Vikings Message Board.Com

Mothman wrote:Ponder puts zip on the ball when he needs to but he throws passes with touch too, which is a good thing. A QB doesn't need a Cutler or Favre-like cannon arm to be a successful in the NFL.

Regarding the running... I think a lot of fans just see him run and assume the worst. I don't think Ponder's first instinct is flight. I think his first instinct is to make a play and considering the difficulty Vikings receivers often have getting open, sometimes the best way to do that is to move and extend the play. Ponder sometimes leaves the pocket when he doesn't need to but he's shown an increased willingness this season to to "stay home", step up and throw the ball. I've re-watched a lot of the plays this season where he's has been criticized for panicking or fleeing the pocket and all too often, it's been because he had nowhere to go with the ball or because the interior was collapsing and he wasn't going to have a pocket to step into... sometimes the criticism is justified. Sometimes it's not. It's easy to play the position from home.

I think we need to recognize and acknowledge the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches (staying in the pocket and leaving it). When a QB leaves the pocket, he has more options. He can run, throw to a receiver, throw the ball away (without risk of a penalty) and he can dive or run out of bounds to avoid a hit. On the other hand, it can be harder to throw on the move and it tends to reduce options to one side of the field. When in the pocket, the whole field is available but there are drawbacks as well. Throwing the ball away can be more problematic and the probability of being hit, sacked for loss (or worse yet, blindsided), increases.

After just 16 games, Ponder has already demonstrated a lot of the qualities a team needs in their starting QB. He's shown leadership, accuracy (which admittedly slipped a bit last weekend) and good decision-making ability. He's moved the team well, proved he can bring the Vikes from behind and shown he can make throws at all levels of the field. I don't know what people expect from a such a young QB. It almost seems like some want perfection and that just can't be found.

Mothman wrote:Ponder puts zip on the ball when he needs to but he throws passes with touch too, which is a good thing. A QB doesn't need a Cutler or Favre-like cannon arm to be successful in the NFL.

Regarding the running... I think a lot of fans just see him run and assume the worst. I don't think Ponder's first instinct is flight. I think his first instinct is to make a play and considering the difficulty Vikings receivers often have getting open, sometimes the best way to do that is to move and extend the play. Ponder sometimes leaves the pocket when he doesn't need to but he's shown an increased willingness this season to to "stay home", step up and throw the ball. I've re-watched a lot of the plays this season where he's been criticized for panicking or fleeing the pocket and all too often, it's been because he had nowhere to go with the ball or because the interior was collapsing and he wasn't going to have a pocket to step into... sometimes the criticism is justified. Sometimes it's not. It's easy to play the position from home.

I think we need to recognize and acknowledge the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches (staying in the pocket and leaving it). When a QB leaves the pocket, he has more options. He can run, throw to a receiver, throw the ball away (without risk of a penalty) and he can dive or run out of bounds to avoid a hit. On the other hand, it can be harder to throw on the move and it tends to reduce options to one side of the field. When in the pocket, the whole field is available but there are drawbacks as well. Throwing the ball away can be more problematic and the probability of being hit, sacked for loss (or worse yet, blindsided), increases.

After just 16 games, Ponder has already demonstrated a lot of the qualities a team needs in their starting QB. He's shown leadership, accuracy (which admittedly slipped a bit last weekend) and good decision-making ability. He's moved the team well, proved he can bring the Vikes from behind and shown he can make throws at all levels of the field. I don't know what people expect from a such a young QB. It almost seems like some want perfection and that just can't be found.

Ponder puts zip on the ball when he needs to but he throws passes with touch too, which is a good thing.

After just 16 games, Ponder has already demonstrated a lot of the qualities a team needs in their starting QB. He's shown leadership, accuracy (which admittedly slipped a bit last weekend) and good decision-making ability. He's moved the team well, proved he can bring the Vikes from behind and shown he can make throws at all levels of the field. I don't know what people expect from a such a young QB. It almost seems like some want perfection and that just can't be found.

Demi wrote: With zero consistency week to week, quarter to quarter, or game to game. Nobody expects perfection, but you can't go from one extreme to the other as often as he does. He'll look like he shouldn't be in the league in one half, and like a pro bowler the other. For every good attribute he shows, he shows a negative one. And as far as "all levels of the field"? Are we still one of, if not the, worst teams for 10+ (or is it 15+?) yard passes? Even teams like the Jaguars managed to do better at the time the stat was posted here. There are other teams with receiver situations just as bad as ours that aren't as limited as we are.

If he was from a small school, or even a rookie there'd be more slack. He isn't. He was from a larger program, a well coached polished quarterback who was supposed to be NFL ready. He's over a third of the way into his second season, and he's still making terrible decisions someone with his supposed skill set shouldn't be making. And his "play-makering" usually involves a 0 yard pass to Harvin...or shows up at a point when his non-play-makering has left us in a hole because of the rest of the game.

Demi wrote:With zero consistency week to week, quarter to quarter, or game to game. Nobody expects perfection, but you can't go from one extreme to the other as often as he does.

And as far as "all levels of the field"? Are we still one of, if not the, worst teams for 10+ (or is it 15+?) yard passes?

Cliff wrote:i've been in a position to watch every game but one and I have to say I'm just not sure what you're talking about with the exception of the low percentage of long passing plays.

Sure, he's had some bad plays but saying that 50% of the time he's terrible just doesn't hold up to the eye test nor does it hold up to the statistical evidence.

Captain wrote:Maybe it was just me but in the Redskins game I kept getting the feeling that he had less time than in past games to pass. It seemed like the defense was on him pretty fast. Was it just me or anyone else?

Arma wrote: I saw that too, I also saw a lot of personel changing on the o-line with schwartz in there in place of Fusco. Add in the constant defensive scheme changing it could of just been an off day.

Cliff wrote:I think what I disliked most about Ponders play was him letting RG3 run wild on the defense.

S197 wrote: Schwartz was in for Johnson. And I believe it was for the 1st quarter only. Johnson finished the game.