And Troy Williamson's Numbers Compare Favorably to Jerry Rice's Numbers

In either an attempt to ingratiate himself with somebody in the Vikings' organization or as a result of utter delusion, our local long-time sycophant scribe continues to offer excuses for why current Vikings' starting quarterback Christian Ponder has failed to achieve the success that the Vikings (and he) predicted for him prior to the start of the season.  In his screed, the scribe argues that Ponder's second-year numbers compare favorably to the second-year numbers of several now established starting quarterbacks.

In the same column, the scribe suggests that Ponder has been victimized by dropped passes to such an extent that his greatness has been masked by the failures of his receivers.  Not surprisingly, our scribe fails to support his ludicrous claims (in fact, the only numbers he offers are those that purport to support the claim that Ponder's statistics compare favorably with such quarterbacks as Tom Brady and Drew Brees--even though the numbers clearly show the opposite).

In previous columns, I have addressed the myth that Ponder has been the victim of dropped passes any more than any other quarterback in the league, pointing to statistics showing that the Vikings' receivers rank 25th in the NFL in dropped passes.

Apparently, that is not sufficient evidence for some, however, as the myth continues to circulate that "the Vikings don't know for certain whether the problem is Ponder or the receivers, particularly given all of the dropped passes by the Vikings' receivers" (quote courtesy Vikings' color man, Pete Bercich).

Again, the Vikings' receivers rank 25th in the league in dropped passes.  That means that 24 receiving corps have more dropped passes.

At least as telling as to where the Vikings' passing woes rest are statistics on individual dropped passes. Not one Viking receiver resides in the NFL's top 20 for dropped passes--eighteen teams have a player in this group with Tennessee and Denver having two such butterfingered wideouts.

The Vikings are represented in a corollary category, however, with two players among the top ten active receivers for percentage of passes thrown to them caught.  Percy Harvin is third in the NFL with 60 receptions on 61 catchable passes thrown to him.  Michael Jenkings ranks 10th in the NFL with 24 of 25 catchable passes caught.

Among the teams with receivers that drop the highest percentage of catchable passes are Denver (Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas), Washington (Santana Moss), New Orleans (Lance Moore), New England (Brandon Lloyd), and Green Bay (Jordy Nelson).  Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and RGIII rank one through four, respectively, in passer rating, Drew Brees is 12th.  With two of the league's more reliable receivers--and none of the league's least reliable receivers--Ponder ranks 24th in passer rating and well below all five of the these quarterbacks in passing yardage and offensive output.

Whether you believe that Ponder is being undermined by something other than his own limitations, the statistics strongly suggest that dropped passes is nowhere near the fore of the cause(s) of Ponder's problems.  If that myth can be put to rest, perhaps the Vikings can begin making plans in accordance with what the statistics and eyes tells us about Ponder's performance.

Up Next:  Will Minnesotans Be Represented on Stadium Commission in Lease and Revenue Stream Allocation Discussions?

And if Jermome Simpson Would Have Caught That Four-Yard Pass, Mitt Romney Would Be President

Those who went all in on Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder are finding it difficult to admit the apparent--that Ponder never will be the Vikings' savior.  Faced with admitting the error in their judgment or doubling down with nothing in the bank, many, unfortunately, are electing the latter.

The most recent manifestation of this myopic commitment to Ponder is the dedication to identifying all of the obstacles to Ponder's success over which Ponder purportedly has no control.  The offensive line is bad, the coaching stinks, and the play-calling is putrid.  These, not Ponder's shortcomings, are the reasons for the quarterback's poor performance this year.  But for these ills, Ponder would be holding the Lombardi Trophy this year.

Added to all of these obstacles is the flavor of the week for Ponder's entrenched supporters--his receivers cannot catch a pass.

Objectively speaking, the Vikings do not have one of the better receiving corps in the NFL.  But to argue that the Vikings are without receiving options greatly understates what is happening with Minnesota's receivers in a Ponder-led offense.

Among the Vikings' receivers are one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFL, Kyle Rudolph, one of the top slot receivers, Percy Harvin, a capable possession receiver, Michael Jenkins, and three players who each appear to have downfield ability--Devin Aromashodu, Jarius Wright, and Jerome Simpson.  And the Vikings have a running back that makes all of the receivers more open, more often than they otherwise would be.

Yet, based on reports from Ponder's supporters, one would think that the Vikings suffered an unusual spate of drops in the game against the Bears.  The facts, however, do not support this conclusion.  While dropped passes do not aid any quarterback, pointing the finger at these isolated plays misses both the fact that passes are part of every quarterback's performance.

Including dropped passes against Chicago, the Vikings rank only 25th in the NFL in passes dropped, with 17.  The three dropped passes on Sunday would put the Vikings marginally ahead of their season's pace.  Given that the passes were all short, the impact of dropped passes in the Vikings' system is even less apparent.

Dropped passes notwithstanding, few, if any, other meaningful statistics suggest anything other than that the primary source of the Vikings' passing woes is Ponder.

Green Bay has allowed 37 sacks, had a leading rusher with 302 yards, and a stable of receivers on IR.  Still, Aaron Rodgers has 28 passing touchdowns this year. New Orleans has a modest offensive line (21 sacks), a leading rusher with 341 yards for the season, a reasonable deep threat in Marques Colston, and a good tight end in Jimmy Graham.  Drew Brees has thrown 31 touchdowns this year.

On the other end of the spectrum, Arizona has allowed 47 sacks this year, has a rushing leader with 312 yards on the season, a leading receiver named Andre Roberts, and a revolving door for both offensive philosophy and quarterback.  Despite these shortcomings, the Cardinals have passed for 10 touchdowns this season.

Adrian Peterson leads the NFL with 1236 yards rushing--nearly 200 more than the number two back in the league, the Vikings offensive line is near the league mean in sacks allowed, and Percy Harvin is 28th in the league in receiving yards--despite missing more than three games.  Yet Ponder ranks 24th in passing yardage, touchdown passes, and quarterback rating.

What the numbers suggest and the eye test supports is that Ponder is an average to below-average NFL quarterback.  He does not make the players around him better, but he definitely makes one wonder whether any reasonable determination can be made regarding the offensive line or the receiving corps as long as he is behind center.

For Vikings' General Manager Rick Spielman, the question now becomes whether he is more committed to sunken costs in Ponder or in assessing the degree to which he ought to remain committed to his other decisions--Musgrave, Simpson, Wright, and John Carlson.

Up Next:  More Myths.