Former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell may not have been the first to think it, but he was among the first to say it: Teddy Bridgewater quarterbacks a lot like Russell Wilson.
"This guy is a good player," Caldwell told the Detroit News days before an Oct. 12, 2014 game against Minnesota. "I looked at him coming out closely, and this guy can think on his feet. He can deliver the ball, he's very good in terms of analyzing defenses (and) he does it quickly."
Caldwell added, "The other thing is that he gets outside of the pocket. He's like Russell Wilson."
The comparison came three weeks into Bridgewater's NFL career. The rookie play-caller hadn't so much as thrown a touchdown yet and he was already being place alongside Wilson, Seattle's stoic quarterback that had just led the Seahawks to their first-ever Lombardi trophy.
Two years later, Caldwell's hunch wasn't far off.
Bridgewater and Wilson attained comparable numbers in their two first full seasons. Wilson carried a 63.6 completion percentage and threw for 6,457 yards through his first 32 games. In 29 games, Bridgewater completed 64.9 percent and passed for 6,150 yards.
Wilson three 19 interceptions in that span, compared to Bridgewater's 21 picks. Wilson averaged 5.4 yards per carry; Bridgewater 4.41. Wilson ran for five touchdowns; Bridgewater notched four.
Aside from individual similarities, this year's Vikings look an awful lot like 2012-14 Seahawks.
Both teams relied on strong secondaries - Minnesota allowed just 18.9 points per game this season. Both compensated for subpart offensive lines with tenacious running backs. Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson may be competing for the league's rushing title had Lynch not been sidelined with a nagging abdomen injury.
And both reached the playoffs under the leadership of 20-something-year-old playmakers who were otherwise blown off by league scouts.
Wilson and Bridgewater are only four years apart in age, but they're worlds apart in experience. Before Seattle walloped Denver in Super Bowl 48, Wilson and company were recovering from the previous season's Divisional round loss in Atlanta. He threw for two touchdowns, 385 yards, and earned a 109.1 passer rating in just his second postseason start.
Facing Wilson on Sunday, in his welcome to January football, Bridgewater has a lot to live up to.
When: Jan. 10, 2016
Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Television: NBC
Live stream: NBC Live Extra
Prediction: Lynch is expected to handle a full workload on Sunday, his first game back since undergoing abdomen surgery in November. If this matchup is anything like Seattle's 38-7 embarrassment over Minnesota in Week 13, "Beast Mode" won't have to do much more than look on from the sidelines. Seahawks 27-13
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