Watching the Vikings lose on Sunday, I started to wonder:

Would they be better off just handing the ball to Adrian Peterson or Percy Harvin (when he's healthy) in all situations?

First down? Of course. Third and short? Of course. Third and 20? Why not? When a back averages almost 11 yards a carry against a good defense, and the quarterback throws for 44 net yards, wouldn't you be better off treating third-and-long as a running down?

Of course, that's not realistic. The Vikings are obliged to try to throw the ball. But it's not working right now.

Remember, through four games, Ponder was completing about 70 percent of his passes. Now he looks like he's afraid to throw a bubble screen to Harvin.

I still think Ponder has the arm strength and athletic ability to be a good NFL quarterback. His slump has made me question his fire and toughness. I think I'd feel better about his play if he was making mistakes of aggression, instead of looking tentative.

That's the subject of my Monday column.

I don't know if I've ever seen a game in person where two backs ran harder than Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch did on Sunday.

``To watch those two guys run the football, you don't see it too often in a lifetime," Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said.

Both dish out punishment. What's even more impressive to me is that they will subject themselves to so much extra punishment to twist for an extra yard, or push the pile forward.

Peterson might win the rushing title in his first season after major knee surgery. I'm having trouble comprehending that.

-I'll be on 1500espn at 2:05 on Monday, and on WJON in St. Cloud at 7:15 a.m. My Twitter handle is @Souhanstrib.