Confidence in Christian Part II

[Mothman]

I voted the first option although I'm not quite sure how to interpret "anoint him". I don't think it's too soon to declare him the starter but I think it's too soon to tell if he will be a huge success, a failure or just a mediocre player in the NFL.

[losperros]

I voted the first one and that's not a knock on Ponder. I just think he, this coaching staff, and the team need development time.

FWIW, I've bought into the "rebuilding" mode of the team. Right now I'm mostly looking for positive progress by the end of the regular season.

[Mothman]

I voted the first one and that's not a knock on Ponder. I just think he, this coaching staff, and the team need development time.

FWIW, I've bought into the "rebuilding" mode of the team. Right now I'm mostly looking for positive progress by the end of the regular season.

I am too. I think it's almost the only way to look at this season.

[Mothman]

as in anoint him our franchise QB

Thanks. It's definitely too soon to consider him the franchise QB in the sense that he'll lock that position down for the next decade. That's what the Vikes want him to do but it's too soon to say if he'll be able to do it.

[HornedMessiah]

I don't see why anyone would change their opinion on him from the first poll after only training camp and a few preseason snaps. It's not like any questions about him have been answered between then and now. He's still largely a big question mark, and really it would only be fair to assess him after this season is over. He's still learning and growing as an NFL QB, and in the eyes of most NFL players/coaches he's still a rookie.

[PurpleMustReign]

This thread makes me laugh.

[Purple bruise]

This thread makes me laugh.

I can't wait until next week when the part III poll comes out

[Captain]

Honestly, ask me at the end of this season. Its clear he is going to be our QB for the upcoming season. I hope he does well, but long term confidence? Ask again at the end of the season because at this point it doesn't matter what any of us think.

[Mothman]

Something to think about, especially when comparing Ponder to other rookies like Newton and Dalton:

Ponder only started and finished 7 games last season. He played in 4 more but injuries clearly impacted his performance and kept him from finishing 3 of them. The 4th was the Bears game at Soldier Field, in which he made his first appearance, replacing McNabb part way through the second half.

Injury is an issue in itself, of course, but I wanted to post a few stats. In the 7 games Ponder started and finished, he threw for 1546 yards, 11 TDs and 9 INTs. That's an average of 1.57 TDs, 1.28 INTs and 220.87 yards per game. Project that out over a season and it ends up being 25 TDs, 20.5 INTs and 3533 yards. The first and third numbers are good, the second obviously way too high.

In Ponder's other appearances in 2010, he threw a total of 2 TDs and 4 INTs. That's obviously bad but it seemed like playing injured impacted Ponder's game, especially against Detroit.

Anyway, I know I'm playing stat games here but the point I wanted to make is simple: if Ponder can get a handle on the turnovers and stay healthy, the potential is clearly there for him to be a 25 TD , 3500+ yards per year passer. The projected numbers I posted above are similar to some of the stats Eli Manning had during his first 4 seasons as a pro and Manning is now a two time Super Bowl winner.

I'm not saying Ponder will equal Manning's accomplishments, just trying to reinforce that there's clearly genuine potential there. If he can't stay healthy or can't eventually improve his decision-making he won't amount to much in the NFL but Eli (and others) have shown that patience can pay off and Ponder has provided flashes that might indicate he could be a very good QB someday.

There's hope.

Now flame away!

[Mothman]

Ponder right now seems to me like he'll be a Chad Pennington. Solid starter can win you some games but never among the elite.

If he does bust however I don't see him falling flat on his face and out of the league rather quickly like Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell, he'll probably hang around for a bit as a backup like David Carr.

Now obviously we all hope he's better than those two scenarios.

Obviously... but those scenarios are entirely possible.

It's just too hard to tell after the relatively small amount of time we've seen him play and the unusual circumstances of his first offseason with the team. Who knows how much better he might look this year after gaining some experience and getting to be with the team through a normal offseason? Some busts have started the way Ponder did but some excellent QBs have too. That's why I'm willing to be patient.

[hibbingviking]

weak arm, below average size, he has his work cut out for him. i'm amazed andy dalton is so much better then him.

[Mothman]

weak arm, below average size, he has his work cut out for him. i'm amazed andy dalton is so much better then him.

According to NFL.com, Ponder's the same height as Dalton not to mention Rodgers and Romo. He's taller than Brees and 1" shorter than Stafford so while he might have below average size for an NFL QB, it's not so far below average that he can't excel.

I wouldn't say his arm is weak. He doesn't have the cannon some elite QBs possess but, as they say, he can make the NFL throws. Physically, there's no reason Ponder can't be an NFL success. I think whether he makes it or not will depend primarily on factors like health, skill and decision-making.

Jim

[smoothoperator]

definitely a stretch saying dalton is much better. dalton has aj green to throw to, that would help any qb look impressive.

[losperros]

I think whether he makes it or not will depend primarily on factors like health, skill and decision-making.

I absolutely agree. I actually think Ponder has shown athleticism. Obviously, health is a factor but even if he stays healthy and makes poor decisions on the field, he's going to flop. So I think his biggest challenge is decision-making, which I believe is almost always the most important element for any QB stepping up from college to pro ball.

Bottom line, I firmly believe Ponder is making a big leap from quarterbacking the Florida State Seminoles to being a NFL franchise QB. That's why I think the jury is still out on him.

[Mothman]

I absolutely agree. I actually think Ponder has shown athleticism. Obviously, health is a factor but even if he stays healthy and makes poor decisions on the field, he's going to flop. So I think his biggest challenge is decision-making, which I believe is almost always the most important element for any QB stepping up from college to pro ball.

I couldn't agree more.

Bottom line, I firmly believe Ponder is making a big leap from quarterbacking the Florida State Seminoles to being a NFL franchise QB. That's why I think the jury is still out on him.

It is and for that matter, it's still out on Cam Newton and Andy Dalton too. I think they'll both be good NFL QBs but one good season does not make a successful pro career.