Did the Vikings draft the wrong quarterback in 2011?
The answer isn’t so easy to finalize—at least yet. Christian Ponder was chosen by the Vikings with the No. 12 selection in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. No other quarterback was then selected until the Bengals chose Andy Dalton in the second round with the No. 35 pick in the draft.
Before the draft, former Viking Bob Lurtsema was praising Dalton to Sports Headliners. Reached by telephone on Monday, Lurtsema, who is still close to the Vikings and was in Seattle for the Seahawks game last Sunday, said that based on 1.5 NFL seasons Dalton would have been the “far better” choice for Minnesota.
Dalton made the Bengals and a lot of other admirers look good in his rookie season of 2011. His numbers included 20 touchdown passes. Even more important he helped lead the Bengals to the playoffs for only the third time since 1991.
But Dalton has hit something of a sophomore slump, throwing five interceptions in his last three games. Lurtsema, a former defensive lineman, said there is such a thing as a sophomore jinx and the problem is “you start thinking more” than is needed.
Dalton has passed for 2,130 yards this season, ranking No. 12 in the NFL, while throwing for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Pretty comparable to Ponder’s 1,806 yards, 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Their passer ratings are 86.7 Dalton, 82.0 Ponder.
Dalton’s Bengals are 3-5 while Ponder’s Vikings are 5-4. The Bengals have lost four consecutive games while the Vikings have been losers in two straight.
Not surprisingly, Lurtsema described Sunday’s Vikings home game with the 4-4 Lions as “huge,” and he hopes Ponder will shake off his Seattle performance that included no touchdown passes and 11 of 22 pass completions.
“I just hope he’s not playing scared because he’s missing a lot of open receivers,” Lurtsema said. “Trying to be perfect—rather than going with instincts—can really take a toll on your game.”
Not just Dalton and Ponder from the quarterback class of 2011 are struggling. No. 1 pick Cam Newton was sometimes the face of the NFL last season but in 2012 his numbers are humble including just six touchdown passes. Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert, quarterback first round picks at No. 8 and 10, have had their struggles, past and present. Their teams, the Titans and Jaguars, have combined records of 4-13.
Playing quarterback in the NFL is perhaps the most difficult position in sports and a second-year player can still have a big learning curve in front of him. A lot of factors impact success, including teammates, injuries, coaching and the opposition. And what’s between a quarterback’s ears—meaning his confidence, belief in his system and ability to make adjustments—can be the kind of stuff that can challenge a quarterback in his second season, regardless of whether the rookie year was boom or bust.
Allow two more years and then judge whether Dalton, the redhead from TCU, would have looked better in purple than Ponder.
Worth Noting
Ponder passed for 63 yards and had a passer rating of 37.3 in Sunday’s loss to Seattle, the Vikings’ third defeat in the last four games. Carlos Monarrez, writing for the Detroit Free Press on Monday, said “Minneapolis is now officially panic central” after the Vikings started the season 4-1.
“Looks like the Vikings are who we thought they were, namely a good defensive team that overachieved early on offense and now has regressed to the mean,” Monarrez wrote on freep.com.
Uh, oh. There goes the Redskins Rule that said if Washington, D.C.’s NFL team lost its most recent home game prior to the presidential election the non-incumbent candidate wins the White House. The Redskins lost at home on Sunday but Mitt Romney also lost the election yesterday to President Barack Obama.
The Gophers play at Illinois on Saturday, facing an Illini team that has lost six consecutive games. With three games remaining on the schedule, the 2-7 Illini have no chance to qualify for a bowl game.
Minnesota, though, has a 5-4 record and can become bowl eligible if the Gophers win against a team that has lost by two touchdowns or more in its six losses. On Monday the dailyillini.com quoted quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase as saying the Illini are playing only for the “love of the game” now.
Gophers coach Jerry Kill talked about injuries yesterday and said receivers A.J. Barker and Derrick Engel are questionable for Saturday’s game. Offensive tackle Ed Olson may be available.
Charlie Strong was Florida’s defensive coordinator in January of 2007 when the Gophers head football job was open. The Gophers chose Tim Brewster but it is believed Strong might have taken the job if offered. Strong became Louisville’s head coach in 2009 and this season the 9-0 Cardinals are ranked No. 9 in the BCS top 25.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Strong’s name was mentioned to succeed coach Derek Dooley at Tennessee. The Vols are 0-5 in SEC games, 4-5 overall.
The Gophers are averaging 47,043 fans per game in attendance, lowest of their four seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. Does a new stadium guarantee attendance success? Maybe not. The last three seasons in the Metrodome the Gophers averaged 52,206, 51,791 and 48,958. Minnesota’s on-campus stadium has a capacity of 50,805 (about 14,000 fewer seats than the Metrodome) but the Gophers have only sold out one game during the last two seasons.
Brainerd coach Ron Stolski, the winningest prep football coach in state history, is looking forward to 2013. In Brainerd’s final game this fall he started eight juniors and one sophomore on offense. “Year 52 coming up. Have as much interest, enthusiasm and passion as ever,” Stolski said via email.
Wolves guard Brandon Roy, trying to make an NBA comeback after not playing last season, has made just 0.292 percent of his field goals while averaging 6.7 points in three games. He is averaging 4.3 assists per game. The Wolves play the Magic at home tonight, Minnesota’s second regular season home game.
The Gophers have two potential NBA first round draft choices in senior forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams but the team MVP could well be sophomore Andre Hollins. As the point guard, he’s the floor leader including late in games when the Gophers have often had problems closing out opponents. Hollins can create his own shot, drive to the basket or make outside jumpers.
The Gophers open their nonconference schedule on Friday night against American University, the Washington, D.C.based-school that is a member of the Patriot League. Last season the Eagles were 20-12 and are coached by Jeff Jones who played for Virginia against the Gophers and Kevin McHale in the 1980 NIT championship game. Jones was head coach at Virginia when he was 29 years old.
The Eagles have seven seniors on their roster. Junior center Tony Wroblicky had 18 rebounds in an exhibition game win over Mary Washington.
Gophers hockey coach Don Lucia will earn bonuses if his team wins the WCHA title and national championship. The Gophers have been ranked first or second nationally in polls this fall.
Notable former Twins in free agency this off-season are Torii Hunter, Francisco Liriano, Kyle Lohse, A.J. Pierzynski and Delmon Young. Bet your Target Field opening game tickets none of them will be pursued by the Twins.
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