Struggling Ponder keeps upbeat, confident attitude

Christian Ponder has 22 starts for Minnesota in his NFL career. Many of his peers have enjoyed far more success in a similar amount of time, but Ponder said Wednesday he's not comparing himself to other quarterbacks around his age. He said he hopes he doesn't need much longer to find his rhythm on the job. Ponder blamed himself for the Vikings' 23-14 loss at Green Bay last Sunday. He threw two costly interceptions and didn't pass the 100-yard mark until a late drive. Despite the poor performance against the Packers, Ponder has had plenty to celebrate, however. He confirmed Wednesday he and his girlfriend Samantha Steele were engaged this week. With a smile, Ponder declined to be any more specific about their relationship. --- Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL