Minnesota Vikings to Start Ponder Against Dallas
By Sarita Kelly
The Minnesota Vikings have named Christian Ponder as their starting quarterback against the Dallas Cowboys. This will be Ponder’s second straight start and his fifth for the season.
Oct 27, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) gads the ball off to running back Adrian Peterson (28) during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. The Packers defeated the Vikings 44-31. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
“Christian Ponder gives us the best chance of winning,” Frazier said via Twitter.
That statement may seem a little crazy since Ponder is 0-4 this season, but the Viking has gotten points on the board when he’s their QB. Minnesota has scored at least 24 points in each of Ponder’s four starts including a 31-30 loss to the Bears and a 31-27 loss to the Browns.
And since Josh Freeman is the only other option for the Vikings, Ponder seems to be the less painful choice.
It’s still not clear what this means for Freeman. The Vikings signed him early last month and they hoped he could give them a much needed shot in the arm. But that didn’t work out so well for the Vikings when he lost against the Giants 23-7.
He was out the following game with a concussion and has not been back since.
But not everyone is sad to see Ponder start on Sunday. Josh Sullivan has said that he is happy to see him back and he feels that he is deserves this chance.
“[Ponder] prepared really hard and he went out there and laid it all on the line,” Sullivan said. “You know, you see that last run that he made when things were getting out of reach [a 19-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter against the Packers on Sunday] and he’s still out there fighting until the end. I mean, that’s not my decision. But I’d love to see him stay back there, of course.”
In the Vikings 44-31 loss to the Packers on Sunday, Ponder finished 14 of 21 for 145 yards and zero touchdowns. However, Ponder did finish with 38-rushing yards, including the 19-yard touchdown run that Sullivan mentioned.