Ponder wasn't fazed by spotlight

The compliments seemed endless, so much praise flowing toward Christian Ponder on Sunday night that you half-expected the Vikings rookie to leave Mall of America Field carrying a bouquet of flowers from Peyton Manning and a collection of balloons from John Elway.

Yep, Ponder generated considerable buzz during his first NFL start, a 33-27 loss to Green Bay. Whether it was the adulation pulsing through Twitter; the praise delivered by Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who called the game for Fox; or a sincere endorsement from Packers star Aaron Rodgers, the consensus was undeniable.

Said Rodgers: "I think he's got a bright future. I like the way he plays."

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier echoed those sentiments. Pleased with Ponder's moxie while watching Sunday's action live, Frazier came away even more impressed after watching the game back. This was a rivalry clash, against the defending Super Bowl champions. And here was a rookie quarterback in attack mode from the first play to the last.

"He didn't seem to be intimidated or afraid of the situation," Frazier said during his Monday news conference.

Rarely has a performance so statistically ordinary -- 13-for-32, 219 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions -- left a coach and an entire organization so hopeful. Yet it's undeniable that Ponder's presence delivered a double shot of espresso to an offense that had been in doze mode for the season's first six weeks.

The Vikings' 27 points marked the second-highest total given up by the Packers this season.

"He played with a lot of heart," receiver Michael Jenkins said of Ponder, who did not speak to the media at Winter Park on Monday.

Added Frazier: "He's a guy who is pretty composed out there, pretty much under control. But it's a common effect that's a positive with his teammates. They really feel as if he's in charge and they rallied from that."

Furthermore, the Vikings converted nine of 16 third downs Sunday. On third downs in the fourth quarter, Ponder was 4-for-6 passing for 69 yards and also converted a third-and-7 with a 12-yard scramble.

"Just seeing some of the throws he made on the run, his pocket presence, his ability to be able to function in tough situations, in particular that fourth quarter after we had struggled a little bit in the third quarter," Frazier said. "To bounce back and play with the confidence he played with and not to seem as if things are falling apart around [him], he continued to play hard and play with confidence."