Musgrave could be moving closer to termination in Minnesota

[Mothman]

Counter-intuitive? It makes perfect sense.

I find it counter-intuitive because I don't think of an external source being the primary cause of internal issues. If problems lie in the mind of the player than to me, the most likely source of those problems is also the mind of the player.

I see a guy in Christian Ponder who simply doesn't know what to do when he sees a blitz coming. I'm not even sure whether he's recognizing the blitz pre-snap, which seems incredible to me because Tampa players said they blitzed virtually every play (and because, well, even I can recognize it, and everyone knows I'm a freaking moron!).

Maybe, just maybe, that's a lack of coaching. Wouldn't you agree?

Yes, if I agreed with that conclusion but that's not what I see. I see a player who sometimes overreacts to a blitz or is indecisive in the face of a blitz. Sometimes he probably fails to recognize it too but there were multiple plays against Tampa where Ponder clearly saw the blitz coming, escaped it and made a good choice. The results weren't always successful but it didn't look like he had no idea what to do.

It's also quite possibly a lack of scheme. If a couple of guys are blitzing, and they're doubling Percy, and they're taking away Rudolph, shouldn't an open hot route be available SOMEWHERE? Yet we never seem to find it. You never hear an announcer say, "Ponder and the Vikings made them pay for that blitz." It never happens, which is why opponents do it play after play after play. I have to wonder whether the coaching staff is doing its job.

There are plays where Ponder clearly doesn't have a good outlet for the ball so I also wonder if Musgrave is always giving him the options he needs against blitz schemes. In some instances, it may be Ponder's responsibility to audible to a hot route. I'm not sure. Against Tampa there were plays where they tried to make the Bucs pay for blitzing and they simply didn't execute. If I remember correctly one of the deep sideline throws to Simpson was completed against a blitz. On the other hand, there was a dump pass to Peterson that could have resulted in a great blitz-beater except Johnson blew the block that would have sprung AD for a big gain. Another sideline pass to Simpson against a blitz went through his hands. Instead of a 25 yard play that burned the defense for taking a risk, it was an incompletion. On yet another play, Rudolph was wide open but Ponder didn't seem to have the time or the angle to get the ball to him.

[radar55]

because you design plays to get a guy open. if percy is double covered and they are keyed in on rudolph, use that to create routes that will force defenses to get mixed up on coverages and get a guy open. every other team in the league does it. we have weapons and sometimes you have to use them as a decoy.

We all ready have our designated "decoy" with Simpson. His jersey # might as well be in the 90's that way he would have to be declared "eligible" before he could actually catch a pass.

[jimcantwell]

I don't think Musgrave is doing a good job but Ponder is the guy who is destroying the Vikings this year. It feels to me that all other aspects of the Vikings team is solid (with the exception of not having a really good, fast, tall, wide receiver) while Ponder simply destroys the Vikings' chance of winning. Both Ponder's and Frazier's comments after the last game made me want to pull my hair out. Both of them should quit calling the quarterback problem a work in progress. I Think Frazier should tell Ponder you have one more week to produce or you're on the bench!

[losperros]

So essentially, Ponder's crappy play lately has the potential to get maybe 3 dudes fired from their jobs. He better step it up or the coaches need to sit him down for a minute. Unless they don't think they will lose their jobs over this?...

No, I don't think Ponder's poor play lately is all that would get any coaches fired. OTOH, an inability to adjust to defenses by the staff, questionable playcalling, and an overall lack of any kind passing attack performance across the board could cause some kind of change in the coaching ranks.