After the Vikings fell to 0-3 on Sunday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said it was unfair for the team’s fans to shower quarterback Christian Ponder with boos.
The team’s quarterbacks coach has a different opinion. Craig Johnson said that he still believes in Ponder and that the quarterback “has done a lot of good things,” but that he has to accept that criticism come with the position.
“The bottom line is -- and he knows this -- if you do not win the game, you’re getting the blame,” Johnson said, via Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “That’s just the way it is. Suck it up. You’re no different than quarterbacks in every other part of the country. When you lose, you’re getting the blame. That’s part of the deal.”
Ponder admits to being frustrated but said that his confidence hasn’t suffered in the three losses to start the season. Confidence in him will likely start to waver if the team keeps losing while Ponder fails to show signs of improvement in his third year, however, and that could mean a quarterback change that signals a bigger change at the position come the offseason.