Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is pretty good about revealing team injuries – usually immediately after the game he’ll tell you who’s hurt.
Frazier listed off some names Sunday afternoon – DBs Chris Cook, Jarmarca Sanford and A.J. Jefferson were mentioned, and indeed none of them have practiced this week in London.
Coach didn’t mention Christian Ponder, which has turned out to be the “injury” of the week around the NFL. That word is in quotes because even Ponder hasn’t called it that. The timing of revealing the injury has led some to suggest, including the Star Tribune’s Jim Souhan, that perhaps it’s not an injury at all, but just an easy way to get backup Matt Cassel into the game.
In fact, Souhan, somewhat predictably, has called for Cassel.
So, what’s up with Ponder? Frazier met the media today, and was decidedly more upbeat than he has been – well, ever.
On Ponder: “We had him in limited practice yesterday, with some soreness, so we’ll see how he does today.”
The latest from London from the Star Tribune says that Ponder feels he’s making progress.
“I definitely did a lot more than we expected to,” Ponder said. “We’ve been getting a lot of treatment and Sugs [head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman] is coming up with some good treatment. Hopefully it’s healing.”
And Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press notes that nothing will be resolved until Friday’s practice, if then.
Are we moving closer to the well-worn game time decision? Stay tuned …
