There is no question Christian Ponder is the Viking's quarterback of the present and future. But that didn't stop coach Leslie Frazier from fielding a number of questions about Ponder's recent struggles.
"He's actually doing some things that you like to see," Frazier said. "But, at the same time, you know that you're working with a guy that's in his second season. There are going to be some ups and downs and sometimes during the course of the game. The good thing about Christian is he's shown the ability to make those corrections as we go. But we have to make sure we're getting everybody on the offense to play up to the standards we're asking and not make it all about the quarterback."
To Frazier, there are a number of things that have to happen for Ponder – and the team's offense – to get back on track.
One is picking up the blitz. The past two weeks – and especially Thursday – the Vikings have seen increasing blitzing from opponents. And those blitzes have been getting a lot of pressure on Ponder.
Frazier said keeping Frazier comfortable in the pocket is key.
To that end Frazier said the team would work hard on blitz pickup in the run-up to the team's game in Seattle Nov. 4. "We're going to work extensively on blitz pickup because I'm sure that other people will see what happened {Thursday} night," Frazier said. "That's probably the blueprint – put a lot of pressure, some extra guys in the box and make the offensive line have to adjust and the quarterback throw on the run a little bit."
Conventional wisdom says that a team with a strong running game – something the Vikings have had in recent games – should translate into plays being available downfield. But the team has to pick up blitzes better.
"I think he's begun to understand the nature of the business and the nature of the quarterback position," Frazier said. "… There are going to be days like this. You have to be mentally tough. We think he is, and he's shown that he is."
