Name the last good QB the Vikings drafted and developed.

[MUSKY18]

So....answer me this. Through the firt 4 weeks of the season, Ponder had one of the highest passer rating's in the NFL. He was moving the ball. They were calling short, quick routes which were gaining positive yards and keeping the offense moving down the field. Then all of a sudden, they quit calling those plays anymore. Now its AP run or throw some ill attempt down the sidelines. Ponder doesn't have a strong enough arm to heave the ball 45 yards down the field to hit the WR in perfect stride. He proved that with that duck he tried throwing to AP last Sundady. What happened to the slants, quit hitters that he was connecting with. Musgrave figured that he had those throws mastered and he wanted to work on some other weaker areas of Ponders throwing arm during the games? Although I am still on the band wagon (falling off fast tho), I believe that the coaches/play calling are more to blame than anything. We haven't had a great O coordinator since Brian Billick left to go coach the Ravens.

[nofishfisherman]

Not having Percy in there makes those quick hit slants a little harder.

I was a Ponder bandwagon guy and wanted to see him get his chance but if I have to see one more 20 yard rainbow of a throw I might throw the remote at the tv in hopes of showing Ponder how to fire a fastball in there.

[pikestabber]

I agree that Harvin on the sidelines isn't helping matters at all. I think Harvin catching so many behind the line "high percentage" passes early on did two things...one, it padded Ponder's completion %, and two, it did establish a rhythm and helped his confidence in attempting (a few) longer balls. I don't understand why they don't attempt to use Jarius Wright in the same type of manner until Harvin is back? It can't hurt. I agree that Musgrave is just atrocious, although I did like the AP as a WR play call, and that was gone for 6 if Ponder got the ball to him.

[PurpleFloyd]

The defenses have tightened up their coverages and the windows for a completion are smaller than they were at the beginning of the year.There are two ways to fix that- One is to throw the ball farther down the field so the defense can't compress their coverage and the other is for the QB and WR's to be more in sync so they can exploit those smaller gaps in the coverage.

The first isn't working because Ponder doesn't have the zip or the accuracy to get it down where it needs to be consistently and when he does they drop it and the second isn't working because he is not making his decisions and releasing the ball fast enough and the defenders are able to react and make a play on the passes, the WR's routes are not that good and they drop the few easy ones they get and Ponder has just plain been making bad throws.

[nofishfisherman]

That seems to sum it up pretty well. Its all a snowball effect. When one thing breaksdown it makes it that much harder to do everything else. What amazes me even more is that with the lack of production from the passing game AP is still able to lead the league in rushing. Normally no passing production means an even harder time running the ball. There is just no explanation for what AP has been able to accomplish this year.

[Snag]

Ponder seems to have Tarvaris Jackson's brain and Brad Johnson's arm. The flutter on the deeper balls is just sad. To his defense, the receivers are terrible and can't get any separation. I blame management for signing Carlson who we didn't need. 25 million.

[Trainman]

Interesting 2011 pre-draft scouting report on Ponder

2011 pre-draft scouting report

Strengths:

Short- to intermediate-area accuracy and touch

Good mechanics and footwork

Mobile with scrambling ability

Experience under center in pro-style offense

Three-year starter

Very intelligent (completed MBA)

High character leader - team captain

Weaknesses:

Average arm strength

Might be limited to West Coast offense

Forces throws that NFL players will intercept

Questionable decision making

Injury history (shoulder, elbow)

[mrklean]

Ha pretty spot on there

[nonteepical]

you don't develop every NFL QB in their first season, i know it aint fun or pretty to watch but a couple Qb's come to mind Steve Young and Brett Farve it took them two different teams and years to figure it out, maybe this isn't the system for Ponder.

[Big Dave2]

you don't develop every NFL QB in their first season, i know it aint fun or pretty to watch but a couple Qb's come to mind Steve Young and Brett Farve it took them two different teams and years to figure it out, maybe this isn't the system for Ponder.

He's already played in more games for the Vikings than Joe Webb ever did. They gave up on Webb pretty fast, looks like its time to give up on Ponder.

[hockeybc69]

Yea, but Webb was a 6th round pick(199th overall).... And not drafted as the QB of the future.

Regardless, I would rather see Webb in there now. Its clear we dont have a QB to lead this team, and we are almost toast on the season the way it looks.

[PurpleFloyd]

It may take time to develop but you need to begin with the ability to make the basic reads throws. If you can't do then you are in trouble because with the modern day FA there is no extended window for a player to learn them if they are picked in the first round. Maybe if he was a 6th rounder and spent 3 years learning while holding the clipboard but as a first rounder you need to have the basic set of tools in your tool box. Of course Rodgers had a few years to learn behind Brett but that is rare and he still had that tool box even in the first few year.

[Big Dave2]

Yea, but Webb was a 6th round pick(199th overall).... And not drafted as the QB of the future.

What was he drafted for then? Clipboard holder?

[nofishfisherman]

Wide receiver.

They drafted him just because of his athletic ability and planned to use him at WR. They put him at QB in training camp once they saw he had a little more passing ability than they thought.

[MUSKY18]

I don't understand why they don't use Wright more on the quick slants and WR screens? Supposedly he is supposed to be lightning fast. He might be a baller, but who knows cause he doesn' play enough and when he does, its not like he is getting the ball thrown his way, no matter who's fault that is.

Since they drafted Webb to be a WR, and we basically suck arse at the position, why not put him out there and throw him some balls. The guy has amazing talent and speed. Would be better than letting him hold a clipboard. Ponder goes down, put the third stringer in at QB, which at this point wouldn't be much of a let off. Use what you have on your sidelines......

Another question that makes me wonder about Ponder. 3rd and 2 or 3, Packers put 10 guys on the line of scrimmage to stop AP with one safety deep in the middle of the field. Ponder can't see that and audible to a short pass play? Nope....run the play called. So either Ponder can't see or the coaching staff has taken away his ability to call audibles?

[MUSKY18]

A picture is worth a thousand words........right?