Christian Ponder Runs Minnesota Vikings’ Offense Into the Ground
By Vinny Lanni
@vinnylanni
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
It’s pretty obvious that the Minnesota Vikings missed their starting quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers. Bridgewater’s replacement, Christian Ponder, did not come to play against the Packers’ defense – and that is the nice way of saying it. Due to Ponder’s poor play, the Vikings did not have a chance of winning against Green Bay.
Ponder was a first-round pick in 2011, and now it seems as if he is not even a capable backup. The 26-year-old quarterback finished his night with 222 passing yards, two interceptions and 22 of 44 passing. He did manage to run for a touchdown late in the game, but it didn’t mean anything. With Ponder struggling to move the ball down the field, the Vikings’ offense was stagnant.
The running game was average and the offensive line was even worse, but the blame must fall on Ponder. He looked lost against the Packers’ defense and held onto the ball way too long. He should’ve been looking for quick slants and dump-offs to gain positive yards but instead he sat in the pocket, waited and either ran or threw an incomplete pass.
With the loss, the Vikings drop to 2-3, but the good news for them is that Bridgewater should be fine to play in Week 6.
The only thing we learned on Thursday night was that the Vikings were smart in moving on from Ponder, and drafting someone new. It was an ugly, ugly game for the Vikings and I’m sure it is one that will motivate them to play better as the season progresses. This is not the offense that we should expect moving forward, because there is too much talent on the roster. Cordarrelle Patterson, Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon all have a lot of upside, but it wasn’t on display against the Packers.
Hopefully Bridgewater comes back next week and shows the rest of the NFL the true potential of this offense. As for the team’s Week 5 loss against the Packers, it is just another page to turn and never revisit again.
Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
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