Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder faces the toughest test since his ascension to the starting job at the same time his team needs a savior from its prime-time ineptitude.

The Vikings enter Monday night’s game at Green Bay with a 2-8 record in their past 10 prime-time games and have been outscored 279-185 in those games, including a 39-10 pounding by Chicago in Week 6.

After recording a 4-2 record on “Monday Night Football” from 2005-08, the Vikings have lost four of their past five MNF games.

ESPN doesn’t plan to focus on the Vikings’ prime-time struggles. Bill Hofheimer, spokesman for “Monday Night Football,” said in an email that the broadcast team of Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico likely will discuss the state of the current Vikings (2-6) and “where the franchise goes from here with Ponder now at the helm.” Ponder’s early graduation from Florida State will be among the topics of discussion, Hofheimer said.

As if there won’t be enough eyes on Ponder, who will be playing in front of 70,000-plus fans at Lambeau Field who expect to watch the Packers go to 9-0.

For all the talk about the Vikings’ No. 1 draft pick being unafraid of big moments – coach Leslie Frazier called him “unflappable” this week – Monday night is the perfect stage for him to validate his coach’s words.

Ponder understands the enormity of the moment but doesn’t plan on it letting it affect his play.

“Undefeated team, at their house, in Lambeau, historic Lambeau, on Monday night, there’s a lot of things to get excited about,” Ponder said. “But you have to treat it like any other game….It will be an electrifying atmosphere, but the crowd’s not playing.”

Frazier is confident that Ponder, who completed 9 of 10 passes for 101 yards on third downs in a 24-21 win at Carolina on Oct. 30, can handle the pressure. In the Vikings’ 33-27 loss to the Packers at the Metrodome, Ponder threw for 219 yards despite completing 40.6 percent of his passes.

“I’ve got a feeling, whatever we tell him, he’s still going to be able to handle the situation,” Frazier said. “He’s shown an ability to not let the moment overwhelm him….He has a way about him for being able to handle situations. Now, of course, we’ll do some things to prep him, but I’ve got a feeling he’ll be able to absorb it.”

The level of opposition helps explain the Vikings’ prime-time woes: Seven of the nine teams the Vikings faced from 2009-10 made the playoffs the same year. And this year’s Bears, at 5-3, are poised for a second consecutive playoff run.

In Ponder’s prime-time debut as the starter, these Vikings have a different dynamic – and perhaps more optimism – than the 2010 team that went 0-4 in prime time under quarterback Brett Favre. Backup quarterback Joe Webb replaced an injured Favre to lead the Vikings to a snow-delayed, 24-14 win at Philadelphia on a Tuesday night.

The 2009 Vikings’ 1-3 prime-time record still seems unexplainable considering the team’s 12-4 finish on its way to the NFC championship game.

But the 2010 Vikings were marred by the poor play of Favre on the field and his off-the-field sexting scandal, the Randy Moss trade, the firing of Brad Childress and a Metrodome roof collapse that forced the team to play games at TCF Bank Stadium and Ford Field in Detroit.

The Vikings, through this season’s first six games, struggled to sustain drives with Donovan McNabb under center, a harsh reality on display in the ugly loss to Chicago. Ponder played in the fourth quarter and completed 9 of 17 passes for 99 yards.

Since then, Ponder has given the Vikings a downfield passing game, averaging nearly 15 yards per completion. Running back Adrian Peterson also has found some room to breathe, rushing for a season-high 175 yards against the Packers.

Frazier said the Vikings will add “some wrinkles” to combat Green Bay’s 3-4 defensive scheme but added, “It won’t be a lot of new offense.”

Ponder will be adding some pregame wrinkles, too, taking the field early to find the play clock, get a feel for the end zone and “get your depth perception right.”

That was Ponder’s routine as a Florida State quarterback when the Seminoles played rivalry games against Florida and Miami.

“I don’t really know what to expect,” Ponder said about playing at Lambeau.

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews expects Ponder to play well Monday night.

“He was very poised, made plays when he needed to,” Matthews said of the Oct. 23 game. “We don’t expect anything different.”

Frazier said he likely won’t shower Ponder with motivational speeches because “there’s not a whole lot that intimidates or frightens him.” He just wants to get him on the field to see how the rookie responds.

“Once you get out there and start playing, all of that goes by the wayside,” Frazier said about Ponder playing at Lambeau Field.