Christian Ponder’s play (or lack of) has been a hot topic during the Vikings 0-3 start. Adrian Peterson said that the criticism that the QB takes is “unfair” and others just flat out call him a bum. Ponder has said his confidence isn’t shaken yet but QB coach Craig Johnson had some thoughts:
“The bottom line is — and he knows this — if you do not win the game, you’re getting the blame,” Johnson said, via Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “That’s just the way it is. Suck it up. You’re no different than quarterbacks in every other part of the country. When you lose, you’re getting the blame. That’s part of the deal.”
There were reports last weekend that Ponder was on a short leash so between that and constant fan unrest, Ponder has to be feeling the pressure. You can say that this is part of the job but you don’t see teams that are getting good QB play have this much discussion about their QB’s performance. Ponder needs to be on alert.