Ponder Leads Vikings Lineup Fans Wish to Forget
Christian Ponder leads a Vikings lineup fans wish they could forget forever
By Adam Patrick
Over the last 20 years, Minnesota Vikings fans have had the amazing privilege to watch multiple All-Pros and Hall of Famers suit up in their favorite team's uniform each season. However, as is the case with every franchise around the NFL, there have also been plenty of underwhelming players take the field for the Vikings during the last two decades.
For those wondering why guys like Josh Freeman, Mike Hughes, or Lewis Cine weren't selected, the requirement to be selected was to have at least 10 starts with the Vikings. Freeman, Hughes, and Cine did not start 10 games for Minnesota, so they were not among those who were selected.
Failing to live up to the expectations of being a high draft pick or a lucrative free-agent addition were also significant factors in this selection process, which is why guys like Matt Kalil, Garrett Bradbury, Shamar Stephen, and Madieu Williams were picked when, statistically, they might not have been the absolute worst at their position since 2006.
So, did we get it right for the most part? Are there any egregious misses or players that we should've selected instead?
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
Cricket wrote:
Christian Ponder leads a Vikings lineup fans wish they could forget foreverBy Adam PatrickOver the last 20 years, Minnesota Vikings fans have had the amazing privilege to watch multiple All-Pros and Hall of Famers suit up in their favorite team's uniform each season. However, as is the case with every franchise around the NFL, there have also been plenty of underwhelming players take the field for the Vikings during the last two decades.For those wondering why guys like Josh Freeman, Mike Hughes, or Lewis Cine weren't selected, the requirement to be selected was to have at least 10 starts with the Vikings. Freeman, Hughes, and Cine did not start 10 games for Minnesota, so they were not among those who were selected.Failing to live up to the expectations of being a high draft pick or a lucrative free-agent addition were also significant factors in this selection process, which is why guys like Matt Kalil, Garrett Bradbury, Shamar Stephen, and Madieu Williams were picked when, statistically, they might not have been the absolute worst at their position since 2006.So, did we get it right for the most part? Are there any egregious misses or players that we should've selected instead?
Bah...Josh Kline started 13 games at guard for the Vikings. I'd pick him well over Ed Ingram. And Pat Elflein over Bradbury all day long. I know Bradbury was a 1st round pick and largely a disappointment, but he was a helluva lot better than Pat Elflein.
"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it”
Agreed.
No way Bradbury belongs on a list with Ponder, Treadwell and Erasmus James...
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
10 starts aside, I would put Mcnabb up there way before Ponder. Not sure Mattison is the worst we have to put up there either.
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
I can see Elflein instead of Bradbury, but Elflein was OK at C, it was the move to G that was a catastrophe. And Josh Kline was pretty good in starting in 2019, but the Vikes let him walk in FA because they didn't want to pay a guard and handed the job to Dozier. Ugh.
I feel bad for DJ Wonnum ending up on this list. He had an 8-sack season and was hardly trash. But when the other guys in the era are Edwards/BRob/Allen/Griffen/Hunter/Greenard/AVG, Wonnum bites the bullet. Kenechi Udeze was easily worse, but he came before the 2006 cutoff.
JimmyinSD wrote:
10 starts aside, I would put Mcnabb up there way before Ponder. Not sure Mattison is the worst we have to put up there either.
Yeah, thought Mattison was ok. Not the worst we have had. Guess this is only the last 20 years.
Bradbury started a superbowl so he can't be awful.
JimmyinSD wrote:
10 starts aside, I would put Mcnabb up there way before Ponder. Not sure Mattison is the worst we have to put up there either.
No doubt. Ponder was a disappointment, because it was a high pick, but McNabb was a huge rug pull. He was a quality starter for much of career and fell off the earth.
medaille wrote:
No doubt. Ponder was a disappointment, because it was a high pick, but McNabb was a huge rug pull. He was a quality starter for much of career and fell off the earth.
McNabb tops it at QB for me too. Mattison and I'd shout out Matt Asiata at RB too. Guy was brutal.
Do not agree with most of this list, no way Mattison should be on it, he did a great job filling in when Cook was hurt and was a solid change of pace back. Wonnum, Stephen and Henderson also should not be close to making the list. Not sure how a guy who had 113 tackles in 14 games makes the list. My list would start and end with Favre.
JR44 wrote:
Do not agree with most of this list, no way Mattison should be on it, he did a great job filling in when Cook was hurt and was a solid change of pace back. Wonnum, Stephen and Henderson also should not be close to making the list. Not sure how a guy who had 113 tackles in 14 games makes the list. My list would start and end with Favre.
This is interesting.... Favre gave us one of the best seasons we have ever witnessed as Viking fans. Should have won the SB if we didn't drop the ball 7 times and the refs didn't blatantly screw us.
Ponder is hoping they do this poll again in 2027 so JJM can take his place. KA-POW!
Still Hurtn wrote:
Ponder is hoping they do this poll again in 2027 so JJM can take his place. KA-POW!
No!
Nine was supposed to make me forget about seven...
It was the football gods way of giving back to me (us).
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Canthony wrote:
This is interesting.... Favre gave us one of the best seasons we have ever witnessed as Viking fans. Should have won the SB if we didn't drop the ball 7 times and the refs didn't blatantly screw us.
Favre is the most despicable human who has ever worn purple, the sight of having to watch him play for us made want to puke. Ironically it was his selfishness that caused us a chance to the Super Bowl and not the drops or calls, all he had to do was flip the ball to Berrian who had no one near him instead of playing hero ball.
JR44 wrote:
Favre is the most despicable human who has ever worn purple, the sight of having to watch him play for us made want to puke. Ironically it was his selfishness that caused us a chance to the Super Bowl and not the drops or calls, all he had to do was flip the ball to Berrian who had no one near him instead of playing hero ball.
Guess we saw the game different. Never should have come down to that throw.
DJ Wonnum and Garrett Bradbury do not belong on this list.
Wonnum acqiutted himself nicely in his next gig and even-so, he was a solid backup. Bradbury played in last February's Super Bowl, in case anyone was not paying attention. Was it the coaching? There was a change at that coaching position during the off-season...just sayin' (and Ingram has also acquitted himself better elsewhere...same question...coaching?)
Please God, just one Lombardi before I die.
Canthony wrote:
This is interesting.... Favre gave us one of the best seasons we have ever witnessed as Viking fans. Should have won the SB if we didn't drop the ball 7 times and the refs didn't blatantly screw us.
Watching Farve torch Green Bay, twice, and piss off the entire state and fanbase , ,in 2009 , was absolutely glorious!
I would have been more then satisfied (to this very day) if that 09 team made the big game and won it...
But there is a flip side to that coin, and that is Packer fans lording over the purple fanbase how we couldn't win a SB without a castoff Packer QB lol!
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
purplefaithful wrote:
I would have been more then satisfied (to this very day) if that 09 team made the big game and won it...
But there is a flip side to that coin, and that is Packer fans lording over the purple fanbase how we couldn't win a SB without a castoff Packer QB lol!
I would not have cared in the absolute slightest if they said that. We would have a Lombardi
purplefaithful wrote:
No!
Nine was supposed to make me forget about seven...
It was the football gods way of giving back to me (us).
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
Shakespeare
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