Do not think of this as a retraction. We are still 100 percent firm on the notion that Christian Ponder should make his Vikings starting QB debut this Sunday vs. the Packers. The opponent should not matter; as Leslie Frazier says, the thing that should matter is what's best for the team right now. And to us, that is playing Ponder. However, we have a deep and abiding respect for history. Even if it is not always an indicator of things to come, it gives us a framework, or at least something to ... er ... ponder (shut up! shut up! shut up!).

As such, we started thinking, "You know, it seems like an awful lot of Vikings QBs have made their starting debuts vs. Green Bay." As it turns out, we were correct on a few instances over the past decade. And it was not pretty:

*2001: The infamous Spergon Wynn III (pictured) started for the first time as a Viking on Dec. 30, 2001, the second-to-last game of that lost season. It was in Green Bay. He completed 11 of 30 passes for 114 yards, a TD and three INTs. Somehow, some way, the Vikings led 13-10 in the fourth quarter. Then Green Bay scored a pair of TDs -- one on a Wynn pick-six -- and it was all over.

*2006: Talk about unfair. Tarvaris Jackson's starting debut came on a night game -- a Thursday night -- at Lambeau Field on Dec. 21, 2006. He completed 10 of 20 passes for a paltry 50 yards and was intercepted once. He did post a 35.4 passer rating, which flattened Wynn's mark of 20.0. Again, somehow, some way -- thanks, in fact, to a Fred Smoot pick-six -- the Vikings held a lead in the fourth quarter. But that 7-6 edge gave way to a field goal, giving Green Bay a 9-7 victory.

*2007: Brooks Bollinger, who had started nine games previously with the Jets, started his one and only game with the Vikings on Nov. 11, 2007. Again, it was in Green Bay. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 176 yards and one interception (and a 65.5 rating), but the Vikings were shut out 34-0. The good news is that was the last loss before Minnesota embarked on a five-game winning streak.

As you can see, this method of throwing players into the fire against Green Bay has not worked well. That said, all three games were at Lambeau Field, and two of them were in rather chilly conditions. You'll also note that the passer rating for the QBs has only gotten better as time has gone on. All that NATURALLY leads one to expect Ponder would have a successful debut on Sunday at MOA Field if he is given the starting nod.