Week 14: VIKINGS (6-6) vs. Bears (8-4)

[Captain Viking]

[vikingsrule]

[ArcticNorseman]

Having digested the game for a while, enjoying the win, I understand the frustration with the QB numbers ... one week, he makes two bad throws and loses the game, the next week, he makes one bad throw and wins, yet the negativity is just astounding to me.

Were Ponder's numbers great? Nope. The Vikings ran the ball 38 times versus 18 dropbacks for a pass. On some of his passes though, there were 3rd down conversions that were huge!

Chicago dropped back to pass 55 times versus 18 runs. Quite frankly, if Brinkley doesn't take the one pass off his buttcheek, rather turns his head, there's 3 picks and I'd argue Ponder outplayed Cutler. And Sanford's drop would've made it 4.

Heck, Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn are combining for Ponder type numbers . . . and they're winning 51-0. So, does it really take elite QB play every week to win?

No -- it's a team game. I will concede that Ponder needs to make throws all the time, not just on 3rd down & he needs to air it out to guys that are single-covered.

At one point, I thought the run defense was playing good . . . but in reality, the Vikes were lucky to be up two scores, forcing the Bears to throw. Good thing the pass rush got to Cutler a lot -- I like that it affected his accuracy and timing.

Kudos to the O-line . . . Peterson needs to buy them steak dinners!

[SteelKing728]

[this providence]

This is too funny.
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[Robbroy45]

Hey, how about we focuses on a positive thing or two instead of all this negative bull all the time, doesn't that sound like a fun idea?! Here, I'll start...

1. We beat the friggin Bears, a team that has been a major challenge for the last 3 years, and a team that is mostly superior to us in pretty much as aspects of the game besides offensive line and running backs (yes, that includes Jerome Felton).

2. I need not explain why Adrian Peterson is included here.

3. Rick Spielman REALLY knows how to draft. Harrison Smith and Josh Robinson have immediately paid dividends and vastly improved the secondary, Matt Kalil is playing at a Pro Bowl level and has given the line an anchor for the next decade or so, Blair Walsh has given us Vikings fans a strong legged kicker that we have severly lacked during the Ryan Longwell era, and Jarius Wright and Rhett Ellison have contributed more and more as the season goes on. Factor in guys like Robert Blanton and Greg Childs who can contribute for the future, and Rick is really giving me hope for this coming April.

Yay, not being negative!
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[vike daddy]

players i enjoyed watching today:

Peterson - but does that need to be said? well, yes!

Harrison Smith - not only for his INT and runback, but he's all over the field. in run support, blitzing, double covering, and always between the receivers and the goal line. tight tackler too.
Everson Griffen - guy just has a knack for being around the ball.
Josh Robinson - had single coverage on Marshall all day long it appears, but did well.
Kluwe - for his public support of Ray Guy, which he'll probably be fined for.
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[PurpleMugen]

[skywindO2]

[chuck44]

[ktarinze]

[ktarinze]

[vike daddy]

yeah, i agree. Ponder didn't have a good game by NFL standards. he just didn't lose the game for us.
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[vike daddy]

[Yfz01]