Texans @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Preseason #1

[Mothman]

See on one hand you talk about how important training camp is, but then basically go on to say preseason is meaningless. What better environment to work on chemistry with new teammates and timing than actual games vs real opponents?

I don't think I said the preseason is meaningless. the games are meaningless but getting some time to play in them isn't. The additional series or two Ponder might have played on froday night that people are complaining about? That's meaningless. It's an excuse for people to botch and moan, nothing more.
What of the sky falls? What if monkeys take over the world? What if chicken tasted like grapes? If he sucks, the Vikes will deal with it, most likely by replacing him in 2014. Wait and see what actually happens.

I don't share your view that he held them back last year. They held themselves back and there was more than enough blame to go around. Ponder shoulders some of it and I'm not going to pretend that switching him out for Peyton Manning wouldn't have led to more wins but switching 90% of the QBs in the league for Peyton Manning would result in more wins.

I'm not content with just competing for a wild card or 6th seed, I just haven't given up on Ponder developing into the QB they need. In two years, he could be a bust or he could be leading them to that championship you mentioned and I honestly don't think the path he's going to take is clear yet. You're seeing a glass that's half empty. I'm seeing a glass that's half full and half empty and I'm not sure which perception to choose at this point. However, I do know that developing a QB can take time and still pay significant dividends so I'm being patient.

[Arma]

Sometimes I feel like some people make stuff up just to hate Ponder. I'm not the biggest fan of him either, but some of these posts make me wonder what goes on in people's heads...

[Mothman]

So why do we play pre season? We have them to get teams ready to play other teams to begin the NFL season. Its a practice with real hits. Real reads. Not just teammates you know from playing against everyday. But you are right in one regard. If they are just going to baby Ponder, and try and limit his mistakes so he doesn't go on a rampage of making tons of them in a row (due entirely to his missing his first year of OTA's), then ya, he shouldn't even suit up. Just come out swinging against Detroit....er handing off to AD.

[Mothman]

Sometimes I feel like some people make stuff up just to hate Ponder. I'm not the biggest fan of him either, but some of these posts make me wonder what goes on in people's heads...

I think some of them are just angry, frustrated and impatient so they rip him regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous.

[mondry]

I think some of them are just angry, frustrated and impatient so they rip him regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous.

What do you mean, he's never EVER even thrown for 200 yards in a half!111!11!1%@!@

But seriously, I'm worried for them, guy throws TWO, LITERALLY TWO passes and half the board sounds like they're about to have an Aneurysm.

[PurpleKoolaid]

What do you mean, he's never EVER even thrown for 200 yards in a half!111!11!1%@!@

But seriously, I'm worried for them, guy throws TWO, LITERALLY TWO passes and half the board sounds like they're about to have an Aneurysm.

Yeah, you are right. Only A 50% int rate, not to shabby.

[Demi]

You had FSU fans questioning why the Vikings decided to make him their franchise QB. That should tell you all you need to know. And he's still a complete question mark after a year and a half of starting? Gimme a break. This guy doesn't have it. And he isn't going to suddenly get it. And they did nothing to see if maybe they could have an emergency guy in the wings they could have worked with and molded into a potential replacement. They just signed Cassel. Who probably gives them a better chance of winning but who cares, Ponder will get the same benefit of the doubt that bum TJoke was given.

It's not a coincidence we got to 4 super bowls with a hall of famer. And one play away from a super bowl with another. And the other NFCCG with a should have been MVP at QB. You can't win rings with guys like Ponder. We need to trade up for a Qb next year, or sign/trade for a solid veteran. At worst stick with Cassel until we can address the position seriously, instead of BQBA at pick 12 again. Get serious about the position already!

[Barry]

They actually look very purple, less blue than before. I'm watching the NFL.com feed.

I just started watching the replay and those jerseys are blue, the helmets are purple. Even if the jerseys are purple, why the hell would you have them a completely different shade than the helmets?

[jackal]

I learned something about Ponder from watching the preseason game in the third quarter Ponder and Cassel
were both on the bench. Ponder was totally disengaged from everything around him spitting sun flower seeds (or chew)
in a cup. Cassel was talking with coaches and interested in the game. To me this spoke Volumes about Ponder
as a leader. Watch Peterson encouraging all the OL and watching Patterson enjoying the game and his team mates.
Pecker I mean Ponder is somewhere else, and not engaged

[mosscarter]

so lets be clear on this, which games exactly did ponder throw for 200 yards in a half in? someone referenced the redskin game, was that the same game he threw that pick 6 in the first quarter and then they were playing from behind the entire game (i.e. passing the entire time). i swear demi is the only one, aside from myself, who actually sees ponder doesn't have what it takes. the majority of his passing yards come when the vikings are WAY behind and forced to throw. when you start an entire 16 game season, and have 2 or 3 passes over fifty yards all year long, YOU STINK.

[Mothman]

What do you mean, he's never EVER even thrown for 200 yards in a half!111!11!1%@!@

But seriously, I'm worried for them, guy throws TWO, LITERALLY TWO passes and half the board sounds like they're about to have an Aneurysm.

It's comical.

I learned something about Ponder from watching the preseason game in the third quarter Ponder and Cassel
were both on the bench. Ponder was totally disengaged from everything around him spitting sun flower seeds (or chew)
in a cup. Cassel was talking with coaches and interested in the game. To me this spoke Volumes about Ponder
as a leader. Watch Peterson encouraging all the OL and watching Patterson enjoying the game and his team mates.
Pecker I mean Ponder is somewhere else, and not engaged

Wow, Ponder was disengaged on the sidelines during a random moment in the first preseason game? NOW we can panic!

Here's what I've learned: many, many fans are actively looking for reasons to dislike and complain about Ponder. It is absolutely mind-boggling that he has become THE main topic of conversation after a preseason game in which he played two snaps.

[Hunter Morrow]

I suppose all the Christian Ponder (So named because you skip church to say "God, why are you doing this to me?!" for 3 hours)
fans forget all the games last year where Peterson had more yards rushing than Ponder had passing and the best offensive weapon
on the team was Blair Walsh.

I definitively state right now: Cassel is better.

This feels like Jackson/Frerotte all over again.

[Demi]

It is absolutely mind-boggling that he has become THE main topic of conversation after a preseason game in which he played two snaps.

Oh yeah he just "became" it after two snaps. He wasn't it since the scrub was drafted. Including all offseason.

You know what is truly mind-boggling, how you , and some others, continue to cling to this guy like he's the future of the franchise, or is going to improve. Definition of mind-boggling. But people clung to Jackson as well. Hope springs eternal for some people. Good luck with that. The rest of us with two fully functioning eyes will be waiting for the next attempt at a franchise QB while others pluck at straws.

[Mothman]

I suppose all the Christian Ponder (So named because you skip church to say "God, why are you doing this to me?!" for 3 hours)
fans forget all the games last year where Peterson had more yards rushing than Ponder had passing and the best offensive weapon
on the team was Blair Walsh.

I'm not sure there are that many Ponder fans. I'd like to see him succeed and I frequently defend him but it's not because I'm a big Ponder fan. I just think the majority of the criticism leveled against him here is extreme and irrational and that drives me nuts. In this thread alone we've learned that the coaches are "afraid" to play him, that he's coddled because he didn't have to beat out all-star competition like an over-the-hill McNabb, Joe Webb, MBT and now Matt Cassell to earn the starting QB job, that the size of the offensive coordinator's play card may be indicative of Ponder's limitations and that he had the audacity, during the first preseason game of the year, to be caught on camera, disengaged from the action and spitting something! These would clearly be serious indictments of any starting QB.

If this kind of silliness keeps up, by mid-season this board will be the equivalent of a bad sports talk radio call-in show being broadcast at 3 AM.

I definitively state right now: Cassel is better.

Right. The QB who's thrown 16 TDs and 21 INTs over the past two seasons while losing more fumbles, missing 14 games, completing less than 60% of his passes and compiling a weaker QB rating is clearly the better of the two QBs. Your definitive statement has convinced me.

If Ponder's as awful as so many here believe, he probably won't be starting by the end of the season and the Vikings will be looking for a new QB next season. Problem solved!

Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that a QB who has played worse and missed significant playing time the past two seasons is going to resolve the Vikings QB issues to everyone's satisfaction.

[Mothman]

Oh yeah he just "became" it after two snaps. He wasn't it since the scrub was drafted. Including all offseason.

You know what is truly mind-boggling, how you , and some others, continue to cling to this guy like he's the future of the franchise, or is going to improve.

He demonstrably improved last year but I'm not "clinging to him as if he's the future of the franchise. I simply recognize that the Vikes have committed to seeing if he's their long term solution at QB and I see no point in fretting and #### about it for 3 years because that won't change a thing. He's been getting his shot for a season and a half, he'll keep getting his shot this year and during the time he's been here, I don't think there's been a better alternative on the roster. I don't consider Cassel a better alternative either. Keep in mind, I was in favor of drafting that alternative this year and beginning the process of developing a QB that could step in and become the potential future at QB if Ponder doesn't pan out.

In the end, I'm just trying to be patient and rational about the situation. You've obviously chosen a different approach.

Good luck with that. The rest of us with two fully functioning eyes will be waiting for the next attempt at a franchise QB while others pluck at straws.

Do us all a favor and wait quietly in the corner.