Vikings rookie Christian Ponder missed his second consecutive practice this afternoon, still hobbling around with a hip pointer. And it's not just offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave who's worried about Ponder's injury. After today's practice, head coach Leslie Frazier said he'll need to see Ponder do at least some work Friday to feel comfortable playing him Sunday in Detroit.

"If he's not able to do anything [Friday], it'd be hard pressed for us to put him in the game," Frazier said. "We'd need to see him take some snaps and move around a little bit to make a decision about him playing."

In Ponder's place, Joe Webb has taken all the snaps with the first-team offense this week and is in line to start in Detroit if necessary.

Frazier acknowledged that Ponder's inability to practice on Wednesday and Thursday would be a great hindrance to his overall preparation.

"When you consider his youth and the fact that he's a rookie, any time missed when you're in preparation for a game sets you back," Frazier said. "There's no question about it. You can't ignore that. But he's a guy who is invested in what we're doing in the classroom. He's at practice watching. He's paying attention. So he'll be up on what we're doing. It's just a matter of can he do the things he has to do as a quarterback. One of the things he's done so well is escape pressure with his mobility. So if he can handle that part of it ... The mental part, he's exceptional when it comes to that. He'll get that. It's a matter of 'Can I protect myself if for some reason things break down?'"

In the big picture, it would not be a shock if Webb were to get his third career start Sunday at Ford Field. Just like with Adrian Peterson, the Vikings are likely to take a cautious approach with Ponder with no need to rush him back until they're certain that he can survive a full game without setback.