Matt Rhule: Teddy Bridgewater has elite intelligence

Teddy Bridgewater may not be considered among the NFL's elite quarterbacks, but Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule says he's one of the most impressive quarterbacks he's ever seen mentally. 

Bridgewater's ability to read defenses is something Rhule praised on top of his ability to understand where open receivers are and anticipate the pass rush, among other things.

“Teddy is elite at knowing where to go with the ball,” Rhule said, via Scott Fowler the Charlotte Observer. “He’s one of the best pocket movement guys I’ve ever been around. … And he’s so smart. He has tremendous expectation and understanding of what we’re trying to do.”

Bridgewater has led the Panthers to a 3-2 record this season with wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons in his last three games after starting 0-2.

The 27-year-old's statistics are impressive. He's completed 73.4% of his passes for 1,460 yards and six touchdowns against just three interceptions. Bridgewater also has 73 yards and one touchdown rushing this year. 

Among quarterbacks who have played five games this season, Bridgewater ranks first in completion percentage.

It's not surprising that Rhule is happy with his current situation at quarterback. When Carolina decided to replace Cam Newton with Bridgewater, it couldn't have imagined how well he'd perform through his first five games.