Maybe he has actually got a point?!

[BeardedViking]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a fan of Christian Ponder, Hell I even bought a new jersey so that I don't have to walk aroud with his name on my back!

But maybe Zach Kruse from the bleacher report has actually got a point ....


Forget Vikings' QB Fiasco, Minnesota Won't Go Anywhere Without Improved DefenseFor the first time in over a month, the Minnesota Vikings received good enough play at the quarterback position to win a football game.

Starting for the second straight week, Christian Ponder threw for 236 yards and contributed two touchdowns to an offensive effort that pushed 400 total yards and gave the Vikings a lead late over the Dallas Cowboys. He displayed the kind of efficiency and production that had been missing during recent losses to the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Yet for the third time in eight tries this season, the now 1-7 Vikings saw a game that should have been won slip through their fingers when the defense couldn't make a stop during the dying embers of a contest.

Forget Minnesota's quarterback carousel. Until the Vikings get better on defense, it won't matter who is taking snaps under center

[majorm]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a fan of Christian Ponder, Hell I even bought a new jersey so that I don't have to walk aroud with his name on my back!

But maybe Zach Kruse from the bleacher report has actually got a point ....


Forget Vikings' QB Fiasco, Minnesota Won't Go Anywhere Without Improved DefenseFor the first time in over a month, the Minnesota Vikings received good enough play at the quarterback position to win a football game.

Starting for the second straight week, Christian Ponder threw for 236 yards and contributed two touchdowns to an offensive effort that pushed 400 total yards and gave the Vikings a lead late over the Dallas Cowboys. He displayed the kind of efficiency and production that had been missing during recent losses to the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Yet for the third time in eight tries this season, the now 1-7 Vikings saw a game that should have been won slip through their fingers when the defense couldn't make a stop during the dying embers of a contest.

Forget Minnesota's quarterback carousel. Until the Vikings get better on defense, it won't matter who is taking snaps under center

He's right that the defense has to improve before this team goes anywhere.

But... it ALWAYS matters who is taking the snaps. More than anything else.

[Raptorman]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a fan of Christian Ponder, Hell I even bought a new jersey so that I don't have to walk aroud with his name on my back!

But maybe Zach Kruse from the bleacher report has actually got a point ....


Forget Vikings' QB Fiasco, Minnesota Won't Go Anywhere Without Improved DefenseFor the first time in over a month, the Minnesota Vikings received good enough play at the quarterback position to win a football game.

Starting for the second straight week, Christian Ponder threw for 236 yards and contributed two touchdowns to an offensive effort that pushed 400 total yards and gave the Vikings a lead late over the Dallas Cowboys. He displayed the kind of efficiency and production that had been missing during recent losses to the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Yet for the third time in eight tries this season, the now 1-7 Vikings saw a game that should have been won slip through their fingers when the defense couldn't make a stop during the dying embers of a contest.

Forget Minnesota's quarterback carousel. Until the Vikings get better on defense, it won't matter who is taking snaps under center

Um, some of us have been saying this for the past 5 weeks. But we just kept called Ponder apologists.

[NextQuestion]

Ponder apologists...

Horrible awareness backed up in own end zone.

Horrible pee-wee caliber INT

HAIL MARY SHORT OF ENDZONE??

[Mothman]

He's right that the defense has to improve before this team goes anywhere.

But... it ALWAYS matters who is taking the snaps. More than anything else.

Agreed. The Vikes can't afford to "forget" the QB position of the need to improve on defense.

[Purpnation]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a fan of Christian Ponder, Hell I even bought a new jersey so that I don't have to walk aroud with his name on my back!

But maybe Zach Kruse from the bleacher report has actually got a point ....


Forget Vikings' QB Fiasco, Minnesota Won't Go Anywhere Without Improved DefenseFor the first time in over a month, the Minnesota Vikings received good enough play at the quarterback position to win a football game.

Starting for the second straight week, Christian Ponder threw for 236 yards and contributed two touchdowns to an offensive effort that pushed 400 total yards and gave the Vikings a lead late over the Dallas Cowboys. He displayed the kind of efficiency and production that had been missing during recent losses to the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Yet for the third time in eight tries this season, the now 1-7 Vikings saw a game that should have been won slip through their fingers when the defense couldn't make a stop during the dying embers of a contest.

Forget Minnesota's quarterback carousel. Until the Vikings get better on defense, it won't matter who is taking snaps under center

Ridiculous, THE single most important thing in football, is who is under center.

Can you imagine if we had Rodgers, or Manning? Hell, Stafford probably gets us to 10 wins wit AD in the backfield..

[The Breeze]

Of course he has a point. The Vikings just played a game, at home against the Packers where the defense did not force a single punt...or get a turnover.
No way can that be acceptable.

Still the two issues are not mutually exclusive, as others have posted. Both the defense and the QB position need some serious addressing.

How do you think we got into this mess?

[Raptorman]

Yes, the D is bad.

No one is disputing this.

However, if the offense puts 7 more points up, it doesn't matter, does it?

It's always relevant.

And if the Defense makes another stop it doesn't matter, does it? Although from what I am reading, this time I am blaming the DC for having lineman fall back into coverage instead of rushing the QB on the last drive.

[Mothman]

And if the Defense makes another stop it doesn't matter, does it? Although from what I am reading, this time I am blaming the DC for having lineman fall back into coverage instead of rushing the QB on the last drive.

I've mentioned this in a couple of threads already but I re-watched the drive and Williams only had a d-lineman drop back into coverage on 3 of 9 plays. On the first of those plays, Dallas ran a "quick-hitting" play that would have likely been effective against any pass rush that wasn't just a jailbreak. He got the ball out of his hands in about one second for an 11 yard gain to Jason Witten.

The second play was an 18 yard gain to Beasley but again, it wasn't a big gain because Romo had tons of time.

On the third play the 3 man rush was effective enough to pressure Romo into throwing the ball away.

On the other 6 plays of the drive, the Vikings rushed four or more players.

After re-watching the drive, I think it's almost impossible to make the claim that dropping a lineman back on 3 plays had a significant impact on Dallas' ability to drive 90 yards and score. The decision to drop 3 is making headlines primarily because Kevin Williams and Brian Robison griped about it.

[Raptorman]

I've mentioned this in a couple of threads already but I re-watched the drive and Williams only had a d-lineman drop back into coverage on 3 of 9 plays. On the first of those plays, Dallas ran a "quick-hitting" play that would have likely been effective against any pass rush that wasn't just a jailbreak. He got the ball out of his hands in about one second for an 11 yard gain to Jason Witten.

The second play was an 18 yard gain to Beasley but again, it wasn't a big gain because Romo had tons of time.

On the third play the 3 man rush was effective enough to pressure Romo into throwing the ball away.

On the other 6 plays of the drive, the Vikings rushed four or more players.

After re-watching the drive, I think it's almost impossible to make the claim that dropping a lineman back on 3 plays had a significant impact on Dallas' ability to drive 90 yards and score. The decision to drop 3 is making headlines primarily because Kevin Williams and Brian Robison griped about it.

Ok, well then that's not really and issue then is it. I just wish the D could stop them in the 4th just once.

[Mothman]

Ok, well then that's not really and issue then is it. I just wish the D could stop them in the 4th just once.

Sigh... I do too. It was absolutely painful watching them give up that drive yesterday and the worst part about it was that we all knew the script and it played out just as "written".

[Captain]

Sigh... I do too. It was absolutely painful watching them give up that drive yesterday and the worst part about it was that we all knew the script and it played out just as "written".

Normally watching a game like yesterdays at the end I would be sitting up at the edge of my seat holding my breath waiting for my team to shut down the other team. Yesterday?...literally sat back and shook my head after that long pass to Dez knowing full well what was about to happen. So sad because I'm the kind of fan that holds out hope until the last whistle.

[The Breeze]

quick, somebody cue Sonny and Cher's 'I got you babe'.....it's looking like ground hogs day here.

Melanie asked they could beat the Golden Gophers....I wondering if they could beat actual gophers.

Maybe they could beat some groundhogs.

[J. Kapp 11]

Sigh... I do too. It was absolutely painful watching them give up that drive yesterday and the worst part about it was that we all knew the script and it played out just as "written".

Here's the scary part.

We were in position to lose on a last-minute drive against Pittsburgh, too. The Gods smiled on us that day and gave us a fumble.

Or maybe not ... maybe it cost us the No. 1 pick.

[Mothman]

Here's the scary part.

We were in position to lose on a last-minute drive against Pittsburgh, too. The Gods smiled on us that day and gave us a fumble.

Or maybe not ... maybe it cost us the No. 1 pick.

LOL! That would be the Vikings way.