Before the 2019 season started, no one would have been surprised to see the New Orleans Saints sitting at 6-1 SU and first in the NFC South after seven weeks. However, if you had told people that five of those wins would come in Teddy Bridgewater starts in which New Orleans would go 5-0 ATS, you would’ve been laughed at.
The Saints have been without Drew Brees since Week 2 after the superstar quarterback underwent surgery to repair a thumb injury he sustained in a loss to the Rams, and New Orleans hasn’t missed a beat with Bridgewater at the wheel.
Teddy has been phenomenal in Brees’ absence, completing 67.7 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,370 yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s gotten a lot of help from one of the league’s best defenses but Bridgewater is one of the main reasons why the Saints have been thriving with Brees on the sideline.
Not only have the Saints been winning under Teddy’s tutelage, they’ve been covering the spread too. Bridgewater’s 5-0 ATS mark since taking the New Orleans starting job has pushed his career ATS record to an insane 28-7 (80 percent) that ranks him first through 35 career starts – by a lot – among quarterbacks drafted in the year 2006 or later.
Here’s a list of his competition:
| Quarterback | ATS Record |
|---|---|
| Teddy Bridgewater | 28-7 (80%) |
| Nick Foles | 20-14-1 (58.8%) |
| Jared Goff | 19-14-2 (57.6%) |
| Tyrod Taylor | 18-14-3 (56.3%) |
| Matthew Stafford | 19-15-1 (55.9%) |
| Dak Prescott | 18-15-2 (54.5%) |
| Andrew Luck | 18-15-2 (54.5%) |
| Russell Wilson | 17-15-3 (53.1%) |
| Tarvaris Jackson | 18-16-1 (52.9%) |
| Kirk Cousins | 17-16-2 (51.5%) |
| Blake Bortles | 17-16-2 (51.5%) |
| Carson Wentz | 18-17 (51.4%) |
| Andy Dalton | 18-17 (51.4%) |
| Marcus Mariota | 17-17-1 (50%) |
| Cam Newton | 17-17-1 (50%) |
It was initially reported that Brees would be out six weeks and with a Week 8 matchup against the Cardinals on the horizon, Drew says he’s ready to go. Normally, it would be a no-brainer to put Brees back behind center, but with the Saints going undefeated in Bridgewater’s five starts, does Sean Payton keep rolling him out?
As of Friday, the Saints hadn’t made an official decision on their Week 8 starter and if we know anything about Sean Payton, he’ll likely milk this competitive advantage as long as he’s able.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the line (Saints were -10.5 as of Friday afternoon) when Payton decides on a starter and it will be even more interesting to see the public consensus. The Saints have been a trustworthy bet under Teddy Two Gloves and there are some definite unknowns about Brees and how he’ll perform with a surgically repaired thumb.
How are you betting this game? Do you have more faith in Brees or Bridgewater this week? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @pamelam35.
