Who WILL be the starting QB for the Vikings next season?

[Just Me]

Hell, maybe Ponder has a clutch gene we never knew about after these playoffs are over with.

I was going to post something earlier, but this is the perfect segue to my thought:

When the game was looking like it was tied late yesterday, and my ulcer was flaring up again as it looked as though our defense couldn't stop Rodgers I actually tried to think of all the games that Ponder has played this year where he was in the same situation - a tight game with time running out. He certainly has turned in some 'stinker' performances, but when it came down to brass tacks, he came through. To wit - Jacksonville, Indy, Green Bay. In each of those games he has "stepped up" exactly when he had to and delivereed. I actually was fairly calm in the final drive because I couldn't think of an instance where Ponder didn't come through. Yesterday, he did it again.

I'm not trying to make Ponder into something he's not. Frankly, his inconsistency during the season has taken me from the camp of "Let's wait and see" to "Let's make sure we have a contingency QB because we may need him." And, let's be real: The REAL MVP (regardless of what the voting may eventually say) had alot to do with our last drive being successful. So I'm not trying to make him the next "comeback kid." Arguably, the first game with GB was 'within reach' and he blew it. But I'm talking about when the 'game is on the line' in the 4th quarter, has he ever 'blown it?' He seems to actually play better (IMHO) when the 'pressure has been on'.


I could be wrong - Can anyone think of a time (in the 4th quarter) where he choked? He may just have the 'clutch' gene.

[Mothman]

I was going to post something earlier, but this is the perfect segue to my thought:

When the game was looking like it was tied late yesterday, and my ulcer was flaring up again as it looked as though our defense couldn't stop Rodgers I actually tried to think of all the games that Ponder has played this year where he was in the same situation - a tight game with time running out. He certainly has turned in some 'stinker' performances, but when it came down to brass tacks, he came through. To wit - Jacksonville, Indy, Green Bay. In each of those games he has "stepped up" exactly when he had to and delivereed. I actually was fairly calm in the final drive because I couldn't think of an instance where Ponder didn't come through. Yesterday, he did it again.

I'm not trying to make Ponder into something he's not. Frankly, his inconsistency during the season has taken me from the camp of "Let's wait and see" to "Let's make sure we have a contingency QB because we may need him." And, let's be real: The REAL MVP (regardless of what the voting may eventually say) had alot to do with our last drive being successful. So I'm not trying to make him the next "comeback kid." Arguably, the first game with GB was 'within reach' and he blew it. But I'm talking about when the 'game is on the line' in the 4th quarter, has he ever 'blown it?' He seems to actually play better (IMHO) when the 'pressure has been on'.

I could be wrong - Can anyone think of a time (in the 4th quarter) where he choked? He may just have the 'clutch' gene.

Last year's Denver game comes to mind. This year? The closest I can think of was against Washington and I wouldn't call that a choke at all. In fact, I thought he did a nice job of remaining calm and helping the team get back into the game after they fell way behind. He forced a throw late in the game that was picked off but at that point, the throw was a prayer and the Vikes had little hope other than a prayer so I don't hold that particular pick against him. To me, that game was more like the Indy game where he led them back into it but ultimately, the team just came up short.

Ponder certainly has his good and bad points. I think if he can just get his mechanics straightened out so that he sets and follows through on his throws more consistently, he could be much, much better. When he uses proper mechanics, he throws much better passes (deep or short).

I like the way he responded after the bad game in Green Bay. The stats I posted above from the 4 game winning streak that followed that game aren't spectacular or anything but they speak to efficiency and smart performance. In fact, one of the stats that stands out to me over that 4 game stretch is that Ponder was only sacked 5 times. His ability to elude pressure is an underrated aspect of his game. The Bears, Rams, Texans and Packers have combined for 158 sacks this season and they only brought Ponder down 5 times. Some of the credit for that has to go to the blockers but Ponder eluded a lot of pressure in those games.

I don't know if he has a "clutch gene" or not but he's kept his composure in some of those late game, high pressure situations and that's a good sign.

[CalVike]

One of my main points in what I said is that the front office and coaching staff are likely to have complete faith in Christian Ponder going into 2013. There was a lot of speculation Ponder might have been benched if the team had a better backup than Joe Webb. That seems like it was not at all the case, in that Frazier never wavered in 100% support of Ponder as QB through all struggles. Now that Spielman has the keys to the kingdom, it will be interesting to see if he brings in a new backup QB. All public indications suggest the Viking brass do not see an issue with 2012 QB play. My suspicion is that Joe Webb is replaced by a veteran backup QB with more upside should Ponder get injured, now that the team is a contender again.