Confidence in Christian Part II

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Fun stat: in a division where Ponder is the worst quarterback he assembled the highest QBR in week 1. Sure, you have to take opponents into account. Still. It's happy.

Christian Ponder
Passer Rating: 105.5
QBR: 66.9

Jay Cutler
Passer Rating: 98.9
QBR: 62.0

Aaron Rodgers
Passer Rating: 93.3
QBR: 55.1

Matthew Stafford
Passer Rating: 69.4
QBR: 51.2

You could easily argue that Ponder played the 2nd hardest defense of the bunch as well. Another fun stat: No INTs for Ponder (he did fumble however). Every other NFC North QB had at least one INT.

[Mothman]

You could easily argue that Ponder played the 2nd hardest defense of the bunch as well. Another fun stat: No INTs for Ponder (he did fumble however). Every other NFC North QB had at least one INT.

It took a little luck to avoid INTs because he threw a couple of near picks in the first half but hey, sometimes you need to be a little lucky.

I just watched the game online and all I can say is wow, if Ponder continues throwing the ball like he did in the second half and in OT, the Vikes might go places sooner rather than later. He was passing with confidence, accuracy and determination.

Maybe this won't be the only week in 2012 in which Ponder has the highest QBR in the division.

[mansquatch]

I thought Ponder delivered an excellent game. He is on the path we want him on.

It is still extremely early, but right now I think the middle defense is the bigger question mark. Brinkley needs to step it up, and Harrison Smith had his NFL wake up call. Missed tackles were terrible in the first half. Luckily, Smith really came alive and delivered in the 2nd half.

[Juice]

Opponents like the rams and colts right?

Teams improve. I think the Rams could have a solid defense this year.

[dead_poet]

Opponents like the rams and colts right?

I meant the 49ers, specifically. And the Jags defense was without two key starters. But still. Point taken. The Rans' secondary should be much improved this season, though.

[hibbingviking]

ponder still looks like he has happy feet. RG3 looked more poised.

[Just Me]

ponder still looks like he has happy feet. RG3 looked more poised.

I agree there were a few plays (when his protection was a little suspect, I'll add) where he seemed to have "happy feet," but overall I have to disagree. Not taking anything away from RGIII, but I'm not sure anyone could have looked more poised than Ponder did when there was 14 seconds left in the game. Whether that was a fluke or not is reamins to be seen (it was one game), but that looked as good as I've seen any QB play (Montana/Elway/Take-your-pick) in a similar situation.

[Purple bruise]

ponder still looks like he has happy feet. RG3 looked more poised.

I am not sure what your point is? RG3 is, in your opinion more poised. Well so is Peyton Manning. What does that mean?
Is he as poised as Tebow? Dang, I should not go there with you

[Demi]

I am not sure what your point is? RG3 is, in your opinion more poised. Well so is Peyton Manning. What does that mean?
Is he as poised as Tebow? Dang, I should not go there with you

Well, last year we had to hear how he was only a rookie. Not much experience etc etc. Now you compare one of the most veteran QBs in the leagues poise to RGIII to defend Messiah Ponder's poise? The guy had a great play, a few very nice throws, but plenty of times completely choked on third down. Forget Peyton Manning, he looked like Tarvaris Jackson out there. That has to improve or it doesn't matter how he looks for 17 seconds against a bottom 5 team at home...

[Purple bruise]

Well, last year we had to hear how he was only a rookie. Not much experience etc etc. Now you compare one of the most veteran QBs in the leagues poise to RGIII to defend Messiah Ponder's poise? The guy had a great play, a few very nice throws, but plenty of times completely choked on third down. Forget Peyton Manning, he looked like Tarvaris Jackson out there. That has to improve or it doesn't matter how he looks for 17 seconds against a bottom 5 team at home...

It seems as if you took my statement completely out of context. I was commenting on the fact that Hibb said that RG3 is more poised than Ponder. That might be true but what is his point? I simply commented that Peyton Manning is more poised than Ponder too but so what.
We really all understand that you can't stand Ponder . I am not sure why but you make it very clear almost on a daily basis and it probably makes you feel some what foolish to see him turn in a performance (game winning) like he did against the Jags. You might have to, hopefully get used to because he is the man.

[Mothman]

We really all understand that you can't stand Ponder . I am not sure why but you make it very clear almost on a daily basis and it probably makes you feel some what foolish to see him turn in a performance (game winning) like he did against the Jags. You might have to, hopefully get used to because he is the man.

No, no... he's not the man, he's the messiah.

Whatever he is and whatever he'll be, he certainly didn't look like Tarvaris Jackson on Sunday. After a bad start, he delivered a good performance with a very strong finish and I doubt any objective observer would disagree with that.

[Demi]

That might be true but what is his point?

His point was a rookie QB in his first game in the NFL showed more poise than Ponder did. Who had a good game, made throws when he needed to. But spent quite a bit of the time jumping at shadows. Even when there wasn't any pressure. I know you love the man and want to bare his children, so you're clearly pretty ecstatic about his overtime win against a front runner for worst team in the league, but he had issues. Issues a second year guy who all we heard about was his confidence and poise and leadership leading up to the game, was it first game jitters? Is he going to improve? There were a number of third downs that were completely on him.

Did he look improved? At times. At other times he looked just like he did last year. Making terrible throws, happy feet, running with no pressure. And you've already deemed him "the man". And you're going to talk about my "prove it" stance? And his "game winning performance" had a little help from the defense, his all pro running back, the Jags choking away the ball more than once. There were plenty of things that contributed to that game, Ponder being one of them. He also contributed to the team being in the spot they were after his terrible first half when he was booed by the teams own fans. (most of which I doubt "want to see him fail" or "hate him")

[Mothman]

His point was a rookie QB in his first game in the NFL showed more poise than Ponder did. Who had a good game, made throws when he needed to. But spent quite a bit of the time jumping at shadows. Even when there wasn't any pressure. I know you love the man and want to bare his children, so you're clearly pretty ecstatic about his overtime win against a front runner for worst team in the league...

If you're going to make that assumption about Jacksonville based on their record last season and one game this year then shouldn't you also assume Ponder's performance came against a top 10 defense? That's what the Jaguars fielded in 2011.

Did he look improved? At times. At other times he looked just like he did last year. Making terrible throws, happy feet, running with no pressure.

Almost all of that was in the first half and there wasn't that much of it. He was sharp from their last drive of the first half forward. There's no reason to expect a complete transformation in one offseason anyway. He wasn't going to suddenly eliminate every shortcoming in his game and play perfectly just because he had 7 months off. With few, if any real exceptions, rookie QBs take time to develop into good, consistent pros.

[Purple bruise]

His point was a rookie QB in his first game in the NFL showed more poise than Ponder did. Who had a good game, made throws when he needed to. But spent quite a bit of the time jumping at shadows. Even when there wasn't any pressure. I know you love the man and want to bare his children, so you're clearly pretty ecstatic about his overtime win against a front runner for worst team in the league, but he had issues. Issues a second year guy who all we heard about was his confidence and poise and leadership leading up to the game, was it first game jitters? Is he going to improve? There were a number of third downs that were completely on him.

Did he look improved? At times. At other times he looked just like he did last year. Making terrible throws, happy feet, running with no pressure. And you've already deemed him "the man". And you're going to talk about my "prove it" stance? And his "game winning performance" had a little help from the defense, his all pro running back, the Jags choking away the ball more than once. There were plenty of things that contributed to that game, Ponder being one of them. He also contributed to the team being in the spot they were after his terrible first half when he was booed by the teams own fans. (most of which I doubt "want to see him fail" or "hate him")

Yes I understand that he was commenting that RG# was more poised in just his first game than Ponder is and I don't dispute that. If you reread my post I was not comparing Manning to RG3 I was saying that Manning to is more poised than PONDER not RG3. But so what, there are several NFL QBs more poised than Ponder that should not take away from Ponder or his obvious improvement over his rookie year.

[Just Me]

I know you love the man and want to bare his children....

Why would anyone want to disrobe his children? (J/K - Please don't go back and find all my typos, I'm sure there are far more from me than you )


OK - [serious mode]

His point was a rookie QB in his first game in the NFL showed more poise than Ponder did. Who had a good game, made throws when he needed to. But spent quite a bit of the time jumping at shadows. Even when there wasn't any pressure. ...you're clearly pretty ecstatic about his overtime win against a front runner for worst team in the league, but he had issues. Issues a second year guy who all we heard about was his confidence and poise and leadership leading up to the game, was it first game jitters? Is he going to improve? There were a number of third downs that were completely on him.

While I think that assessment is true to a degree, I think that a comparison to T Jack (by others - I can't remember if you made the comparison or not) is overly harsh. How many come from behind victories has TJ authored in his career? (I'm genuinely asking the question: He may have some, but I don't recall any).

Did he look improved? At times. At other times he looked just like he did last year. Making terrible throws, happy feet, running with no pressure. And you've already deemed him "the man". And you're going to talk about my "prove it" stance? And his "game winning performance" had a little help from the defense...

I know I'm interrupting here, but I'm calling a "foul" on that one. The defense? Really? In as much as no single player can claim to be a one-man-team, I'll agree, but the same defense that gave up the go-ahead score to Jacksonville with 20 seconds left in the game, you're wanting to give them credit?

his all pro running back, the Jags choking away the ball more than once. There were plenty of things that contributed to that game, Ponder being one of them. He also contributed to the team being in the spot they were after his terrible first half when he was booed by the teams own fans. (most of which I doubt "want to see him fail" or "hate him")

I think all of that is valid. The inescapable fact is that when all factors were/are considered, our QB had roughly 14 seconds to drive us to a FG range (if anything, our Blair Walsh Project should get the game ball) and he did so. Yes, he had a terrible first half. He did not pack it in. He fought to the end, and it paid off. Does this mean he is the next Joe Montana or John Elway? (He doesn't have the arm strength that Elway had, but I digress) Who can say? It is premature to claim he will rise to that level of greatness, but it is equally premature to suggest that a "sluggish" first half of football in the man's 2nd season is somehow indicative that he has "issues." He rose to, and passed, his first test this season yesterday. I can smile and watch to see how it turns out. Whether or not RGIII will be better than Ponder (after a 1 game assessment) remains to be seen. My thoughts are: We didn't draft RGIII. We weren't going to get RGIII. We aren't going to get RGIII. If we're going there, why don't we bemoan the fact that Brady isn't our QB either?