Christian Ponder: What Should We Expect from Minnesota Vikings QB in 2012?

The quarterback class of 2011 was a mixed bag last year. Some, like Cam Newton, exceeded expectations. Some, like Blaine Gabbert, struggled under center. Some, like Jake Locker, are still waiting for their real shot.

Christian Ponder falls somewhere in the middle of all that. He was thrown to the wolves before the team was ready and he played less than stellar football.

His numbers after taking over for Donovan McNabb were all over the place, and his interceptions equaled his touchdown total of 13. He was hit pretty often and lacked a consistent weapon to throw to not named "Percy Harvin." Losing Adrian Peterson was just icing on the garbage cake.

When your second favorite target is Devin Aromashodu and he drops balls like they're on fire, you've got problems.

Aside from the lack of weapons, one aspect of his game to look at is sacks. Ponder was sacked 30 times, which isn't a small number (especially for a rookie and one who played less games than most of the other starters). In fact, it's not even the most sacks in the division.

Both Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers were sacked 36 times. You could argue that it affected them less as they have far better players around them, or you could point to their experience as to how they didn't let it drag them down.

Either way, Ponder was sacked far less than you might think.

The second year is always an important one for a quarterback. Players who had great rookie years often come back down to earth, as teams have a year's worth of tape to examine so they can counter the young quarterback.

What does the second year hold for a player who struggled his first year?

They have less room to regress and yet teams have the same amount of games as players who knocked it out of the park their rookie year. In Ponder's case, a few less games, but still plenty of film to look at.

So aside from the lack of weapons, he will now be facing defenses who are more adequately prepared to make his life miserable.

There is a positive side to all this, though.

He has a year of experience under his belt, and he can take what he learned and apply it this season. Also, consider that last year he wasn't the starter so he got less attention and reps in practice during the offseason, and there really wasn't an offseason because of the lockout.

Many rookies struggled last year at many different positions. No offseason meant less time to absorb a playbook, less one-on-one attention, less practice.

All of that hurts a player. Especially a quarterback.

As prepared as he might have been before he took his first snap as a starter, he could have been so much more prepared had the offseason been anything like normal.

So this year, we will see a Ponder who has had a full year with his coaches, learning plays, getting his mechanics and timing down and working with his receivers.

All this is to say that you need to remain patient. Ponder will, in all likelihood, have a rough second year. He'll continue to have growing pains, throw some good balls and some awful ones, but he'll get better.

Expect Ponder to take better care of the ball, seem a little less skittish in the pocket and work through his progressions more smoothly.

He won't be flawless, not even close. He will be better and take a step forward.

If, at the end, he can increase his touchdowns and decrease his interceptions a bit, I'd say that's good progress.

He won't take you to the Super Bowl in 2012.

What he will do is continue to take solid steps forward so that one day he can take you there.