Do you ever ... Ponder?

Purple Pain
Hall of Fame Nominee

Posts: 8,744
Likes: 2,882

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 28, 2020 14:09:57 GMT -6

Quote

Post by Purple Pain on Aug 28, 2020 14:09:57 GMT -6

Christian Ponder: Overrated? Put in a bad spot? Something else? But...underrated? That's a new one, right?

I know, I know. You're all triggered. But this caught my eye.

Saw this in Purple Insider's Friday mailbag:

@jmbhanji Not really a question but on the pod with Bill Barnwell I think he called Christian Ponder underrated and I’d love this to be further explored

Thanks for listening to the podcast! There isn’t much in terms of statistical things to like about his career — though I’ll admit I didn’t watch a ton of it having been in Buffalo at the time. Even the year in which he went 10-6, PFF graded him 24th of 27 and he averaged a sad 6.1 yards per pass attempt.

Maybe because the team in 2013 was just a complete disaster and then they pulled the plug while Ponder was only 25 years old and 35 games into his career. When we talk about mediocre QBs, the circumstances that they fall into make a huge difference. If Ponder had been drafted by the Vikings in 2015 or 2016 and gifted Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs and not an offense built around Adrian Peterson, maybe it’s different. Or maybe not.

Bill, if you’re reading this, I’d love to know what you meant!

purpleinsider.substack.com/p/friday-mailbag-vikings-practice-a

comet52
Hall of Fame Candidate

Posts: 7,080
Likes: 8,710

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 28, 2020 17:04:33 GMT -6 Minniman likes this

Quote

Post by comet52 on Aug 28, 2020 17:04:33 GMT -6

Seriously Bill Barnwell? Is it the current obsession with stats or just the social media-sphere giving every brain-dead opinion a (thankfully brief) shelf life?

I never saw a QB miss so many out routes as that guy. If people thought the Theilan/Cousins sideline row was bad, imagine Theilan tearing poor, terrified Christian Ponder a new one over missed throws.

Trent Dilfer's summation of Ponder *before* he ever played a down of NFL ball is still my favorite take on old CP, to wit:

"Christian Ponder is Elvis Grbac," Dilfer said. "Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted."

Dilfer watched every snap Ponder took in college. He described Ponder as a quarterback who looks great in workouts but quickly loses accuracy and effectiveness in the pressure of a game.

"His drop, his arm speed, everything about him ... it's one tempo," Dilfer said. "He has to play at the 7-on-7 tempo. The drop has to be rhythmical. The receivers have to be open. The ball goes one speed. The pocket has to be nice. Any time he's asked to quicken that up or there's people around him, his accuracy is awful. ...

"The great quarterbacks are as accurate going to [options] two, three and four as they are when you go to one. ... Christian Ponder, as soon as you get to two or three, the ball is dirting. It's high. It's all over the place. OK? He plays with a lot of anxiety. Do you want your quarterback in the NFL to play with a lot of anxiety?

"Christian Ponder tests off the charts. He's in shorts and a t-shirt. He goes to his pro workout, he's in shorts and a t-shirt. His big pecs are hanging out. He's got big guns. He looks great. He's a good-looking young man and he spins that ball around the football field in a perfect environment and people go 'wow he can play.'"

I'm here for entertainment purposes only

whoskmoon
Content Creator

Posts: 8,879
Likes: 7,222
Member is Online

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 28, 2020 17:35:09 GMT -6 Minniman and Danchat like this

Quote

Post by whoskmoon on Aug 28, 2020 17:35:09 GMT -6

Two really bad starting QBs, in Case and Bradford, both had solid to great seasons with Diggs and Theilen, so I kind of understand where he is coming from.

Except...Ponder wasn't nearly as good as Case or Bradford. The guy wasn't good enough to be a backup in the NFL. Look around the league at the terrible QBs who ARE good enough to be backups, and that should tell you all you need to know about just how bad Ponder was.

Minniman
Moderator

Posts: 13,640

Likes: 8,137

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 0:12:57 GMT -6

Quote

Post by Minniman on Aug 29, 2020 0:12:57 GMT -6

Aug 28, 2020 17:04:33 GMT -6 comet52 said:

"Christian Ponder is Elvis Grbac," Dilfer said. "Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted."

Ponder never came near to 4000 yards, but let's play fill in the blank!

______________ is Elvis Grbac. Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted.

Last Edit: Aug 29, 2020 0:13:31 GMT -6 by Minniman

Logic is the beginning of wisdom - not the end.

Minniman Moderator Posts: 13,640 Likes: 8,137	Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 0:24:08 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Minniman on Aug 29, 2020 0:24:08 GMT -6 On a side note, I said Blake Bortles reminded me a lot of Ponder back in 2014, and I was laughed at. Who's laughing now? Not Jaguar fans to be sure. Ponder's and Bortles' gameplay in the NFL was very comparable.
	Logic is the beginning of wisdom - not the end.

comet52
Hall of Fame Candidate

Posts: 7,080
Likes: 8,710

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 1:15:38 GMT -6

Quote

Post by comet52 on Aug 29, 2020 1:15:38 GMT -6

Aug 29, 2020 0:12:57 GMT -6 Minniman said:

Aug 28, 2020 17:04:33 GMT -6 comet52 said:

"Christian Ponder is Elvis Grbac," Dilfer said. "Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted."

Ponder never came near to 4000 yards, but let's play fill in the blank!

______________ is Elvis Grbac. Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted.

I see what you did there.

I'm here for entertainment purposes only

spence Franchise Player Posts: 3,425 Likes: 986	Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 15:38:20 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by spence on Aug 29, 2020 15:38:20 GMT -6 He's definitely not underrated. He was probably one of the worst we've had at QB, and that's saying something!
	Spence's updated s*** list: TAFKASP Raptorman bonecrusher On thin ice: whoskmoon ball99

tarheel Water Boy Hey Vikes. I am from Charlotte, North Carolina but now live in Greensboro, NC. Glad to be on board Posts: 34 Likes: 24	Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 19:00:51 GMT -6 Funkytown likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by tarheel on Aug 29, 2020 19:00:51 GMT -6 my most vivid memory of Ponder was him not playing in the Green Bay playoff game and then Joe Webb had to start and Webb threw it in the dirt all night long. Long night.

Deleted
Ghosted Member

Posts: 0
Likes:

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 29, 2020 22:26:36 GMT -6 Funkytown and Minniman like this

Quote

Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2020 22:26:36 GMT -6

Aug 29, 2020 0:12:57 GMT -6 Minniman said:

Aug 28, 2020 17:04:33 GMT -6 comet52 said:

"Christian Ponder is Elvis Grbac," Dilfer said. "Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted."

Ponder never came near to 4000 yards, but let's play fill in the blank!

______________ is Elvis Grbac. Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted.

Funkytown is going to eat you alive dissing her boy ~~Teddy~~ Kirk *boxing*

Minniman
Moderator

Posts: 13,640

Likes: 8,137

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 5:37:39 GMT -6

Quote

Post by Minniman on Aug 30, 2020 5:37:39 GMT -6

Aug 29, 2020 15:38:20 GMT -6 spence said:

He's definitely not underrated. He was probably one of the worst we've had at QB, and that's saying something!

Except for Joe Webb and Josh Freeman.

We saw indications that Rick Spielman was not a great GM when he allowed his backup QBs to be so bad, but what has really changed?

Logic is the beginning of wisdom - not the end.

Minniman
Moderator

Posts: 13,640

Likes: 8,137

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 5:54:18 GMT -6

Quote

Post by Minniman on Aug 30, 2020 5:54:18 GMT -6

Aug 29, 2020 22:26:36 GMT -6 @aussie61 said:

Aug 29, 2020 0:12:57 GMT -6 Minniman said:

Ponder never came near to 4000 yards, but let's play fill in the blank!

______________ is Elvis Grbac. Elvis Grbac was a beautiful thrower. He threw for 4,000 yards. He did a lot of nice things. Every time it got tough, he melted.

Funkytown is going to eat you alive dissing her boy ~~Teddy~~ Kirk *boxing*

I didn't say too much negative about Teddy Bridgewater. I thought that pick was a pretty good one at the time. I had Bridgewater rated just behind Carr in the draft.

Ponder? He wasn't even on my first round radar, but I didn't do much of a draft analysis that season. I did not like the pick.

Kirk, did I say Kirk? I wonder why Vikings fans would fill in that blank with him - unless the quote fits him like a driving glove.

Logic is the beginning of wisdom - not the end.

Nordic
Hall of Fame Candidate

Posts: 6,926
Likes: 366

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 7:20:34 GMT -6 via mobile

Quote

Post by Nordic on Aug 30, 2020 7:20:34 GMT -6

Aug 28, 2020 17:35:09 GMT -6 whoskmoon said:

Two really bad starting QBs, in Case and Bradford, both had solid to great seasons with Diggs and Theilen, so I kind of understand where he is coming from.

Except...Ponder wasn't nearly as good as Case or Bradford. The guy wasn't good enough to be a backup in the NFL. Look around the league at the terrible QBs who ARE good enough to be backups, and that should tell you all you need to know about just how bad Ponder was.

I’d say that Bradford has to be the worst out of the two, simply due to expectations and pedigree. Keenum was a good QB, and like most other QB’s in the league, they need the tools in order to compete. Even the best QB’s need the tools to be successful.

The whole Ponder thing may very well go down as the biggest mistake ever made in our franchise. Seriously set the organization back 10 years.

What irks me most is that Dilfer is calling this... talk about calling the kettle black? For some reason, because he was gifted a SB season, he thinks he’s an expert. Idiot.

comet52
Hall of Fame Candidate

Posts: 7,080
Likes: 8,710

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 9:55:17 GMT -6 via mobile

Quote

Post by comet52 on Aug 30, 2020 9:55:17 GMT -6

Aug 30, 2020 7:20:34 GMT -6 Nordic said:

What irks me most is that Dilfer is calling this... talk about calling the kettle black? For some reason, because he was gifted a SB season, he thinks he’s an expert. Idiot.

He's been a decent analyst since he retired. Most good media analysts come from the lower ranks, the big stars get hired for their names and aren't usually the most insightful guys and some are downright clueless.

Why gripe about Dilfer, it's not like he was some disappointing Viking. And let's be honest he nailed Ponder before the kid ever played an NFL down.

I'm here for entertainment purposes only

Funkytown
Owner

Purple Pain Big Dog

Posts: 67,668

Likes: 31,593
Fan Since: 1998

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 9:55:54 GMT -6

Quote

Post by Funkytown on Aug 30, 2020 9:55:54 GMT -6

Aug 30, 2020 5:54:18 GMT -6 Minniman said:

I didn't say too much negative about Teddy Bridgewater. I thought that pick was a pretty good one at the time. I had Bridgewater rated just behind Carr in the draft.

Still devastating. *goteddy*

heman
Rookie

Posts: 261
Likes: 151

Do you ever ... Ponder? Aug 30, 2020 12:48:20 GMT -6

Quote

Post by heman on Aug 30, 2020 12:48:20 GMT -6

Aug 28, 2020 14:09:57 GMT -6 Purple Pain said:

Christian Ponder: Overrated? Put in a bad spot? Something else? But...underrated? That's a new one, right?

I know, I know. You're all triggered. But this caught my eye.

Saw this in Purple Insider's Friday mailbag:

@jmbhanji Not really a question but on the pod with Bill Barnwell I think he called Christian Ponder underrated and I’d love this to be further explored

Thanks for listening to the podcast! There isn’t much in terms of statistical things to like about his career — though I’ll admit I didn’t watch a ton of it having been in Buffalo at the time. Even the year in which he went 10-6, PFF graded him 24th of 27 and he averaged a sad 6.1 yards per pass attempt.

Maybe because the team in 2013 was just a complete disaster and then they pulled the plug while Ponder was only 25 years old and 35 games into his career. When we talk about mediocre QBs, the circumstances that they fall into make a huge difference. If Ponder had been drafted by the Vikings in 2015 or 2016 and gifted Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs and not an offense built around Adrian Peterson, maybe it’s different. Or maybe not.

Bill, if you’re reading this, I’d love to know what you meant!

the only bad spot Christian Ponder was put in was the spot of being in the National Football League. Don't even try to gaslight or revise history to make Ponder not that bad.