Perspective

It's tough being a fan. When the game ends the work really starts. Whether your team wins or loses you always want answers. Why did they do this or that? Why didn't they do this or that? After Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had a fairly brutal game against the Arizona Cardinals, Vikings fans were in a fever. What's wrong with Ponder? It didn't seem to matter that the Vikings won the game. It didn't seem to matter that the Cardinals have a very talented defense. In my long career as a Vikings fan I have often been guilty of explaining away any Vikings inefficiencies as something that they failed to do well enough. It was always on them. I couldn't accept or didn't think to accept the possibility that the Vikings' opponents had something to do with their issues. There was no way that the opponents' offense or defense made the plays that they needed to make. Through the years I've tried to remember that there are two football teams on that field trying to win the game. In this past game against the Cardinals, the Vikings defense had a difficult time keeping running back LaRod Stephens-Howling under control. The player whose teammates call "Hyphen" was terrific all day. He slipped past tackles. He broke tackles. The Vikings defense had been extremely efficient at tackling all season. They weren't very efficient at getting this Cardinal ball carrier to the ground. It's unlikely that they forgot how to accomplish this most basic of football skills in one game. Give "Hyphen" some credit. He played great. The Cardinals defense played great against the Vikings passing game as well. It wasn't so much what the Vikings did poorly. It was more what the Cardinals did well. It's all about your perspective.

The Vikings still need to tackle better and Ponder needs to play better.