Bridgewater completed 26 of 34 passes for 314 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in the Saints' 31-24 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also rushed five times for seven yards.
After a pair of "game manager" efforts in his first two starts in place of Drew Brees (thumb), Bridgewater went into vintage Brees mode with an outstanding all-around performance. Much like the player he's filling in for, Bridgewater displayed spectacular chemistry with Michael Thomas, connecting with the All-Pro receiver for 11 completions, 182 yards and touchdown passes of 14 and 12 yards. Brees resumed throwing this past week, but he likely still remains at least a couple of weeks away from returning in a best-case scenario. Therefore, Bridgewater will have a chance to build on his stellar effort when he faces the Jaguars in Week 6.