Carson Palmer, the Madden NFL 24’s 16th-rated passer last season, attempted 141 passes between 11-20 yards, and completed 48.2 percent of them — only three percent better than Ponder MUT 24 Coins. Palmer, however, attempted nearly double the amount of passes in that range, and only threw five interceptions (and he threw five touchdowns).

Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford finished the season as the 18th-rated passer in the Madden NFL 24 and attempted 86 passes between 11-20 yards — just two fewer than Ponder. Bradford, however, completed 51.2 percent of his passes in that range, while throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions, and posted a quarterback rating of 79.9.

Andy Dalton, who the Bengals took in the second round of the 2011 Madden NFL 24 Draft, completed 49-of-94 passes between 11-20 yards (52.1 percent), while throwing nine touchdowns and four interceptions — good for a QB rating of 100.6. Sure, it helps to have A.J. Green, but it also helps to have Adrian Peterson as a running back, a luxury that Dalton doesn’t have.

Ponder’s downfield passing numbers are clearly below average, and for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, that simply won’t suffice. Ponder has to improve, if for no other reason than to buy MUT Coins Madden 24 ease the burden on reigning Madden NFL 24 MVP, Adrian Peterson.