Minnesota Vikings: Playing Christian Ponder Would Give Vikings the Tebow Effect

Most Denver Broncos fans got their wish on Sunday when the Broncos benched quarterback Kyle Orton in favor of the infamous Tim Tebow. It’s not often that the Minnesota Vikings should take a play out of the Broncos' playbook, but they should take this one.

Granted the Vikings beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but once again quarterback Donovan McNabb did not look impressive at all and he looked beat. McNabb only completed 10 of 21 passes and only threw for 169 yards, which isn't as bad as the 40 some yards against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, but it’s still not impressive.

In fact, if running back Adrian Peterson didn't go crazy in the first quarter, there may not be a question of whom the Vikings' quarterback should be.

The Broncos did lose today, but one thing really important happened: Everyone played harder when Tebow came in the game. Wideouts tried harder to get open and running backs ran harder—a new quarterback gives a team a whole new life.

The Vikings did win and this week is probably not the most perfect time to switch QBs, but time is quickly running out for Minnesota to figure out what it has in Christian Ponder.

We have years of tape on McNabb, we know what he is. He definitely hasn't shown that he’s any different than he what he was in Washington last year, so play the rookie.

Playing Ponder will show what he has. It tells the Vikings if they have a quarterback or if they need to go after one in the offseason. The Vikings have nothing to lose; even with this win, they’re far behind the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.  If Ponder fails, you move on. Maybe you even “Suck for Luck.”

I know I sound like a broken record. I said last week that the Vikings should start Ponder, but the Broncos bringing in Tebow emphasized how much a new quarterback adds to a team. It adds a fire.

The NFL season isn't like Madden 12—if things go bad, you can’t just restart your franchise mode, but you can make fixes midseason. A way to start anew is by bringing in a new QB.

The Vikings play the Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears this upcoming week and what a way to test the kid; first NFL start under the lights on national television.

McNabb will probably be the starter for another week or two, but that’s critical time in which the Vikings could be figuring out what they have in Ponder. Go the road less traveled, put in Ponder, and embrace the Tim Tebow effect.