319 yards, two touchdowns – but he had two interceptions, a number of throws he'd like to have back and, of course, was pressured relentlessly.

After Bridgewater's first two series ended with field goal attempts, one successful from 44 yards and one unsuccessful from 52, the next five Miami possessions ended with an interception, three three-and-outs and a four-and-out. A total of 29 net yards.

"We have to execute better starting with me," Bridgewater said, before adding. "It was a tough situation to come into."

The one game in which Bridgewater was able to spend the week working with the first team, he lasted all of one play after the spotter in New York determined he stumbled after being sacked.

Bridgewater was reluctant to share any conversations he had with doctors during the week. He admitted he was frustrated being ruled out of the Jets game after one play, but added "the league is just trying to protect us, I respect it. Being a guy who's had multiple concussions I understand their viewpoint."

Bridgewater was cleared Saturday and took a very limited number of snaps with the first-team offense. That was Thompson's job and, go figure, he lasted all of three penalty-plagued series.

McDaniel said Thompson would have remained in the game if he had not been injured.

"We’ve had three games in a row where we’ve finished a game with a different quarterback than we’ve started with," McDaniel said. "I don’t think anybody has the mindset that, well, that’s the reason why we’re losing. We were fully capable of winning this game."

Sunday against Pittsburgh, the Dolphins will return to their starter, Tua Tagovailoa, who began this cycle when he suffered a concussion at Cincinnati. He was cleared Saturday.

We know Tua will take the first snap. The Dolphins are hoping he takes the last.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins QB Teddy Bridgewater rethinking how he reacts to big hits