The Vikings were expected to struggle greatly this week, as the Texans represent the AFC’s best, but they made it look easy as they cruised to victory.
A number of individual performances contributed to the win, but none really stand far out above the rest, so now you have the tough task of casting a single vote for this week’s VT game ball.
Here are your nominees:
CHRISTIAN PONDER: 16 of 30 for 174 yards and a touchdown. Seven runs for 48 yards.
ADRIAN PETERSON: 25 runs for 86 yards. One catch for 4 yards.
JARIUS WRIGHT: Five catches for 53 yards. One run for 8 yards.
BLAIR WALSH: Three for three on field goals (56, 41, 39) and two extra points.
HARRISON SMITH: Seven tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
ANTOINE WINFIELD: Five tackles, one sack.
JASPER BRINKLEY: Three tackles, one forced fumble.
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I went with Harrison Smith just because he's a safety and WHITE. You just never see that.
:)
If the whole defensive line was on the list, I would have went with them. They dominated a very good running team today. Hell, Ponder out gained them himself!
I went for Harry Smith too, Fran. I would've voted "entire D" if it was an option. Holding the Texans to 6 points in Houston, at a game the Texans really wanted to win is very impressive.
However, I think that since he's showing promise and finishing out a great season, we really need to think about trading him. Maybe we can package him with Jared, Percy and AD.
Lol Tomb geez. I went with Smith also with the same thought on entire defense. I think Texans offense got frustrated and couldnt recover. I'm really starting to like Al Williams, he's getting things figured out.
Ha! I guess I deserved that, always talking about trading our best players but Man, I'm an old guy and scared that I may not live to see The Vikes win the big one. I've seen them lose 4 SB's now and they haven't even been to one in decades.
As far as I'm concerned, whatever it takes and whoever we have to trade, to get there again.
Dallas lost today and the Giants are getting their ass kicked. Getting closer to that wildcard.
A chip and a chair. . .
I know what you're saying Fran, I too want to see a SB win before all that's left of Tomb is a Tombstone...
I can "kind of" see your point about Jared Allen, but the other guys not so much. They are scary good.
the D deserves the most credit, but for one choice, ponder, with 222 total yards
As of this comment Ponder is winning the poll.
I almost didn't even include him.
Has it been that long since Vikings fans have seen good quarterback play that they forgot what it looks like?
It has been 2 years Adam.
if you had a choice of, 'they were flat', i'd have considered that, too
i have to add that we played a great game today. excellent team win. i had a coach who said, "it's not our fault they're shitty"
the big takeaway for me, and it's almost shocking, is that we've got nine wins with another game to play, and the post-season at stake. wow
Adam, I would guess that much of that's a kneejerk reaction to the perceived negativity from some of us against Mr. Ponder.
want more ponder hate fuel? if he hadn't thrown two ints at gb, we'd be playing for the division title next week
"perceived negativity"? Consider me a victim of such perceptions. I will try to be more understanding of the intended analysis of said QB.
10-9 Smith now
we're surprising, winning three games of this last four, so far, that was considered our waterloo
The end of this season has been exciting enough to motivate my search for NFL Football in Central America.
I went with Jarius Wright because I want to encourage the lad. If he has a game like this most weeks, he will be a solid starter.
I have been so so happy with Harry Smith, it brings tears to my eyes to watch him play.
A skol to all of you! Happy Holidays!
Great to hear from you Starr and a big Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs.
How many weeks have I heard "Ponder had nothing to do with winning today."? Well, he accounted for 222 yards on this day. He averaged 7 yards per run and 6 yards per passing attempt. Peterson averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Can we say that Ponder at least had something to do with winning today? (sarcasm)
"Christian had a terrific day throughout, playing with a lot of poise, a lot of control -- he did all the things we needed," Frazier said.
Game ball to Ponder. (way more obvious than some of you are admitting - second place Harrison Smith)
Haha, a Leslie Frazier quote being supportive of Christian Ponder? Where did you dig that one up? Every press conference since the day they drafted him?
Look, I want the kid to succeed, I do. But there has been far more Joey Harrington showing up on Sunday's than Fran Tarkenton. Speaking of Fran, who this week described the Vikings as a "kindergarten" passing attack, I wonder if Ponder's "game ball production" upgraded us to 1st grade.
Let's look at it this way Adam...
For the past 6 weeks, I would dare say a majority of Viking fans and nearly all NFL "experts" had this game penciled in as a Texan win. If you told them on top of that the fact that Adrian would rush 25 times for 86 yards, anyone left picking the Vikings would have jumped ship. Tell me you're with me on that, lets get some common ground.
So how do we then explain a 23-6 win on the road in the stadium of the ready-to-be #1 AFC seed? Yes, a wonderful effort by the Vikes defense, no question. Houston a little flat? Perhaps. But you cannot deny that our QB made of number of critical plays, runs and passes, on third down to keep the time of possession well in our favor. To be sure, this isn't the New Orleans offense. But as Leslie reminds us, "We are winning the way we are designed to win." And when Adrian wasn't our Ace in the whole, Ponder was. Let's give the man some credit for gosh sakes.
Dear Mr. Tomb,
You didn't really think I would let this get buried in the archives, now did you?
"Easy there, Pollyanna. By all means, savor the flavor of a victory, but playoffs? I haven’t seen this kind of denial since Aaron Rodgers proposed to a woman. Let me be clear: I am a stalwart Vikings fan who vastly enjoyed this particular win, but we will not–I repeat–NOT make the playoffs this season." Tomb - Dec. 13, 2012
I'm posting this now, with one week to go, so that you have the chance to alter / temper your position slightly, or completely. Of course, if you choose to stand pat, and we beat the Packers next week, your credibility will be somewhere in the Norv Turner vicinity. How is it you often word this... "What say you?"
Sincerely,
Pollyanna
You know what's weird, I could just repost that comment this week.
“Easy there, Pollyanna. By all means, savor the flavor of a victory, but playoffs? I haven’t seen this kind of denial since Aaron Rodgers proposed to a woman. Let me be clear: I am a stalwart Vikings fan who vastly enjoyed this particular win, but we will not–I repeat–NOT make the playoffs this season.” Tomb – Dec. 22, 2012
At this point I sort of have to, right? Either of two things happen: our beloved Vikings beat the hated Packers at home and make the playoffs, and we all rejoice while I happily eat crow (or perhaps lose and back into the playoffs in a less satisfying dance card).
Or, we lose and fate deals us no postseason, and the only thing I have left is that I was right. Extremely small solace, but at that point, what else do I have?
So, I hope you're right, Pollyanna, but I fear you're wrong.
Not buying that. Be honest here, sir, you had us eliminated long before game #16. The fact we are in with one week to go already has you wrong to some degree, and we all know it.
I said we wouldn't make the playoffs.
I just checked, and we aren't locked in.
AGAIN, I hope I'm wrong, but I still don't think so. Admittedly, I'm actually giving us a chance now, so if you want to latch onto that, I'll be happy to oblige you.
It's okay Tomb. You're not alone, I think there were 2-3 others sticking that fork in.
Adam? Skol?
Well, to really have a good chance, I saw us needing to win out the last 3 games...and to be fair, we still haven't done that. We are 2/3rds of the way there, but not quite there.
Having said that, I'm definitely surprised we won today. Huge props to the defense. I think, as far as offense, the Texans sold out to stopping Peterson. While they may have won that battle, they lost the war. That's what they get, and we reap the benefits and are the victors on this day.
I'm in tombs corner here. A Viking win would be great but the packers have been playing great ball and are a better team(mostly thanks to 1 player).
The optimist: The Vikings are in the playoffs, no question
The pessimist: our year is over, we can't beat the all mighy fudge packers
The realist: odds are the packers will win and end our season, I will hope until the last minute we can pull off the upset but I'm not getting my hopes up
Coach, I cannot and did not deny that "our QB made of number of critical plays, runs and passes, on third down to keep the time of possession well in our favor."
You are the one doing the denying here, as you seem to be under the impression that our passing offense does not, at times, look lost. Am I wrong?
Could our passing attack be better? MOST definitely. As I said long ago (its on record), the Vikings clearly made a decision to live with a marginal group of receivers when they chose a safety and a LT in the first round. I think those were excellent picks. Now, one of the NFL's most productive receivers is sitting on their IR. Yes, with their current and available personnel, passing is not their strength.
We know that. Its who we are. Do they look "lost"? No, I don't think they do. Francis wants to call them a kindergarten attack? Fine. They look like what we should expect, given the paragraph above. Are we really waiting for Ponder to come out and light it up for 300+? Who will he throw to for yards like that? Yes our top 3 receivers have all had some success with other teams, but not when they play together as a group of 3 - they relied on others getting #1 attention.
Leslie's quotes are ringing true. "We're winning the way we were designed to win." "Ponder did what we needed him to do." Maybe we're in more agreement than I think, I'm just saying that we are not seeing the failure of a second year QB because of how many passing yards we are producing.
"Chad Greenway said the game plan was to choke off the Texans' running game, which would hamper their ability to use play action and bootlegs. It worked." (J. Souhan, Star-Tribune)
As I have often said, when the Viking stop the run, they win.
NFCCG against the taints. taints rushing yards: 68.
My bad. (Good research!)
As I have often said, when the Viking stop the run, they usually win.
I knew that was what you meant, just wanted to help get you there old friend!
Really? You went there?
I know, I should be bitch slapped for even bringing it up, but Coach was one me like fat on Gerhart's face. I had to do something!
it's more the turnovers, coach, the turnovers. i keep telling you
and congrats for posting after 10:30 pm
Thank you Cal.