Ponder 2012

Kellerman · Joined: 16 May 2010 Posts: 3194 Location: Amsterdam

Strange game on offense. I thought the play-calling was a bit off, we had whole periods where we did not try to run the ball in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. No Rudolph, no Harvin. Ponder was not good, he lacked the improvisation that helped us against the 49ers. Still, a win is a win, and while the offense didn't impress, it didn't turn over the ball either.
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sig by Jamison
#97 Everson Griffin: 0 tackles : 0 sacks : 0 FF

Captain Viking · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 2610

vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 66651

With the eighth pick of the 2011 draft, Tennessee plucked Jake Locker to be their quarterback of the future. Four picks later, with Locker off the board, the Vikings reeled in Ponder. But don't underestimate just how close those two picks were to being reversed.

Munchak acknowledged Wednesday that he and the Titans were sold on Ponder's intelligence, athleticism and poise but ultimately decided Locker was a better fit for their system. That said, Munchak hasn't been surprised at all by how well Ponder has played early in his second season.

Munchak: "I'm proud of him. You feel like you know these guys when you spend this much time with them before the draft. I thought he was a great kid. Smart. And all of the things you're watching on tape now is what I thought he'd be."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/172575031.html?refer=y
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disaacs · Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 19992 Location: Brownbackistan

I still believe that if the Titans had not taken Locker at #8, he would be wearing purple instead of Ponder. But, I'm pleased with where Ponder is at. I think both players will be successful in the end.
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Thx to Uncle Buck!

vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 66651

There is one starting quarterback left in the NFL who hasn’t thrown an interception this season.

Ponder has had to be lucky to keep from being picked off a few times, when defensive players have dropped balls right to them. He also hasn’t connected on any long passes. But he has done exactly what the Vikings have asked, fighting temptation to force a deep throw just to make it happen, instead patiently handing the ball to Adrian Peterson, finding Harvin and others in the middle of the field and letting the defense do the rest of the work.

Ponder: “Obviously my biggest fault last year was turning the ball over way too much. So to kind of correct those things and to put in a lot of time to protect those things, it’s paying off. I’ve just got to continue that. It’s only the first quarter of the season, so I’ve got three quarters to go and hopefully some extra quarters after that.”

Frazier: “He’s making a conscious effort to make good decisions with the ball. When you consider the rate that he was throwing interceptions at a year ago and then you see how’s he is doing now, it’s just a credit to Christian understanding what turnovers do to a team, and then making good decisions under pressure. There have been times where he’s been trapped in the pocket, where a year ago he might have just tried to throw it up or take a sack, and he’s gotten rid of the ball or he does a very good job of throwing a check-down.”

Ponder, in fairness to his 2011 performance, hasn’t even finished the equivalent of a full season yet. He has 14 career starts.

http://www.foxsportsnext.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/stories/vikings-proud-of-interception-free-ponder.20121006.html
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SteelKing728 · Joined: 23 Aug 2008 Posts: 10874 Location: Pittsburgh

I'm totally okay with not throwing interceptions.

What I'm not okay with is going ultra conservative and never throwing the ball down the field, heck or 10-15 yards more than 5 times a game.

But I'm not too concerned with that We should be fine. I'll be watching the whole year how we respond to every situation. When we play with urgency, when we find it okay to just manage the game. How will we adjust to teams when they take away all the short stuff and ask Ponder to go deep, and how will they respond when we open our offense?

Its all very interesting. I don't think we've really even cracked the surface of how far this offense can go.
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Thanks Jamison on that avi.

2013 Adopt a Minnesota Viking - Jared Allen - DE - #69

vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 66651

joru1000 · Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Posts: 1816

I want to see a 3 td, 300+ yard performance from Ponder with no interceptions. Especially against the poor Titans defense.
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vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 66651

Ponder threw his first two interceptions -- on back-to-back throws, no less. But then he settled back in and completed 12 of his final 13 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Frazier: "A year ago, I don't know if he would have been able to stay as engaged as he was after the second pick."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/173046541.html?refer=y
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Klomp · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:03 am Post subject:

Yardage on those final throws is unimpressive, but we had a big lead and were mostly eating clock.
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2013 Adopt-a-Viking: FB Jerome Felton -

Kellerman · Joined: 16 May 2010 Posts: 3194 Location: Amsterdam

Good performance from Ponder. The running game was stifled at times, but Ponder responded by putting up decent bulk yardage.

As for the picks, first pick was a good decision but a bad throw. Rudolph went to the sideline, but Ponder put it high behind him.

Second pick was a bad decision, should have gone to Harvin on the underneath crossing route, or at least looked off that DB.
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sig by Jamison
#97 Everson Griffin: 0 tackles : 0 sacks : 0 FF

Vikefan79 · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 25122 Location: Atlanta

For those of you with Itunes Christian Ponder is on Peter King's podcast this week.
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