When the 3-6 Minnesota Vikings play host to Daunte Culpepper's 2-7 Oakland Raiders this weekend, Minnesota Viking starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will be in the line up. Jackson has been injured three times this season, exiting a game in week two against Detroit with a groin injury, and missing two weeks. Upon his return Jackson played two more weeks and was sidelined against the Dallas Cowboys with a broken finger on his throwing hand. T-Jack sat one week and missed that game against Philadelphia, and returned in time for the San Diego game. Jackson was then hurt again with a neck injury and did not play last week in Green Bay.
The Minnesota Vikings had used back up quarterback Kelly Holcomb all season when Jackson was out, but Holcomb was sidelined with a concussion on a missed face mask that drove his head into the ground in week eight against Philadelphia. That left third string quarterback Brooks Bollinger. Bollinger made his first start of the season against the Green Bay Packers, and what a disaster. Bollinger completed 16 of 26 passes for 176 yards, threw one interception, no touchdowns, and was sacked twice in a 34-0 defeat. Minnesota was so desperate, they went out and hired Koy Detmer for one week, payed his 90+ thousand dollars, then cut him.
This week our Minnesota Vikings are back at home in the safe confines of the Metrodome. The Vikings will be facing former teammate Daunte Culpepper for the first time since he left Minnesota in 2006. Tarvaris Jackson will get the start in hopes of turning around his personal season and make something of himself. Many fans all around are questioning if Jackson can even make it in this league. With a dismal 46.4% (56/110) pass completion ratio, and a 50.6% passer rating, Jackson looks like he should be playing somewhere in the Arena League.
I like Tarvaris Jackson, and see the unfortunate situation he has been put in. Jackson was a back up quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks for one season before deciding to return home and attend Alabama State University. Jackson had some good success there and played for three seasons and helped lead his team to two division titles, and two bowl appearances. There would have been three of each, but in Jackson's final season, the team was 6-1, before losing their last three games of the season by a total of 14 points.
Jackson was ranked 7th in SWAC Conference history with 67 touchdown passes, and 9th in SWAC history in passing yards with 7,839. T-jack did all this in just three seasons in the league. Jackson was a very formidable player and athlete in the SWAC Conference, and our Minnesota Vikings saw that in him and drafted him in the second round.
I see Jackson as being capable of making it in this league, but only if he is prepared properly. Jackson needs about two years behind a good veteran quarterback like Donovan McNabb for example. A player like McNabb who has great success could really benefit Tarvaris and get him ready to play successfully in this league. I also heard on a pre-game show a few weeks back that McNabb would like to come to Minnesota and teach Jackson for a year or two to help him better prepare for the NFL. I believe that is a sign that even Donovan McNabb sees Jackson as a starting quarterback in this league, and him being successful in a Viking uniform. Jackson has been injured a few times this season, but I have yet to see him as injury prone. he had very few injuries in college.
Hopefully for Jackson, head coach Brad Childress, who has impressed no one, has the intelligence of recognizing this and doing something about it. Thus far, Childress has proven to be too head strong to take suggestions from anyone, and rarely admits to mistakes unless it benefits him. Childress needs to step back, reconsider his position on Jackson as the starter for now, and get a strong veteran quarterback like McNabb to train Tarvaris Jackson and get him ready to be the team leader and starter in the 2009 or 2010 season. I believe that one or two seasons behind McNabb, will benefit Jackson and get him ready for the NFL.
SKOL JACKSON!!!!
&
SKOL VIKINGS!!!!
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