I suppose it depends on what you mean by "fail". If Ponder is extraordinarily bad or misses a significant number of games then yes, that would be tough to overcome. However, the defense wouldn't have to be great to make a real difference. The Vikings allowed 34 passing TDs and over 4000 yards passing last season. Considering how close some of their games were, even shaving 500 yards and 7-10 TDs off those totals could result in several more wins.Eli wrote:While that's true, if Ponder fails, it doesn't matter how much those other units improve. This won't be a team that can get by with a stellar running game, a great defense, and a meathead QB that throws few passes and doesn't fumble when handing off the ball. The Vikings are not going to have a great defense. Even with improvements, it's not likely to be very good.
I wouldn't call Webb a "meathead QB" either. Frankly, we don't know how he'd perform over an extended period of time as a starter. He could be a disaster but maybe he'd more effective than expected. It's not as if he's an incompetent passer, just inconsistent and inexperienced (as a pro). He accounted for 5 TDs in his limited playing time last year. That's not bad.
The pick 6 he threw is obviously something that can't be repeated often but overall, he had a good game against the Broncos.