Well, the Minnesota Vikings have made a change and have made Chrisitan Ponder their starting quarterback. His performance in relief of Donovan McNabb didn't inspire a ton of confidence, so it's just a move for the future. Ponder's performance didn't allow any leeway in power rankings, however, and they were actually made before the news came out that he'd be starting.
27. If Christian Ponder isn't starting, the Vikings are making a big mistake. Their season is done, so get on with it.
As is their modus operandi, they're being more than a little hard on the team, but again, that's their prerogative. It's also not an incorrect message per se, it's just always too soon to say "done" when it's not halfway through the season. Ponder is, in fact, going to start and will be hoping to show the Vikings he can be their future.
As noted earlier, SB Nation placed the Minnesota Vikings at number 29 in their week 7 NFL power rankings, and though they're getting more respect elsewhere, it's a minuscule amount. ESPN just released their week seven rankings and have the Vikings at No. 28:
That's down two places from last week, following the team's destruction at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Their explanation is poignant, as well: no, it really doesn't matter who's at quarterback for the Vikings right now. Folks need to remember that switching to Christian Ponder doesn't signify the team's desire to get wins in 2011, but their need to see whether or not the quarterback was a good selection.
McNabb isn't the future of the organization, so the move to bench him (which has now been reported as happening) is probably a smart one to look to the future and accept their 2011 fate. Plus, Ponder could blow up and win a bunch of games - who knows?
