Is it Ponder or the O line

[TheIrishVikingsFan]

As i see it as a Ponder fan.... its time to sink or swim. No more babying him, let it loose this year and find out once and for all if he is the guy. I don't want another Tjack situation where we float around with him etc. Go with him this year and if he tanks fine we know the result.

[Demi]

As i see it as a Ponder fan.... its time to sink or swim. No more babying him, let it loose this year and find out once and for all if he is the guy. I don't want another Tjack situation where we float around with him etc. Go with him this year and if he tanks fine we know the result.

Are you even seeing the games? He can't make routine throws. And you want them to give him more opportunities?

TJoke got every opportunity and played his way out of them. He got his chances, and was pathetic. You have to earn snaps in the NFL. He was given them. Ponder is given them. And both of them did nothing to show they deserve them, or should get more of them.

[PurpleKoolaid]

Eh... so is good defense. If the defense had stopped 2 different TEs from scoring game-winning TDs near the end of the last two games, the Vikes would also be 2-1.

There are lots of equalizers in football. QB performance is just one of them. We can all see that Ponder's performances have been problematic (or detrimental or whatever other word you want to use for them) but that's just one problem in a sea of them. Here's another: the Vikes have allowed 96 points in 3 games. 6 of those were scored on an offensive turnover. How many games can a team expect to win when they're allowing an average of 30+ points a game?

So you bring the entire D into it? I can name 1 on the offense that DIRECTLY lost this game and the others for us. PONDER. Now we have problems all over, that's right. The Vikings are poorly coached, and even AD doesn't seem to be bringing his A game. But I can name a single person that is at fault for every single game. With bad reads, horrible throws, and the worst mind of a QB I have ever seen. Who the he!! checks down like that at the end of a game? But continue to turn a blind eye on the most glaring problem this team has had. You cant bench the entire D. There has to be some accountability for Ponder. Now. And hopefully Fraizer and his staff later.

[yezzir]

Are you even seeing the games? He can't make routine throws. And you want them to give him more opportunities?

TJoke got every opportunity and played his way out of them. He got his chances, and was pathetic. You have to earn snaps in the NFL. He was given them. Ponder is given them. And both of them did nothing to show they deserve them, or should get more of them.

And it's too bad we have the league's worst QB at his worst matched with the league's best RB in his prime.

[The Breeze]

The pattern I see is we allow teams to hang around. Like the Bears last week, we had a chance to put the game out of reach but we ELECTED to play it safe and it bit us in the ####. Today we had the ball twice with the lead in the 4th quarter vs the BROWNS at HOME and didn't do anything to increase our chances of hanging on to the win. The opportunities to win are there, but it's like we're more concerned with not losing and we just end up shooting ourselves in the foot. Even the Lions tried to give us the game and we couldn't cash in. We would be 3-0 if we were more aggressive.

I think our conservative issues are telling on both sides of the ball. There is a timidness about the whole team right now IMO.

[tradster]

Ponder

[Raptorman]

And yet, if Ponder completes those two critical throws to open receivers, the Vikings are 2-1. QB play is an equalizer.

And yet if the Defense doesn't allow two tight ends to make catches in the end zone at the end of the game the Vikings are 2-1 as well.

[Demi]

And yet if the Defense doesn't allow two tight ends to make catches in the end zone at the end of the game the Vikings are 2-1 as well.

Expecting a starting NFL QB to make those throws is a bit less to ask then our #### secondary to stop a tight end.

[thatguy]

It's been Ponder in the past. Today, it was the OLine.

[Demi]

[Raptorman]

So you bring the entire D into it? I can name 1 on the offense that DIRECTLY lost this game and the others for us. PONDER. Now we have problems all over, that's right. The Vikings are poorly coached, and even AD doesn't seem to be bringing his A game. But I can name a single person that is at fault for every single game. With bad reads, horrible throws, and the worst mind of a QB I have ever seen. Who the he!! checks down like that at the end of a game? But continue to turn a blind eye on the most glaring problem this team has had. You cant bench the entire D. There has to be some accountability for Ponder. Now. And hopefully Fraizer and his staff later.

I'll give you Ponder and the Detroit game. But why is it his fault when the defense can not stop the other team from scoring? Every one here is blaming Ponder, yet only a few of us are looking at the defense. Did Ponder have any interceptions or fumbles in that Chicago converted for scores? The Browns got a TD off of a Ponder interception, but they had to go 70 yards to do it. Had Ponder gone 25-35 4 Td's and 1 interception today they still would have lost. But it would still be his fault. The most glaring problem in my eye is defense that can't stop the other team from scoring. In the last 10 years only the 0-16 Detroit Lions have given up more points per game. 32.3.

[Reignman]

It's certainly possible It would be nice to see them try that strategy. It might just lead to more mistakes and another way to lose but at least they'd go down swinging.

You've seen that strategy in action already. 2nd half of the Bears game, we were more aggressive and we took control of the game, and it didn't lead to more mistakes. We seen that strategy in the 2nd half today, again we took control and had Cleveland on the ropes. Heck we even brought Hoyer back down to earth for a stretch. And in both games we took our foot off the gas and lost. Coincidence? We've since the strategy in action, now time to stick with the strategy for 4 quarters.

[Demi]

Did Ponder have any interceptions or fumbles in that Chicago converted for scores?

You mean like Tim Jennings intercepting him and running it back for a touchdown?

My god Ponder apologists, do you even watch the games?

We're blaming Ponder because he missed Joe Webb wide open for a touchdown. And Jennings for a first down. And a half dozen or more other easy throws that even HOYER is able to make.

[Reignman]

I'll give you Ponder and the Detroit game. But why is it his fault when the defense can not stop the other team from scoring? Every one here is blaming Ponder, yet only a few of us are looking at the defense. Did Ponder have any interceptions or fumbles in that Chicago converted for scores? The Browns got a TD off of a Ponder interception, but they had to go 70 yards to do it. Had Ponder gone 25-35 4 Td's and 1 interception today they still would have lost. But it would still be his fault. The most glaring problem in my eye is defense that can't stop the other team from scoring. In the last 10 years only the 0-16 Detroit Lions have given up more points per game. 32.3.

But that's not what happened. Ponder didn't throw for 4 TD's, he never has. But he gets the blame because he could have put us in a better position to win. A position of up 2 scores or more so we don't have to rely on our suck defense to save the game. He led us to 2 3 n outs in the 4th quarter where we had the lead. If he converts a few first downs the defense doesn't have to come back onto the field.

[Raptorman]

You mean like Tim Jennings intercepting him and running it back for a touchdown?

My god Ponder apologists, do you even watch the games?

We're blaming Ponder because he missed Joe Webb wide open for a touchdown. And Jennings for a first down. And a half dozen or more other easy throws that even HOYER is able to make.

Yes I do. And what I see is not only Ponder struggling but I also see a defense that can't make a stop when it come to the passing game. But apparently that's ok. It's ok the defense give up tons of points because the QB is supposed to make up for the their shortfalls. The defense gave up 24 points in the first half. They did pretty well the second half but choked in the end once again. You want to place the blame solely on Ponder, fine. But when he is replaced and the Defense is still giving up 32 points a game who are you going to blame then? The next QB? Had they won, I doubt anyone here would have given Ponder one bit of credit for the win. 32 points a game folks, that is 11 more points a game then they gave up last year. And all people can talk about is how bad Ponder is. Talk about tunnel vision. Here I thought it was a team game.