This Seahawk game could decide our season

[mansquatch]

Well to be 5 and 5 we would lose to the Seahawks and the Lions, who we are playing at the Dome. I agree that losing both would put the damper on the playoff aspirations, howver if they go 6-4, and win two of the 5 games you cited, plus a winnable game against hte rams, that equals 9-7 and wild card potential.

Not realyl worreid about it though. Not too many 9-7 teams win the big game which is what I want to see. I'll be grading ponder the whole time even if they end up 12-4 because his play is what will determine when (if) we win a SB any time soon.

[Texas Vike]

Yikes, you just created an image in my head of something I hadn't imagined before, Ponder in the Super Bowl. Could you imagine the Ponder of the past few weeks showing up in the Super Bowl? He's barely been able to keep it together for these "meaningless" regular season games. The pressure would probably explode his head like in Scanners. He would make 4th quarter Donovan McNabb look like Joe Montana! Ponder definitely needs to strengthen up mentally and emotionally in high pressure situations where things are going badly if we are ever to suceed in the playoffs. He does the polar opposite of inspring teammates when he gets like that.

Maybe recently, but he showed some great presence in early games, leading 4th quarter drives calmly and efficiently. I don't mean to be an apologist, but laying all blame at Ponder's feet is inaccurate.

[mansquatch]

Maybe recently, but he showed some great presence in early games, leading 4th quarter drives calmly and efficiently. I don't mean to be an apologist, but laying all blame at Ponder's feet is inaccurate.

That is not being an apologist, it is being rational.

About 95% of the gloom and doom on this board regarding Ponder right now takes for granted the assumption that he can no longer make the plays he was making earlier in the season. I do not accept this premise, hence my view of this being a slump and not the new status quo.

[mansquatch]

Jim and I have been talking about this in the fundamental thread. (the slump thing.) IMO Ponder is going through standard rookie QB gyrations. If you think we've got it bad, go look at Cam Newton.

I put up some stats, whether meaningful or not is debateable, but the gist was that the avg. experience of the top 10 QB in the leagues is about 8 season. Certainly problems with the stat, like all stats, but I took it as meaning that to expect pro bowl numbers from a guy in his 2nd year was probably asking a bit much.

I think by January 1st we'll have a really good idea of where Ponder is at. The last 7 games are basically a meat grinder. I think he'll rise to the occaision, I like his attitude, but we'll find out soon enough.

[PurpleJarl]

This thread is proof that we need to give ponder AT LEAST the rest of this year.

Ponders early play (along with harvin, walsh, and peterson) is a main reason why we are even talking about the season being on the line! I am very happy with how this season has gone and have seen fewer ugly games then I expected. All in all if we miss the playoffs I would be fine with it. With the way our front office did last draft we are pretty much guaranteed a couple of immediate impact players if we are in the low teens or better for draft picks.

This is a great problem to have. In a rebuilding year coming off of a 3 win year. Needing a win to stay as a FAVORITE in the playoff hunt is great.

[Infinity]

I agree. The only way we will win this one is if ponder shows up. He needs a bounce back...

[dkoby]

Not that I don't want the Vikes to win this season, but the dye for this season was already cast. This team is in rebuilding mode. I don't care what Frazier says. Any one who thought we were going to the playoffs this year, raise your hand...... That's what I thought.

This year is all about improvement and evaluation from a losing team and concept. Hopefully the concept has been fixed by hiring and putting Speilman in sole charge of drafting and looks to be doing a good job. Good players were picked up. Questionable players, sans Carlson, were added on 1 year contracts to keep our commitment to them limited.

The team has shown surprisingly better than expected results and I understand the desire to start to expect more. However, I am keeping my expectations lower for the overall record. This team does not have the talent or experience to be competitive in the playoffs.
I guess what I'm saying is that in the overall scheme of things, I view this game as insignificant other than to assess the teams improvement and development.

[joe h]

Watching this team play for draft picks sucked last year, and the last thing I want is for them to start that crap this year. I said from the beginning this was an 8-8 team, that could sneak into the playoffs with a little luck. Unfortunately they lost to three teams they needed to beat, now they need to nearly sweep their division just to have a chance at a winning record. So instead of wasting everyone's time bringing in a damn punter of all positions. Bring in some receivers, Safeties, or Corners to compete.

Anything less than an 8-8 was a complete failure, and wilf can have my seats until he decides to hire a competent staff. #### the draft, we found Smith at nearly the last pick in the first round, and pretty much everyone picked in the top ten have been quiet this year.

[mansquatch]

We are still a flawed team, but we are also a flawed team that is 5-3. That to me is exactly the right direction for the team to be moving in. If we were competing for the top draft pick we'd be much further away from the playoffs that if we finish 9-7 and show something, which we've done.

They are 1 win away from a 100% improvement over last season and being 200% improved is within reach. How is that a negative again?

[jackal]

If we want to have any shot at a wild card I think we have to win the next two games or at the very least split them.

The hard part of our schedule is coming up soon Bears Twice Green Bay twice etc etc

[Laserman]

I bet out of the 4 games with the Bears and packers we will win at least one game.

[petev_sj]

This season has been pretty unpredictable, so saying that a game in week 9 will decide the season is a bit premature.

I think we take a couple of games from the Bears and Packers at home. I'm going to stick with a 10-6 prediction, making a wild card berth, and winning 1 playoff game.

[LA Viking]

This season has been pretty unpredictable, so saying that a game in week 9 will decide the season is a bit premature.

I think we take a couple of games from the Bears and Packers at home. I'm going to stick with a 10-6 prediction, making a wild card berth, and winning 1 playoff game.

I wish I could share your optimism (and I tend to lean optimistic - with a big serving of realism). Even if we split CHI and GB (I think we win one, CHI) and DET at home, we'd still have to win 2 of 3 at SEA, STL or HOU.

I say 8-8, but considering we were 3-13 last year, have a 2nd yr QB, play in the toughest division, and are playing (arguably) the second best division, it is pretty impressive for a rebuilding season.

[Mothman]

I wish I could share your optimism (and I tend to lean optimistic - with a big serving of realism). Even if we split CHI and GB (I think we win one, CHI) and DET at home, we'd still have to win 2 of 3 at SEA, STL or HOU.

That's certainly not impossible but the schedule IS tough.

I say 8-8, but considering we were 3-13 last year, have a 2nd yr QB, play in the toughest division, and are playing (arguably) the second best division, it is pretty impressive for a rebuilding season.

Even one more win would double last season's which total, which is pretty good... and I think they'll get more than one more win. 8-8, 9-7, 7-9... they would all represent a big leap forward in the win column for a team that some preseason prognosticators thought would be one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in the league!

[PurpleKoolaid]

Even with how squishy our D has gotten, we need at least an average QB to make the playoffs, and Ponder hasnt even been playing average. in fact, hes been so bad it wont be too long before peple will want us to loose games for a better pick. Im not one of them, 5-3 is good at this time in the season. But we have no QB. Rookie QBs are playing much better. But then rookie QBs are playing much better then Cam is too.