Not Just Bad But Ugly

[DanAS]

Please don't pin this loss on Ponder today. Ponder isn't starting quarterback material. If you know football, you knew that before the game. Full stop.

But as poor as he plays, he still took a team to the playoffs last year. Such is the importance of the 10 other players on offense, the 11 players on D and the special teams. That's what makes football a great game -- it is the ultimate team sport.

This loss today was totally a team effort. I realize that Kevin Williams was out today, but we shouldn't be depending on a guy that old to dominate on the defensive end. From what I saw today, we have a plethora of unimpressive guys in our front seven (which was once a strength) who seem sssslllloooowwwww. When was the last time this team acquired a linebacker who can really run? It is as if someone forgot about the importance of those positions. And hasn't Father Time caught up to Jerod Allen? Plus, we don't exactly have speedy playmakers in the secondary either. I mean we have a couple of decent players, but I didn't exactly see Ed Reed back there. In short, this defense isn't going to dominate games.

As for the special teams, I keep shaking my head about this punter. He looked like you know what throughout the preseason. I was all for drafting Kluwe's replacement, but I cannot understand why we didn't have a competition at that position. Kluwe is way better than this guy.

As for the offense, well OK, we don't have a QB. We just don't. And it is painful to watch AD play on a team with a QB this bad. He very nearly had two pick sixes, and his worst play wasn't even one of them. People talk about Ponder being a smart guy, but there is book smart and there is on-the-field smart. I don't care if this guy is a topology whiz; he plays stupid. Oh yeah -- and he doesn't have much of an arm either.

It was easy enough to bite ones lip throughout the preseason because it was the preseason. But I had a feeling that this team was heading south. That feeling has only grown stronger after today. Obviously, it's early and the team can turn it around, but I'm wondering how that is going to happen. If you're slow and you can't throw, it's hard to win. In fact, it makes the games hard to watch. As others have said, at least some bottom dwellers make it fun when they lose. The Vikes just look boringly bad. That's the biggest problem of all.

[PurpleMilk]

But as poor as he plays, he still took a team to the playoffs last year.

Umm, he did? #28 had nothing to do with it? Better yet, #28 didn't have a whole lot more to do with it?

[allday1991]

Umm, he did? #28 had nothing to do with it? Better yet, #28 didn't have a whole lot more to do with it?

Why does everyone say this? If we had a better Qb last year we could of been 12-4, but hail to Ponder for taking the best season by a running back ever and turning it into a 10 win season, its a joke! like I said before, if a.p didn't have a big year last year Ponder would already be gone!

[PurpleKoolaid]

Please don't pin this loss on Ponder today. Ponder isn't starting quarterback material. If you know football, you knew that before the game. Full stop.

But as poor as he plays, he still took a team to the playoffs last year. Such is the importance of the 10 other players on offense, the 11 players on D and the special teams. That's what makes football a great game -- it is the ultimate team sport.

This loss today was totally a team effort. I realize that Kevin Williams was out today, but we shouldn't be depending on a guy that old to dominate on the defensive end. From what I saw today, we have a plethora of unimpressive guys in our front seven (which was once a strength) who seem sssslllloooowwwww. When was the last time this team acquired a linebacker who can really run? It is as if someone forgot about the importance of those positions. And hasn't Father Time caught up to Jerod Allen? Plus, we don't exactly have speedy playmakers in the secondary either. I mean we have a couple of decent players, but I didn't exactly see Ed Reed back there. In short, this defense isn't going to dominate games.

As for the special teams, I keep shaking my head about this punter. He looked like you know what throughout the preseason. I was all for drafting Kluwe's replacement, but I cannot understand why we didn't have a competition at that position. Kluwe is way better than this guy.

As for the offense, well OK, we don't have a QB. We just don't. And it is painful to watch AD play on a team with a QB this bad. He very nearly had two pick sixes, and his worst play wasn't even one of them. People talk about Ponder being a smart guy, but there is book smart and there is on-the-field smart. I don't care if this guy is a topology whiz; he plays stupid. Oh yeah -- and he doesn't have much of an arm either.

It was easy enough to bite ones lip throughout the preseason because it was the preseason. But I had a feeling that this team was heading south. That feeling has only grown stronger after today. Obviously, it's early and the team can turn it around, but I'm wondering how that is going to happen. If you're slow and you can't throw, it's hard to win. In fact, it makes the games hard to watch. As others have said, at least some bottom dwellers make it fun when they lose. The Vikes just look boringly bad. That's the biggest problem of all.

If we had a competent QB, we would have won. Not a TO machine, but a real honest to goodness NFL QB. Plus a good OC and HC wouldn't hurt.

[Funkytown]

As for the special teams, I keep shaking my head about this punter. He looked like you know what throughout the preseason. I was all for drafting Kluwe's replacement, but I cannot understand why we didn't have a competition at that position. Kluwe is way better than this guy.

Exactly.

I was thinking, "Wow. So glad we got rid of Kluwe. This guy is SO much better! Holy cow."

[VikingPaul73]

Honestly I would sign Vince Young right now.

At least he has and arm and he can run. Ponder....not so much.

Ponder does absolutely nothing well. Nothing. He is not an NFL QB.

[BGM]

While I am ready to admit this is the last season of Ponder, I am not about to flog him mercilessly for a game that was miserable on just about all accounts. How about that OL, huh? Cripes. Can't make a hole to sabe their lives when last season they were road graders. Even if adding one rookie DE has created an unstoppable front four (I guess that is a possibility), the OL looked like the Keystone Kops. That stunt where #98 flattened Ponder was a ridiculously bad blown assignment.

But yeah, Ponder looked abysmal. But he DID throw downfield, and reasonably more accurately than last season. Simpson made a couple great catches, but those were not horrible throws. There were enough actual horrible throws throughout the game to flay Ponder over.

And the Vikes DL looked like Romper Room Fun Time out there. Almost no effect whatsoever on anything in the game.

[DanAS]

Umm, he did? #28 had nothing to do with it? Better yet, #28 didn't have a whole lot more to do with it?

Everyone understands that Ponder is a weak link. What people don't understand is that our problems don't stop with Ponder. We have MAJOR issues that need to be addressed over and above Ponder. Look at the other side of the football. That's what gets ignored when we have a QB who is this bad.

If Joe Montana were on this team, then sure, maybe we would be a darned good. But we'd still have a suspect D. And we still wouldn't exactly have Jerry Rice catching balls either.

In short, this team has more holes than the one most obvious one. It's time we started paying attention to those other problems.

[Demi]

What people don't understand is that our problems don't stop with Ponder.

I think people understand it. They also understand that Ponder is SO bad even with those other issues we lost by 10. On the road. With Ponder throwing lame ducks left and right, horrible inaccuracy, and fumbling the ball into AD's nut cup.

We get average QB play and even with all the other problems, we likely win that game...

[mondry]

Everyone understands that Ponder is a weak link. What people don't understand is that our problems don't stop with Ponder. We have MAJOR issues that need to be addressed over and above Ponder. Look at the other side of the football. That's what gets ignored when we have a QB who is this bad.

If Joe Montana were on this team, then sure, maybe we would be a darned good. But we'd still have a suspect D. And we still wouldn't exactly have Jerry Rice catching balls either.

In short, this team has more holes than the one most obvious one. It's time we started paying attention to those other problems.

All they need is a solid offensive coordinator and decent QB play to be a contender. Heck they even won 10 games last year with quite a bit of sub par QB play. Other than QB, sure we could use a guard and a MLB but other than that we can't expect to get probowlers at every position either.

[vikeinmontana]

ponder was real bad. no question. no sugarcoating.

o-line was also horrible. just terrible. you guys see the holes that AD tried to run through?! neither did I.

defense started way too slow. I don't blame them as much as the game progressed because the offense didn't give them a shot. but their play in the first few series was pretty poor too.


this game was real tough to watch but even worse now that i'm watching the packers-niners game. comparing the play of kap and his o-line to ponder and our o-line is enough to make me throw something.

[PurpleKoolaid]

...

[Orion]

playcalling was ####, Musgrave needs to go.

[DanAS]

All they need is a solid offensive coordinator and decent QB play to be a contender. Heck they even won 10 games last year with quite a bit of sub par QB play. Other than QB, sure we could use a guard and a MLB but other than that we can't expect to get probowlers at every position either.

I agree that we can't expect to get probowlers at every position. But if you look at the contenders they are strong on both sides of the football. Right now, we're weak on both sides of the football.

[CalVike]

I agree that we can't expect to get probowlers at every position. But if you look at the contenders they are strong on both sides of the football. Right now, we're weak on both sides of the football.

We were today. Not sure it will hold. I think this is a far better team than showed today.