Vikings Defeated Before Packers Game Even Started
The Minnesota Vikings were flat out destroyed by the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. In fact, the final score of 42-10 actually makes the game look closer than it was.
This game was decided the moment Teddy Bridgewater was deactivated. Bridgewater is not only a better quarterback than his replacement, Christian Ponder, but he also sets the bar much higher. Seemingly everyone, Vikings players and fans included, has zero confidence in Ponder’s ability to lead this team to victory. Bridgewater is synonymous with optimism while Ponder is synonymous with everything that has gone wrong with the Vikings over the past few seasons.
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Everyone believed Bridgewater could beat the Packers. Coincidentally, nobody believed Ponder could. This included his own teammates, which in turn, led to a lack of effort and poor play on the field. While there were others, I noticed this the most in Greg Jennings. He dropped a few balls (I think) he normally would have caught and just did not seem to care right from the get-go. It is not easy to give 110-percent under less-than-ideal circumstances, but as a veteran, this must be accomplished.
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With Bridgewater on the field, this team looks completely different. Their passion, toughness, smiles and a sense of urgency that just is not there with Ponder at the helm. Simply, Bridgewater brings out the best in everyone, fans included, while Ponder brings out the (absolute) worst. This is not fair, but it is the truth.
It is very possible that Bridgewater would have played terrible and the Vikings would have failed just as miserably, but I really doubt it. After the Packers scored for a second time to give themselves a 14-0 lead, I stated that the game was over – and it was. I would not have made this assumption if Bridgewater were playing because he has the leadership, confidence, talent and support of his teammates to bring this team back down two scores. Ponder does not, at least not on this team.
Blaming this loss completely on Ponder would be wrong, as the defense was almost equally as terrible. However, I suspect a much different result with Bridgewater at the helm and we will find out on November 23rd if this hypothesis is correct.
Mike Zimmer has already stated that Bridgewater will start Week 6 against the Detroit Lions. This will be a different team next Sunday and not just because Bridgewater is playing, but because every Viking will (actually) be playing.