Yes, the Timberwolves were as bad as I expected last night, so bad that they made Friday's win look like the fluke that it probably was, but this blog is about Christian Ponder.
Have the Vikings EVER had a starting QB this awful? Adrian Peterson had one of his best days ever as a Viking and we still got killed yesterday. Super Steve summed it up pretty well in his comments after yesterday's game, but I'd like a crack at berating him too.
So here it goes.
Does Ponder bring ANYTHING to the table as the Viking's quarterback? He's not agile enough to move out of the pocket when pressured. He's not fast enough to run up the middle to get a first down. He can't throw accurate short passes to wide open receivers when there's no pressure, and all of his long passes look like random tosses, most of which drift 10-15 yards out of bounds. I can't compare him to any other QB I've ever seen, because no one else is this bad at every single aspect of the game.
BUT there is SOMETHING worse.
A head coach who let's all of this continue when HE is the only person watching the game who can do something about it. Ponder, in two of his last three games has thrown for 70 or less yards. There is a pattern of incompetence here that is unprecedented in the history of the NFL. Ponder isn't a backup QB who doesn't know the offense and who has suddenly been called into duty because the starter is hurt. No, he is the STARTER. In fact, yesterday was his 19th start for the team. And it's not like he's suddenly having bad games. He's historically bad and as difficult as it may be to believe, he's actually getting worse with every game.
The Vikings defense was ran ragged again yesterday. Yes, Seattle has a very good QB, and their running back is second in the league to Peterson for rushing yardage, but so much of the problem with the defense right now is that Ponder can't sustain a drive long enough to give the defense some rest. You also can't pressure a QB who knows all he has to do is hand the ball off when he has a nice lead. The Vikings defense is being put into a horrible hole every week because Christian Ponder is not a pro caliber quarterback. I've said it before but it bears repeating. He's not even close.
Is there anyone out there watching these games that thinks the Vikes would be WORSE with Joe Webb as their starter? I'd take any mistakes that Webb may make at this point in his career over any of the ongoing incompetence that Ponder continues to show. I'd settle for our third string starter in a second just to get Ponder permanently off the playing field.
It's time for Frazier to pull the plug on the Ponder experiment. Actually, it's PAST TIME. This move should have been made three weeks ago, and I said the same thing three weeks ago. IF FRAZIER lets Ponder have even one more start, he should be fired immediately and never be allowed to coach anywhere ever again. I wouldn't trust him to coach his son's junior high games.
Ziggy are you listening? You couldn't pick a good head coach for this franchise if your life depended on it, but just because you've made TWO HORRIBLE choices doesn't mean you should quit trying. YOU watch the same games we watch. You hear the fans that are ready to revolt. YOU SEE how incompetent these guys are. YOU are the only one who can do something about it. So DO something.
Fire Frazier. Release Ponder from his contract and get somebody who can actually recognize talent to be your head coach. Make Webb your starter until you acquire somebody else. Give us SOMETHING to cheer about! Anything. Just get Ponder and Frazier out of here before this season is completely destroyed.
We'd rather have you rebuild than keep either.
Who is with me?
Fire Frazier! Fire Frazier! Fire Frazier! Fire Frazier! Fire Frazier! Fire Frazier!
On a brighter note, MY Pack looked pretty good yesterday, though Rodgers is starting to miss a few more times than I'm comfortable with.
I don't blame Frazier up to this point. I'm thinking that the Vikings organization drafted Ponder as the QB of the Future. Frazier didn't have an option. He HAD to let him sink or swim. This year was the test. If he had pulled him 3 or 4 games ago, everyone would have said Ponder didn't have a chance to prove himself. Now that he's had more than 16 games under his belt he's been tested. It's obvious he can't play in the NFL. I've always had my doubts about Ponder but after yesterday all my doubts were proven.
ReplyDeleteNow, if Fazier keeps Ponder in there he's an idiot and should be fired. He'll start him again this coming week. If we still have no passing game after the first few series, Ponder should be benched. Then I will jump on the wagon and join the "Fire Fazier" club.
I remember when they drafted Ponder all the so called experts said he was the most NFL ready of all the QB's drafted that year.
NO head coach is secure enough in his job to play the franchise's "golden boy" at the cost of common sense. FRAZIER wanted McNabb, that's why he kept playing him last season long after he demonstrated his worthlessness.
ReplyDeleteFRAZIER picked Ponder and the reason he leaves him in there is because HE HAS TO SHOW HE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE in last year's draft.
If he gives up on Ponder now, It'll just be acknowledging he made a mistake LAST season. It'll also be admitting to management that he doesn't have any idea what he's doing out there.
Eventually even the absolutely clueless Ziggy will catch on and then, just maybe, he'll give GM Spielman, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, and head coach Leslie Frazier the boot they all deserve.
Make no mistake, this is Frazier's team (with Spielman being chintzy on the payroll side also at fault.)
What we are seeing, is the mess that Frazier made and his stubbornness in refusing to fix it. SEE the highlighted area in today's blog post.