Vikes/GB post-game thoughts

[Mothman]

I've said most of what I had to say about this game elsewhere and I'm pressed for time so I'll let Zulgad and Pelissero do most of the talking:

http://www.1500espn.com/videos/giving_a ... big_chance

I thought their analysis was interesting but they also address some of the questions that are burning up this board right now. I'm referring to questions like "Why is Frazier sticking with Ponder" (anyone asking that question needs to play this video). They extensively address the QB situation but they also talk about the rest of the team. It's a good listen.

All I'll add for now is that Peterson was phenomenal, Ponder's play was obviously aggravating, disappointing and costly to the team. I found the defense's performance in the first and 4th quarters very disappointing, and the Vikings clearly need more playmakers (at WR, LB, CB, etc.).

In other words, it's the same old stuff.

I thought the game plan was good. The execution just wasn't there in all the areas it was needed.

Did I mention that Peterson was phenomenal?

More later...

[Juice]

I agree with what has been said about Ponder's performance today so I won't go into it any further.

Adrian Peterson is an unbelievable players. He had 61.2% of our total yards today.

I thought Harrison Smith had a good game. He seemed to do a better job wrapping up when tackling.

[Hunter Morrow]

Hey, this is what happens when a team spends over 100 million on payroll and the "best" quarterback is Christian Ponder and the "best" wide receiver is Kyle Rudolph.

I was in denial about how bad the combo of Ponder and this receiving corps is, by the way. Outside of a magical but injury prone Harvin and an adequate tight end we've got NOBODY. Jerome Simpson hasn't done a thing. John Carlson is one of the biggest disparities between pay and performance in human history. We've got the best running back in the league and he is paired with practice squad caliber receivers.

Take away the 80 yard home run and our running back contributed 130 rushing yards and our team lost time of possession by longer than an entire quarter to one of the worst rushing teams in the league. I know the defense was nothing special today but I put it on Ponder, the receiver corpse and the coaches who let it get this bad.

[Mothman]

My first thought is how many threads do we need on the same thing. We get it Ponder blows can the mods move it all into one thread? It's rather annoying.

I agree but this thread is about the game so feel free to ignore Ponder talk. I'm certainly tired of it already!

[Delaqure]

When Aikman says Joe Montana couldn't complete a pass to our receivers you know we are in trouble.

[CalVike]

Good listen, thanks for the link, Jim

It's an interesting dichotomy this season that they would have benefited from a backup like Gus Frerotte (not Sage, he's never done squat). They never thought playoff chances were real. In the end this was proven dead on. No one could have predicted the QB that led them to 5-2 would lose all confidence in a fast fade to 6-6. So this is a tough one. They clearly prefer abject failure with Ponder to any alternative. And it's probably right from an organizational standpoint. But oh what might have been, with mere mediocrity at QB today.

[FailedtoOpen]

I saw this in another forum (Don't know how accurate it is"

AD Vs Ponder over the last 6 games.
"AD- 121 carries 947 yards 7.8ypc 6TD 157.8ypg
Ponder- 174 att 871 yards 5.0ypa 6TD 7int 145.2ypg"

[Hunter Morrow]

Christian Ponder:
96/125, in that time span he has more turnovers (7 INTs and 1 fumble) than touchdowns (6 passing and 1 rushing)
The highest passing game was 251 yards and 263 total yards
He has been below 100 total yards twice and below 150 total yards three times.

Adrian Peterson:
121 carries, 947 yards, 1 fewer touchdown, 6 fewer turnovers.

Another interesting thing to note...

In a majority of games, 7 out of 12, Peterson has rushed less than 20 times.

15
16
4 games of 17
18

Guy is on pace to have a 1900 yard rushing season on less than 20 carries per game (234/12=19.5)

[PurpleKoolaid]

Our WR aernt that bad. Heck AD had a mile of seperation and Ponder missed him. Just because Troy said it during the game doesnt make it so.

Ive seen good QBs throw into tight windows where the receivers could try and make the catch. Ponder isnt even close. No dropped passes this time for everyone to blame on the WRs. I promise you, a good QB and we aernt talking about our WR sucking. We might not even be talking about the D sucking cause they might get a few breaks in the second half.

The problem is on top. The Wilfs dont know what they are doing. Spielman doesnt know the FA Market, and hes stuck on Ponder. Fraizers an idiot who never should have been a HC. All the things the Refs did to the vikes today and Fraizer didnt get in their face once. Im sick of it and sick of him. He and Ponder give this team no leadership whatsoever.

[Hunter Morrow]

When Peterson broke that 50 yarder off when the game was still 14-10 and we were on the 12 yard line, so long as we don't have a red zone turnover there we probably win the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivZWafc ... ata_player

Of course, why short passes that have been working and rushing attempts with a guy who is totally beasting out when you can float a rainbow to Michael Jenkins?

So number 1, I blame Ponder for doing that, Jenkins for not getting open and the COACHES FOR DARING TO DRAW THAT UP AND ATTEMPT IT.

An Adrian Peterson or Kyle Rudolph touchdown there could have been the game. So the ineptitude immediately looks like it is Ponder but at that point Adrian Peterson was cracking 5+ off with regularity and they didn't do it.

[PurpleMustReign]

Where would this team be withut AD? OMG.. can you imagine?

[mansquatch]

Very good video Jim. Their point about no alternative truly being on the team really hits home. I suspect we'll be drafting QB in April. This won't be like the Childress deal IMO, Spielman will get canned long before that ever happens. The sad truth is a 200 yard game manager vet QB could probably put us in the playoffs and maybe even win a playoff game with AP playing like this. My take on the game was that with any QB you take the good with the bad. Andrew Luck had 3INT today. But, he also made plays and lead his team to victory. Ponder isn't making any plays and that is what is killing us. What is weird to me is if we had the 2011 Ponder who would put up 2-3 INT a game, but also throw for 250 we'd probably be a better team. I don't want all the picks, but what happened to that guy?

[DanAS]

When Aikman says Joe Montana couldn't complete a pass to our receivers you know we are in trouble.

Aikman was a QB. He's trying to be nice to a fellow QB by reminding everyone that Ponder doesn't exactly work with an All Star team.

Agreed. He doesn't.

But you saw that game, didn't you? You saw Ponder over these past two years. You know that this is most certainly NOT an NFL quarterback, and yet the Vikings strangely feel compelled to force their fans to watch this guy play and not even try the backup. Shame on them for leaving the cupboard so bare that they won't bench a guy even after a zillion horrid games.

Is Ponder the best of a bad lot? Who cares. It's still insanity to foist him on Vikings fans without at least trying someone else. This reminds me of the idiot hockey coach who leaves in a goalie who has already given up 8 goals in a blowout. The Vikes management has really lost it, and if you've been watching, you don't need me to tell you that. Don't believe what anyone else says -- especially a diplomat like Aikman. Trust your own eyes.

[FailedtoOpen]

Where would this team be withut AD? OMG.. can you imagine?

The better question why would you ever want to?

[Mothman]

Very good video Jim. Their point about no alternative truly being on the team really hits home. I suspect we'll be drafting QB in April. This won't be like the Childress deal IMO, Spielman will get canned long before that ever happens. The sad truth is a 200 yard game manager vet QB could probably put us in the playoffs and maybe even win a playoff game with AP playing like this. My take on the game was that with any QB you take the good with the bad. Andrew Luck had 3INT today. But, he also made plays and lead his team to victory. Ponder isn't making any plays and that is what is killing us. What is weird to me is if we had the 2011 Ponder who would put up 2-3 INT a game, but also throw for 250 we'd probably be a better team. I don't want all the picks, but what happened to that guy?

Apparently, he disappeared into his own head.

I really think Ponder would benefit from a benching, even if it was just for a week. He's pressing. He's playing out of control and most of the time he's not even doing the things he can do well properly. He's a head case right now. He still shows very rare flashes of ability (like the TD pass to Rudolph today, which was a nice throw into tight coverage) but all to often, he's just bad.

He may be a lost cause at this point and I suspect the Vikes will be drafting a QB in April too.