Now that the dust has settled, and the Vikings are cleaning out their lockers today, some are suggesting Minnesota’s front office should learn a lesson or two about Saturday’s playoff loss to Green Bay — especially when it comes to the quarterback position.
Star Tribune writer Sid Hartman says Christian Ponder’s injury to his throwing arm just didn’t heal as the Vikings had hoped. As Frazier told him, when Ponder reported to Winter Park last Monday, “he had hardly any range of motion.”
Here’s a Star-Tribune photo, via Twitter, of what Ponder’s arm looks like today:
https://twitter.com/SGrossStrib/status/288340017007452160
That meant Joe Webb would be the starter against the Packers, a quarterback who hadn’t thrown a pass all season.
Pioneer Press writer Bob Sansevere says Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman should be held accountable for not having a viable backup to Ponder, writing Joe Webb’s “quarterbacking days should be over.”
Over at the Vikings Age blog, writer Dan Zinski is a bit more livid. He says Spielman, knowing he didn’t have a viable backup to Ponder, “let the team down. He let us all down. He is the villain in this mess.”
A voice of reason? Jim Souhan, at the Star Tribune. On Sunday, he didn’t pull any punches, wondering why the Vikings didn’t allow Webb to run more and pass less. But Souhan also says the Vikings got it right in hiring a coach like Frazier, saying he is “the dignified face of an organization.”
That is, a dignified man who still needs a top-notch quarterback corp to go deep in the playoffs.
