Ponder has rib injury. Does this open the door...

[Grashopa]

Tom Brady has the inside scoop...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... gs-starter

"I'm friends with both those guys," Brady said. "Matt Cassel, who may be starting this weekend. Brian, I text back and forth."

[dead_poet]

That will happen when you give the opposing team shot after shot on your QB. Ponder was sacked 6 times on Sunday. How many more times was he hit?

According to ESPN, 6 sacks, 8 hits.

[Mothman]

According to ESPN, 6 sacks, 8 hits.

Ouch.

[mondry]

Ouch.

No kidding, 14 times! And does that even count the licks he took on the 2 TD runs?

[dead_poet]

No kidding, 14 times! And does that even count the licks he took on the 2 TD runs?

Nope.

[dead_poet]

This is a good read by Sando. Might need Insider to view.

With Freeman out, is Ponder next?
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mike-sando/post?id=559

It looks like he just cannot deal with pressure. Which is why teams like to send it.

Ponder's 2013 stats vs. 5 or more pass rushers vs. 0-4

5+: 12/32; 37.5%; 195 yards; 6.1 YPA; 0-3 TD-INT; 19.7 passer rating; 7.8 QBR
0-4: 47/68; 69.1%; 496 yards; 7.3 YPA; 2-2 TD-INT; 87.6 passer rating; 66.7 QBR

Ponder's career QBR score drops from 55.2 against four or fewer pass-rushers to 32.1 when opponents rush with at least five. The averages for NFL starting quarterbacks since 2011 are 65.3 and 50.8, respectively.

"If you had interviewed 15 personnel people when Ponder finished his final college season, they would have told you he'd come in and be a No. 2 for a few years, and then maybe he'd develop into a solid player," the personnel evaluator said. "But he was lights-out during the interview process. He's competitive, intelligent, has a great family and has the leadership. He can really run. But he goes from being a No. 2 who hopes to start in three years to a first-rounder who must start in his second year or something is wrong. You can't expect him to improve that much."

Ponder is now what he always was, the thinking goes, and it's not his fault that an NFL team mistook him for a franchise player and top-12 draft choice.

Ponder was the fourth of four quarterbacks taken in the top 12 in 2011. Cam Newton went first overall to the Carolina Panthers. The Tennessee Titans selected Jake Locker eighth. Blaine Gabbert was the Jacksonville Jaguars' choice at No. 10. Andy Dalton (35th to the Cincinnati Bengals) and Colin Kaepernick (36th to the San Francisco 49ers) went a bit later. All but Gabbert have played well at times. Ponder is the only one with an 0-3 starting record this season. He's vulnerable.

"As soon as a player gets taken in a certain spot, the fans expect a certain player," the evaluator said. "Sometimes the player has never been that guy. If the Vikings didn't have Adrian Peterson, it would be three times as obvious with Ponder. Don't blame the kid. He wasn't a great player in college. He was good. Now, all of a sudden he has to fall in this category because of his contract and where he was picked. Everybody reaches. He was not that guy."

[CbusVikesFan]

You can stick anyone you want in there right now, we're 0-3. I am wondering how the defense is going to play. Who is going to cover Antonio Brown? He had a pretty good game Monday night. If the D doesn't show up in a big way you can stick anyone you want at QB, the biggest of problems is stopping the opposing team.

[dead_poet]

You can stick anyone you want in there right now, we're 0-3. I am wondering how the defense is going to play. Who is going to cover Antonio Brown? He had a pretty good game Monday night. If the D doesn't show up in a big way you can stick anyone you want at QB, the biggest of problems is stopping the opposing team.

In recent years the Vikings have actually been very good at containing a team's #1 receiver. Provided the QB isn't a good scrambler and can't extend plays (unfortunately Big Ben is an expert at this).

[Hunter Morrow]

I was gonna call B.S. but he's probably been sacked and hit a good 40 times already, plus all the hits he takes when he runs.

Either way, By Any Means Necessary we should see a game out of Cassel and a game out of MBT. We're O-3 and our schedule is very rough
(road games at Dallas, Seattle, Green Bay and Baltimore all coming up, just for starters) so if the season is done, let's see if we've got anything
resembling league average QB play on the roster.

2 touchdowns passed to 5 interceptions in 3 games, I wouldn't care if I never saw the guy play another snap for the Vikings. He is not OUR GUY.
He's THEIR GUY. He is in no way, shape or form the future of this franchise, a future I want to include a Lombardi Trophy in.

[Mothman]

This is a good read by Sando. Might need Insider to view.

With Freeman out, is Ponder next?
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mike-sando/post?id=559

It looks like he just cannot deal with pressure. Which is why teams like to send it.

Ponder's 2013 stats vs. 5 or more pass rushers vs. 0-4

5+: 12/32; 37.5%; 195 yards; 6.1 YPA; 0-3 TD-INT; 19.7 passer rating; 7.8 QBR
0-4: 47/68; 69.1%; 496 yards; 7.3 YPA; 2-2 TD-INT; 87.6 passer rating; 66.7 QBR

I think that big drop occurs for two reasons:

1.) Ponder truly does not handle pressure well and
2.) neither do his blockers.

Anyway, it's true. He obviously struggles under pressure.

"If you had interviewed 15 personnel people when Ponder finished his final college season, they would have told you he'd come in and be a No. 2 for a few years, and then maybe he'd develop into a solid player," the personnel evaluator said. "But he was lights-out during the interview process. He's competitive, intelligent, has a great family and has the leadership. He can really run. But he goes from being a No. 2 who hopes to start in three years to a first-rounder who must start in his second year or something is wrong. You can't expect him to improve that much."

Ponder is now what he always was, the thinking goes, and it's not his fault that an NFL team mistook him for a franchise player and top-12 draft choice.

Ponder was the fourth of four quarterbacks taken in the top 12 in 2011. Cam Newton went first overall to the Carolina Panthers. The Tennessee Titans selected Jake Locker eighth. Blaine Gabbert was the Jacksonville Jaguars' choice at No. 10. Andy Dalton (35th to the Cincinnati Bengals) and Colin Kaepernick (36th to the San Francisco 49ers) went a bit later. All but Gabbert have played well at times. Ponder is the only one with an 0-3 starting record this season. He's vulnerable.

"As soon as a player gets taken in a certain spot, the fans expect a certain player," the evaluator said. "Sometimes the player has never been that guy. If the Vikings didn't have Adrian Peterson, it would be three times as obvious with Ponder. Don't blame the kid. He wasn't a great player in college. He was good. Now, all of a sudden he has to fall in this category because of his contract and where he was picked. Everybody reaches. He was not that guy."

That's right on target. I haven't seen it put any better than that.

[vikingsfansince07]

Here is McLeod Bethel-Thompson college Highlight video.

[King James]

One thing that remains constant for this team - the injury-prone remain injury-prone. Cook goes out (shocker), and now Ponder has sore ribs (no way!).

From what I've heard, Ponder has been injury prone since his college years.

[dead_poet]

Here is McLeod Bethel-Thompson college Highlight video.

His play-fake is much better than Ponder's. He also has a Cannon for an arm. Footwork is very suspect. Still, at the rate Ponder is going, I must admit I'm interested in seeing what he's got.

[King James]

Here is McLeod Bethel-Thompson college Highlight video.

I don't like how he throws across his body like that. His mechanics look very Ponderish. The only difference is, he has a better arm.

[losperros]

Nope.

So why should we believe that Cassel or MBT won't take the same pounding? What with this OL anyway?

And no, I'm not excusing Ponder. I'm just frustrated with an OL that suddenly can't pass or run block with any consistency. Look at the times AD gets buried behind the LoS.