The Minnesota Vikings listed a surprise name on their injury report Thursday: starting quarterback Christian Ponder.
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The NFL's second-ranked quarterback in completion percentage was limited in practice Thursday because of a neck injury. KSTP-AM in St. Paul reported that Ponder still is expected to start Sunday at Detroit.
So it doesn't sound like the neck injury will be a long-term issue for Ponder, who's also ranked among the NFL leaders in passer rating and yards per attempt.
That's good news, too. A win Sunday over the Lions would turn the Vikings from a cute early story to real contenders in the NFC North. At 3-1, they would match their win total from a year ago and put the Lions at 1-3.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.