Ponder and Webb were an embarrassment at the end of last season. I felt sorry for the GB fanz. Wilson just kept getting better and better.
Do I worship Wilson? Ya I spoz I do. Players like him come around once in a lifetime. We are lucky to have him. If you are as big a fan as I you recognise the talent of a guy like Russell Wilson and appreciate the fortune you enjoy having him on your team. I'm not the only football fan that holds Wilson in high regard. He is second only to Colin Kaepernick in football jersey sales nation wide. And that is without my help as I don't have a current jersey. Mine is a Matt Hasselbeck.
What with all the bad news we get shoveled in our faces daly by the media it is nice to have something or someone that is truly working to make my life more enjoyable.
Ponder had about as good a season as he could have with that abysmal WR corps and that mediocre o-line. I'm not high on Ponder. I think the Vikngs over-reached for him. But, he played decent.
Webb's not an embarrassment. He's just a terrible QB. I think the Vikings gave him a chance to improve b/c of those amazing wheels. He'll likely convert to WR or be a career back-up.
Wilson played great last year. But, it was only one year. Lots of QBs have a good year or two and then break down.
To circle back to my point, I"m not sure there's even a huge difference between Wilson and Ponder at this point.
I don't want to come off as a dick but I have to dissagree with your assessment of Wilson's rookie year compared to Ponders 2nd year. Wilson sucked hind tit in his first few games. We were 4-4 at mid point of the year. There was even talk about benching him in flavor of Flynn. He seemed too tenative and reluctant to do anything for fear of making a mistake. Then a light seemed to go on in his head and the last eight games of the reg season he was 7-1. The first 8 games Wilson threw 7 ints last 8 games 3 ints. Maybe there were several factors that precipitated the change. The O-line started working better. The receivers started catching the ball instead of dropping passes. AND Carroll gave Wilson more latitude to run out of the pocket and extend the plays sometimes when they would break down.
Comparing Wilson to Ponder is lame. Ponder seemed to get worse as the 2012 season progressed and Wilson got better..WAY better. It seems the more that was on the line Wilson stepped up and responded with a clearer head, better throws and better footwork to make more out of what was given to him by the defenses.
Ponder has been a QB in the league since 2011 with stats Career: 27 G, 31 TD, 77.1 Rate, 177.3 Y/G, Vikings 2011-2012 31 TDs in 27 games. Wilson had 26 throwing TDs and 4 rushing TDs in just 16 games. Ponder's QB rating was 76 and Wilson's 100. He was off the charts at a QB rating of something like 135 in his last 8 games.
I just don't see any comparison at all. Wilson tied Paeyton Mannings rookie record of 26 TD's in the first year. TIED the record! Actually broke it if ya count the 4 rushing TDs. Ponder wasn't threatening to break any records in his rookie season.
Maybe one could compare Wilson's first eight games with Ponders whole career as they had a similar QB rating during those two time spans.
Wilson was arguably and certainly statistically the best QB in the NFL in his last 8 games in 2012. Ponder not so much.
There is no reason to believe that Russell Wilson will take a step backwards in 2013. If he continues on as he played the last 8 reg season games of 2012 he will be the best QB in the NFL in 2013.
I could see your point if Wilson just had a couple of hot games in 2012. He had 8 in a row all at the end of the season as the games all became more and more importatnt leading into the playoffs where his four TDs in Atlanta would have been the best comeback in the history of the playoffs by any QB ever ...that is if the Seahawk defense hadn't given Atlanta 58 yards and the winning last 13 seconds FG. That loss was certainly not Russell Wilson's fault.
Am I enamured by our QB...damned skippy!
Go Hawks!
