Ponder

[zepman]

That's not true about Webb. He was brought in here as a late round draft pick to be a receiver. He was never in a position to demand anything from the Vikes...he was just lucky he was drafted at all.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

I say put in Webb so he can fail just as miserably. Then maybe he will start to understand that he is not NFL QB material and maybe the Viking coaches can convince him to change positions so they can utilize his athleticism, if he is athletic as people say he is.

You crack me up LittleDave2

Do you really,,, I mean REALLY think that an NFL team lets a player mandate the position he plays???

The only reason Webb isnt doing any other positions is because that monkey clone Frazier isnt telling him to get his rear end to a different position.

[RumRiverRat]

Is Cutting him an option?

[Scott K]

Is Cutting him an option?

Why would we cut Webb? He is an ideal back up QB, and he is cheap. He will never become a star starter, and he is comfortable with that. But he does have enough skills to carry a decent team to a better then 50% win percentage. The key here is "a decent team"

Ponder, may end up being a decent starter, but I just dont see it. The sky high airballs he tosses up there to throw the ball 30 yards should be a dead give away of his throwing ability. We need someone that can rifle a 20 yard throw, and not air it up. Until then, we will never make those easy passes, that teams like the Packers seem to make on a regular basis. The offense will just continue to struggle.

What is the answer? Short term? Play out Ponder, let him get a few good games under his belt, and see if he can build some trade value, long term, we will need to settle with mediocre, until we get lucky in the draft, or trade away our future for potential.

[pegleg]

I say do a deal with Seattle for Matt Flynn. After watching Wilson this past weekend, Flynn won't get a chance to play in Seattle and I have got to believe Pete Carroll will be looking to move Flynn in the offseason. Bring him in and let him and Ponder compete for the starting job.

[nofishfisherman]

I say do a deal with Seattle for Matt Flynn. After watching Wilson this past weekend, Flynn won't get a chance to play in Seattle and I have got to believe Pete Carroll will be looking to move Flynn in the offseason. Bring him in and let him and Ponder compete for the starting job.

First reasonable idea I've heard in awhile. Not sure what Flynn can do but he would at least push Ponder and Flynn has shown at least a glimpse of talent.

[SkunkedAgain]

Tebow Tebow Tebow

Just kidding, I won't wish that albatross on my worst enemy...the Vikings

[SkunkedAgain]

Flynn isn't a bad idea. The fact that anybody thinks benching Ponder is a good idea is ludicrous. I have a good mind to sift through the threads to see if the people advocating for Ponder to be cut are the same fools who advocated for him to get thrown into the position as a rookie. I think that we are seeing the ramifications of that move.

Ponder should have been allowed the time to learn the position properly without being thrust into the job. Short-sightedness is not the path to success in the NFL. Look at how well it worked out for the Panthers, the Bengals, and Jaguars in Year 2. That is NOT a good recipe for building quarterbacks. When it works, it's the exception versus the rule.

That said, it seems crazy to bench a first round pick that the Vikings screwed up by throwing him in early. You can't undo that mistake. Now I think that you've got to let him learn and then work like crazy in the offseason to make him a better QB.

[zepman]

Skunked--

Other than Rodgers...name me 5 quarterbacks currently starting that had the opportunity to sit and wait.

There may be a few...but very few.

[pikestabber]

I say do a deal with Seattle for Matt Flynn. After watching Wilson this past weekend, Flynn won't get a chance to play in Seattle and I have got to believe Pete Carroll will be looking to move Flynn in the offseason. Bring him in and let him and Ponder compete for the starting job.

You have to remember, Flynn got beat out by a rookie QB that was THIRD on the Seattle depth chart to start pre-season. I don't think their multi-million dollar investment would be riding the pine if he was nearly as good as he looked at first glance. He has...what? 3-4 games of NFL experience? You might just be getting into a Ponder scenario all over again. If Ponder's only game ever was his first against GB last year when he had us all salivating about his potential, his trade value would have been pretty high at that moment. The reality is, there is far too small a sample size with Flynn to get me excited about dumping one inexperienced QB for another, or even for bringing him in to compete. With the money he is guaranteed (and that is several million) do we want to take that on just to give Ponder competition at QB? I don't see that happening at any point.

[JosMN]

The guys problem is that he can't throw the ball down field, he doesnt have a guy that can get seperation to do so (other than Harvin). PERIOD. He is king of the check down, cause he has nowhere else to go with the football. When he does throw deep, it looks ugly. The guy needs some confidence otherwise hes going to keep going downhill. By the way, I would take Matt Flynn over Ponder any day of the week. Hes just as good, and sat behind one of the best QB's in the league. We are talking about Russel Wilson here that beat him out for the starting job, not Tim Couch.

[goblueM]

Why would we cut Webb? He is an ideal back up QB,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you want a backup QB to be at least somewhat decent?

Like say, Jason Campbell, Shaun Hill, Kyle Orton, etc

I think Webb is among the worst backup QBs in the NFL

[Scott K]

Webb is very athletic, he can throw good (just not very accurate) and he can run the ball good, and cause havoc to the opposing teams secondary (see Vick). He is a perfect "short term" back up QB. Not to mention, he is cheap, and knows the system better then the current QB.

Webb had some good games, he was held back by the lack of OL, and receivers, just like Ponder is. I also said, he is ideal, on a "decent team". That is assuming the guys in front of him, isnt going to let a guy through every play within 1 second of the snap, and he has guys that can catch a pass.

[RumRiverRat]

Webb should not even be in the NFL.

Who cares how athletic he is.

Win a Super Bowl and get back to me.

The Vikings are going nowhere fast.

The NFL is a passing league, Ponder is a terrible passer, therefore the Vikings are going to be terrible as long as Ponder is terrible.

[countyline]

Just think the backup QB this weekend used to be a viking.

[BEEFEATER]

Ponder riped it up this weekend. U cant say hes complete garbage, i mean hes played like garbage in a few games for sure. Hes had some solid games. If he plays like he did today keep em in. If he plays anything like he did in seattle bench him before halftime......

[Dave S]

I wouldn't say he ripped it up this weekend. Consider the competition.

[thatoneguy]

Ponder was solid today, nothing more. But with AD in insane beast mode, it was enough. Ponder has to get MUCH better if MN hopes to be a contender.

[thatoneguy]

I say do a deal with Seattle for Matt Flynn. After watching Wilson this past weekend, Flynn won't get a chance to play in Seattle and I have got to believe Pete Carroll will be looking to move Flynn in the offseason. Bring him in and let him and Ponder compete for the starting job.

If Flynn isn't good enough to start in Seattle, he ain't good enough to be a difference maker in MN. See also: Kolb, Kevin - same scenario as Flynn, same results.

[zepman]

Ponder played very good today...I hope he continues to show the same type of confidence he did today.

Jarius Wright should be in the starting line-up...if, for nothing else, to take one/maybe two defensive backs deep with him on every play.

Send the young man DEEP on each down...if he's open, throw the ball. If he's not, it'll just open the middle of the field for Rudolph or AP.

[alleyes]

I'm with you on getting J. Wright in the lineup, as bad as the WR's have been, how could he not see the field until game 10?

[james_walleye]

I agree on Wright. I've been waiting to see that speed on the field.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Its about time one of spielmans wr picks gets on the field. At least looks like hes got some speed and he can already catch better then troy williamson. Ponder was decent I thought. Lets see how they play the next 4 games, thats gonna tell the tale

[Big Dave2]

Ponder riped it up this weekend.

IALTO!

[BEEFEATER]

ponder looked like a stone cold pimp this week, although the lions are one of the worst teams in the game so..... Alls i now is that if mick vick can start in the nfl, Joe webb and timmy teabow should be playin somewhere. ive said it once and im sayin it again, 2 of the best unused talents in the nfl at this time....