Some how...the Vikings are 0-3. As remarkable as the Vikings have been at getting to 0-3 this year, does it really matter? To me...it doesn't. I predicted a very outside shot that the Vikings could win nine games based on their easy schedule and possible sloppy start to the NFL season due to the lockout. I've been saying that this team is a six win team at best this year...but we could easily be 2-1...and maybe even 3-0. If the Vikings were undefeated right now heading in to Kansas City, we'd be talking about the possibility of 4-0! That would make that "lucky" 9-6 very reasonable.

Buuuuuuut we're not. No matter how you look at the standings, the Vikings are still win less. What does that say exactly? Are the Vikings better than most thought? Or are they simply over achieving in the first two quarters of every game...only to show their true colors in the second half. I'm going with the latter...but it's not just due of one reason. McNabb is playing like used goods, but what did you really expect from him? I'm not defending his play...but he was brought in to provide leadership and manage games. He's not turning it over and Ponder has to be learning more from him than he would from Webb (rather than being thrown to the wolves in week one). Taking the approach of starting Ponder from day one is equivalent to waving the white flag...because rookies rarely succeed. 

If you list off the most recent rookie quarterbacks to "play well", Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Sam Bradford come to mind. Christian Ponder in 2011 is none of the above. Ryan, Flacco and Bradford did NOT light the world on fire, they simply had some talent around them and learned to protect the football. They are far more gifted players than Ponder...and I don't mean that in a bad way. Ponder is a project...and there's nothing wrong with that. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger...basically everyone NOT named Peyton Manning were projects when their NFL careers started. Heck, you could argue that Eli Manning was less of a project than Brady, Rodgers and Big Ben...and he STILL gets negative press after every loss. Eli won his ring from his defense...Ponder doesn't have that luxury.

If the Vikings lose on Sunday to Kansas City, I'm all for starting Ponder week five. But does that really make sense? Does Ponder playing quarterback really give us a better chance of winning the game? You can't say either way. But one thing I'd be cautious of: Christian Ponder being embarrassed on national TV (week six IN Chicago), and then possibly again the following weekend AT HOME versus the Packers.

Unless McNabb absolutely bottoms out against the Chiefs and Cardinals, I think you have to ride the veteran to at least week eight. Ponder won't learn a whole lot more playing weeks five through seven, than he would playing weeks eight through sixteen. College players usually play eleven or twelves games a year...and that's COLLEGE. Eight games in the NFL is plenty of a learning curve for a quarterback during his rookie season, there's no reason to risk injury to Ponder if we are 0-4. Work on other parts of new system until week eight...and if we're 1-7 at that time, go with Ponder.

I have a suggestion worth considering: Put Joe Webb in at wide receiver and see what the young man can do. There is ZERO reason to have Joe Webb on the bench. What are they worried about? Him getting injured?? Big deal, that's another reason to play Ponder once the season goes (further)South. We've lost three straight games to teams who have a "go get it" guy. The Vikings do not have a "go get it" guy. Why not have an option at wide receiver that you can lob the ball to in the end zone and see what happens? It'd make the defense respect that option and would almost guarantee man to man coverage. Not many corners are as tall as Webb (see what happened to Chris Cook who was playing great defense against Calvin Johnson)...so why not take a chance and switch things up?

That's all for now...hopefully the Vikings can win the "Gus Johnson and Tim Brewster are covering this game?" Bowl. 

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