Week 4 NFL QB Stats

[PurpleKoolaid]

Cassel: 79 GP 58.9 comp% 6.64 YPC 84 TD 57 INT 43 FUM 80.9 QB Rating
Ponder: 30 GP 59.2 comp% 6.27 YPC 33 TD 30 INT 15 FUM 75.8 QB Rating

So up until Sunday's game time they really weren't much different. And most of us watched Cassel suck it up in KC for the past 2 years.

So whats your point? You think Ponder should start? Because they are close in stats? He a little better QB, that won his first game starting. No one is claiming he Manning back there.

[Cliff]

Incomplete pass.

Indeed. My point is that Cassel's stats in the game are a bit deceptive.

It seems particularly important to keep that in mind because those lucky breaks were absolutely necessary for the Vikings to win the last game. I wouldn't expect them every week.

[Crax]

Indeed. My point is that Cassel's stats in the game are a bit deceptive.

It seems particularly important to keep that in mind because those lucky breaks were absolutely necessary for the Vikings to win the last game. I wouldn't expect them every week.

Absolutely necessary? I don't know about that. Blair Walsh doesn't miss a field goal every week either.

[PurpleKoolaid]

I don't think anyone here is crowning Cassel as the next Manning. I personally NEVER want to see Ponder behind center again. I know hes not good for the Vikes.Unless the season is hopeless, then hes perfect for us tanking. I also know Cassel isn't all the good, but Im not ready yet to tank the Season for a better draft pick right now. I actually enjoy the feeling of a win. Something we didn't have have with BoyBlunder as QB so far this year.

[dead_poet]

I don't think anyone here is crowning Cassel as the next Manning. I personally NEVER want to see Ponder behind center again. I know hes not good for the Vikes.Unless the season is hopeless, then hes perfect for us tanking. I also know Cassel isn't all the good, but Im not ready yet to tank the Season for a better draft pick right now. I actually enjoy the feeling of a win. Something we didn't have have with BoyBlunder as QB so far this year.

I don't think Cassel gives the Vikings more than a 1% greater chance of winning. The more I think about it, the more I want to start Ponder, just so there is absolutely no question after the season that he is not the future. The last thing I want is some question about whether or not he can take the next step forward. If we start Cassel, I want it to be decided within the organization that a quarterback needs to be drafted in the first couple of rounds in next year's draft. Even if/when that happens, the way the organization is run, that rookie will compete with Ponder (provided he isn't released, which he won't be barring some odd set of Josh Freeman-like circumstances) for the starting job, and I can already see the organization starting Ponder in 2014 due to their hesitancy in throwing rookies into the fire.

[Webbfann]

Teams playing well and players playing well get the lucky breaks more often than not. We'll have to see whether our luck continues but I don't think 84/57 TD/INT is anywhere close to 33/30. One is 1.47 and the other is 1.1. 1.47 could be improved on but it's not bad, and 1.1 is just unacceptable. And Ponder is at .4 this year, while Cassell is 2.0. Yup, 5 times better. That's why he looked at least twice as good.

[Webbfann]

Ponder's done. Ain't nothing more to see. Ain't nothing more to learn except whether he can be a serviceable backup.

I don't think Cassel gives the Vikings more than a 1% greater chance of winning. The more I think about it, the more I want to start Ponder, just so there is absolutely no question after the season that he is not the future. The last thing I want is some question about whether or not he can take the next step forward. If we start Cassel, I want it to be decided within the organization that a quarterback needs to be drafted in the first couple of rounds in next year's draft. Even if/when that happens, the way the organization is run, that rookie will compete with Ponder (provided he isn't released, which he won't be barring some odd set of Josh Freeman-like circumstances) for the starting job, and I can already see the organization starting Ponder in 2014 due to their hesitancy in throwing rookies into the fire.

[vikeinmontana]

I don't think anyone here is crowning Cassel as the next Manning.

I agree but now maybe you'll get a little taste of what some of us have been dealing with for three years. if you didn't blast ponder after every game you were an apologist. if you didn't call him names you loved him. if you chimed in about any struggles anywhere on offense except for the qb position you had purple shades on. if you refused to write off the 2nd year qb before the season even started you were a homer. if you dared mentioned any play that ponder did ok in you were a sugar-coating, ponder-loving, purple shade wearing homer. and none of us were saying he was manning either...

for what it's worth I prefer ponder stays on the bench too. and i'd like to see us once again address the qb position this spring. but the petty back and forth pissing and moaning about one position gets old. and for some reason it has people's attention so exclusively that many aren't even seeing our biggest issue right now...our porous defense.

[Mothman]

I agree but now maybe you'll get a little taste of what some of us have been dealing with for three years. if you didn't blast ponder after every game you were an apologist. if you didn't call him names you loved him. if you chimed in about any struggles anywhere on offense except for the qb position you had purple shades on. if you refused to write off the 2nd year qb before the season even started you were a homer. if you dared mentioned any play that ponder did ok in you were a sugar-coating, ponder-loving, purple shade wearing homer. and none of us were saying he was manning either...

for what it's worth I prefer ponder stays on the bench too. and i'd like to see us once again address the qb position this spring. but the petty back and forth pissing and moaning about one position gets old. and for some reason it has people's attention so exclusively that many aren't even seeing our biggest issue right now...our porous defense.

LOL! That was a great rant and a great post.

[Purple bruise]

LOL! That was a great rant and a great post.

[Webbfann]

But there is a bright spot in our porous defense. It means we need to have a an offense that is a danger to score a lot of points, and that's what I think most of want regardless of how the defense is. Although we never won a SB during the Culpepper years it sure was exciting to watch. I know there are defense lovers who think a 9-7 win is as good as it gets but most fans aren't like that. So lets shore up the D and play the players that give us the best chance for a higher scoring, fun offense.

I agree but now maybe you'll get a little taste of what some of us have been dealing with for three years. if you didn't blast ponder after every game you were an apologist. if you didn't call him names you loved him. if you chimed in about any struggles anywhere on offense except for the qb position you had purple shades on. if you refused to write off the 2nd year qb before the season even started you were a homer. if you dared mentioned any play that ponder did ok in you were a sugar-coating, ponder-loving, purple shade wearing homer. and none of us were saying he was manning either...

for what it's worth I prefer ponder stays on the bench too. and i'd like to see us once again address the qb position this spring. but the petty back and forth pissing and moaning about one position gets old. and for some reason it has people's attention so exclusively that many aren't even seeing our biggest issue right now...our porous defense.

[Just Me]

I know there are defense lovers who think a 9-7 win is as good as it gets but most fans aren't like that. So lets shore up the D and play the players that give us the best chance for a higher scoring, fun offense.

I consider myself one of those "defense lovers" (since they still have a chance to win championships) and would love nothing more than a 45-0 win. I'll settle for 2-0 win if it comes to that, though. Matter of fact: Vikes win the SB 3-0 on a Blair Walsh 68 yard field goal as time expires would suit me just fine

[vikeinmontana]

I consider myself one of those "defense lovers" (since they still have a chance to win championships) and would love nothing more than a 45-0 win. I'll settle for 2-0 win if it comes to that, though. Matter of fact: Vikes win the SB 3-0 on a Blair Walsh 68 yard field goal as time expires would suit me just fine

put me in that boat too. sure watching teams score a lot is fun. I don't deny that. but you what is even more fun? winning. and if by some miracle in the coming years the vikes built a defense like we have never seen before I would be giddy. I don't care if we win all our games 7-3 if we're winning.

and just for the record, this has nothing to do with "defense lovers" wanting an incredible defense. we want an adequate defense that doesn't get torched like we have over the first 4 games. it's no different with ponder. no one is saying ponder has to be peyton manning. just that he needs to be good enough to win us games. us defense lovers aren't saying we need the best defense ever seen in the nfl. we just want one that doesn't get scorched for 500 yards of offense and 30+ points every game!