Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder snapped out of a funk in Sunday's 34-24 win over Detroit. Ponder went 24-for-32 for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked only once, didn't turn the ball over and added 15 rushing yards.
With Percy Harvin – the NFL's receptions leader heading into Sunday – sidelined with a sprained left ankle, the Vikings offense had to turn elsewhere for aid. Adrian Peterson's 171 rushing yards certainly helped. But Ponder also completed passes to 10 different players and the Vikings coaching staff did its best to open up the field with subtle schematic adjustments. Here's a quick statistical breakdown of Ponder's day.
BY TARGETTo receivers: 9-for-14, 136 yards, one TDTo tight ends: 8-for-10, 75 yards, one TDTo running backs: 6-for-7, 25 yardsTo himself: 1-for-1, minus-15 yards BY FIELDOutside the numbers, right: 4-for-5, 19 yardsOutside the numbers, left: 8-for-9, 53 yards, one TDBetween the numbers: 12-for-18, 149 yards, one TD BY DEPTHPasses thrown to players at or behind the line of scrimmage: 8-for-9, 9 yardsPasses throw 1-10 yards downfield: 11-for-16, 71 yards, two TDsPasses thrown more than 10 yards downfield: 5-for-7, 131 yards
