Vikings return to bottom feeder in the division

[mosscarter]

i've said it before and i'll say it again, putting this type of pressure on peterson is ridiculous. last year was one of the most amazing feats i've ever witnessed in professional sports, but if somehow we are under the delusion that we will win 10 games again with no passing attack it is time to wake up. i agree with whoever predicted 5 wins; might be less. we quite possibly have the worst offensive coordinator and starting qb in the nfl.

[Cliff]

Cutler is better than Ponder, however, you should have left it at that. When you bring individual stats into it, Cutler is barely better than Ponder...if at all. Their stats are surprisingly similar. I don't think many people realize just how comparable their stats really are. Some of Stafford's stats are comparable to Ponder's and Cutler's, as well. It's quite interesting. Either way, Cutler is better than Ponder--attitude or not. And he has the one thing that Ponder doesn't--confidence, even if he has a little too much at times.

2012 NFC North QB Report:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago-bears/p ... ack-report

Interesting link.

But after a disastrous Week 13 performance against the Packers, Ponder quietly turned himself around and had the NFL's second-best QBR (86. over the final four games of the season, trailing only Peyton Manning.

I really hope he can build on those last 4 games and doesn't slip back.

I wonder if Ponder had been able to actually play in that playoff game if he would have done more to silence his critics or given them more ammo.

I find it interesting how well Ponder did at the end without his unquestionably best receiving threat being gone and against teams that were all thought of as being superior to the Vikings (especially a Harvinless Vikings team). I wonder if trying to force Harvin the ball was actually creating problems with the offense in terms of being too predictable in the passing game?

I'm very excited for Sunday.

[King James]

If the offense plays like they did in the preseason, we very well may be in the bottom. Running alone will not get us enough wins to make the playoffs, we can not have that same lackluster passing attack we had last season.

[Vikesfanrjv36]

Well, Ponder is not very good but....last year his receivers did not help. Not to mention his line. You put ponder with megatron and he would look better. Ponder will never be elite, but he's not as bad as he looks on the surface. A lot of things have to fall in to place for a QB to succeed. A lot of which is out of his control.


Skol Vikings!!

[The Breeze]

@Cliff:

You make a good point about forcing the action with Harvin. Whether it was by design or default on Ponder's part, I don't know, but they have a few more options now. Would be nice to see them utilize AD more as a weapon in the passing game too...if only to lessen the predictability of the offense. But we've been wanting that for a few years now~

[Captain]

Here is my "lazy analysis" prediction. 13-3. NFCC.

[Eli]

9-7, wildcard, superbowl victory.

Late bloomers, eh?

[jackal]

Late bloomers, eh?

thats funny .. Thats purple koolaid talking right there

[dead_poet]

I already know it is impossible to win in this league when your QB can only complete 3-5 yard passes.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... yard-catch

[mondry]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... yard-catch

It's amazing how so many here have honed that human defense mechanism to block out horrific events when it comes to Ponder. (yes you read that right, to them, Ponder throwing a ball right on the money 50 yards in the air is borderline catastrophe for their smear campaign so it must be deleted!)

[Demi]

It's amazing how so many here have honed that human defense mechanism to block out horrific events when it comes to Ponder. (yes you read that right, to them, Ponder throwing a ball right on the money 50 yards in the air is borderline catastrophe for their smear campaign so it must be deleted!)

Well, it's what, one of his two passes over 30 yards the entire season?
31-40? 0-8
21-30? 5-23
11-20? 44-95
Over ten yards 51/129 39% 3 TD 7 INT Rating right around what, 50ish?
But yeah, one pass sure is going to show anyone that isn't a Ponder apologist.
Only Blaine Gabbert had a lower yards per attempt and yards per game. The guys above and below when it comes to yards per attempt...Sanchez and Gabbert.
Over ten yards Sanchez: 63/151 41% 7 TD 12 INt
Over ten yards Gabbert: 30/75 40% 5 TD 3 INT
Ponder had twice the attempts BEHIND the line of scrimmage than Sanchez. 3 times Gabbert. Twice Cutler.

So the original quoted post is a heck of a lot more accurate than a video clip of ONE long completion...how about the 20+ yard touchdowns stat passing shown in the preseason game? None? In a season. Had to go back to 1991 and Jim Everett to match it? Smallest difference between yards/attempt/carry ever between teammates?
Over a third of his completions where BEHIND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.
"He can only do what he's asked to do" is all good and well, the problem is when he's asked to do more, HE CAN'T, and DOESN'T. And it's entirely possible for a player to go out and make a play now and then while doing what he's asked to do.

It's pretty easy to smear this scrub. The guy's a bum. And can't even put up good stats in the friggin preseason, when competent QBs tear it up. 9 of the last 10 super bowl winning QBs had over a 100 rating and right around 70% completions in the preseason.

We're not the ones with a defense mechanism that are blocking things out.

[VikingLord]

What bothers me about how the preseason went is not only how Frazier trotted Ponder out there like he and his receivers are established (2 plays in the first preseason game, and sat him for the final one), but the complete absence of downfield attempts when Ponder was out there. Yes, I know he took a deep shot or two, but that isn't the point. What is the point is that supposedly the Vikings now have receivers who can stretch the field and who should be able to get separation. Ponder and the Vikings know very well that every defensive coordinator is going to play the Vikings tight if and until they prove they can attack effectively deep. And it's the preseason. It's the perfect time to try something different and see if it works. It's the perfect time to try to get better at something they were bad at the prior year. Why not? There is no need to feed AD or any of the running backs, for that matter. The Vikes know what they have there, at least as far as the starters and immediate depth goes. So why not try and flex those deeper-passing muscles and bit and at least see if they work?

I guess we'll find out if the Vikes have a plan there on Sunday. If I had to bet I'd say they don't.

[mondry]

What bothers me about how the preseason went is not only how Frazier trotted Ponder out there like he and his receivers are established (2 plays in the first preseason game, and sat him for the final one), but the complete absence of downfield attempts when Ponder was out there. Yes, I know he took a deep shot or two, but that isn't the point. What is the point is that supposedly the Vikings now have receivers who can stretch the field and who should be able to get separation. Ponder and the Vikings know very well that every defensive coordinator is going to play the Vikings tight if and until they prove they can attack effectively deep. And it's the preseason. It's the perfect time to try something different and see if it works. It's the perfect time to try to get better at something they were bad at the prior year. Why not? There is no need to feed AD or any of the running backs, for that matter. The Vikes know what they have there, at least as far as the starters and immediate depth goes. So why not try and flex those deeper-passing muscles and bit and at least see if they work?

While it would have been nice for us fans to have them show off the entire offense / playbook it would be incredibly foolish to do so. The rest of the answer lies in your own paragraph. Peterson didn't play in the preseason, so do you think defensive coordinators were still selling out to stop a guy who wasn't playing? Of course not, so it doesn't make much sense to change up our entire offense just to become a passing team for the preseason.

The other part you're taking issue with is you don't have faith in Ponder so you'd like to see him go out and there and prove it to you. I suppose that's understandable but the guys in charge aren't lacking in that department, and seem to feel comfortable with how Ponder will execute the full playbook in the regular season. That's most likely from what they've seen in practice and what not but I'm not there so I can't say for sure of course.

I guess we'll find out if the Vikes have a plan there on Sunday. If I had to bet I'd say they don't.

We certainly will, I think we'll be pleasantly surprised. Either that or they're totally incompetent which doesn't seem -that- likely but who knows.

[Raptorman]

I don't know were my Vikings will finish. I would never claim they will win the division. To many variables. But here we are. To most pundits, the Vikings will be at the bottom. Why, because Ponder can't throw the ball. Peterson ran for over 2,000 yards last year and wants to do 2,500 this year. But everyone says he can't. Right. In 1967 Joe Namath throw for 4,000 yards. People said no one would ever do it again. Then Fouts did it in 1979. And they said he couldn't do it again. Until he did, in 1980, and 1981. Then Marino throw for 5,000 yards and they said no one would ever do it again. Until Brees did again. Then they said you can't do 5,000 yards back to back, until Brees did it. So Peterson can't run 2,500 yards. Why? Because no one else has ever done it. He won't have another 2,000 yard season this year because no one ever did. Ummmm. OK.

But here is the thing. Ponder in his first 26 games is 12-14. Ummm..... who else was 12-14 after 26 games? Now, I am not say Ponder will be as good as Rodgers, but then he doesn't have to be because the Vikings actually have a running game. If Ponder increase's his percentages just a little it will make a big difference in the Vikings game. But he can't, because he hasn't done it before. He can't throw downfield. Never mind the long passes to Wright last year. Never mind that two of the WR's he was throwing to last year are not even on an NFL team as I write this. But the WR's don't matter. Right? All we have is Ponder not throwing the ball downfield. Does anyone here know how many time the coach called for a deep pass last year? Bueller? Yeah, I thought not. So how can anyone say he didn't go downfield more when we have no idea how many times he was asked to do it? But that does not matter right? He didn't so that's all that counts.

But hell the Packers are going to win the division. Hell, why play the games? Last year at ESPN and SI and everywhere else the Packers were hands down favorites to win the division and Super Bowl. They are again this year with some competition from the Niners and Seahawks. Want to guess how many times these guys have picked the Super Bowl winner before the season started? I think I found once in the last 15 years. Not a good record, But hey, who knows. They could do it again. Kinda like passing for 5,000 yards two years in a row.

[Eli]

Hell, why play the games?

Why do fans take predictions so freaking personally? (I doubt that it's just Vikings fans, although they sure do LOVE to think that their team gets no respect.) Season predictions, player ratings, power rankings. Who gives a ****? You'd think someone kicked your dog, spit on your hamburger and insulted your wife, for crying out loud. Yes, it's why they play the season instead of handing someone the Lombardi Trophy based on a survey of sports writers.