Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder turned the ball over four times in a Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions. Despite a playoff appearance last season, Ponder can't afford many more games like that if he wants to keep his job. Ponder is on a "much shorter leach" than anyone realizes," Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Sunday before the Vikings' game against the Chicago Bears. "Matt Cassel is in there doing all the right things," Glazer says. "I think fans look at it and think, 'This is Ponder's team.' No, from what I'm hearing inside that locker room, Ponder is on a much shorter leash than anyone has any idea about." Cassel, Ponder's backup, didn't play particularly well in the preseason for the Vikings, but he has started 62 games in his career. Ponder has started 27. Cassel struggled badly last season in Kansas City, but he's shown a few times in his career that he can be a competent-enough game manager as a starter. Source: NFL.com
