Did Teddy Bridgewater help or hinder the Panthers in Week 3?

Did Teddy Bridgewater help or hinder the Carolina Panthers?

Teddy Bridgewater managed the game well. That is all the Carolina Panthers were looking for, especially in the second half.

They had a commanding lead at the break that they managed to hold onto. But they could have been out of sight in the first half had their red zone efficiency been better.

Joey Slye’s clutch kicking got them out of jail and played a leading role in their first win. Bridgewater did nothing wrong as such, so one would be hard-pressed to say anything other than he helped and not hindered the Panthers at SoFi Stadium.

This will be a massive relief to everyone withing the organization. But given the responsibility and pressure on Bridgewater’s shoulders, it will have pleased him more than most. The longer their winless run went on, the more doubts surrounding his long-term future with the franchise would have surfaced.

Bridgewater is the right man to have when it comes to protecting a lead. But whether the Panthers are going to be in this sort of position for the remainder of the campaign is up for debate. The signal-caller does have a better quarterback rating than Cam Newton after three games, but you wouldn’t know it given the recognition the former Panther is getting over his successor.

Getting the first win of the season is fantastic and a much-needed relief for the team’s long-suffering fanbase. But how Bridgewater and the Panthers build on this will be equally as important.