Fan Pulse: Jackson out; fans debate if it’s his fault

By Neal Coolong  |   Thursday, September 18, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Minnesota Vikings
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On Wednesday, Minnesota benched quarterback Tarvaris Jackson after starting the season with two losses.

Vikings coach Brad Childress was behind the deal in 2006 that saw the Vikings trade up to get back into the second round to take the former Division I-AA QB, and it made some wonder then what he was thinking.

Jackson, whose replacement is Gus Frerotte, is 26th in the league with a 64.8 passer rating, and his lack of ability to convert a third-down pass against Indianapolis (the team was 3 of 12 in those situations Sunday) was one of the main factors behind the Vikings' failure to hang on to a 15-0 lead.

It seems to go deeper than that, though.

Vikings fans at the Purple Pride Message Board have had enough of Jackson, but they seem to be just as fed up with the play selection of Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as well. In a poll posted on the "Official Tarvaris Jackson Thread," two-thirds of the voters said the woes of their futile passing attack are the fault of a combination of the play-calling from Childress and Bevell's as well as Jackson's ineptitude.

To be fair, Jackson clearly does not draw the same route selection as, say, Colts QB Peyton Manning. Jackson struggled with every throw in the Vikings' arsenal over two games, rarely being able to successfully complete any pass over 5 yards. That has an impact on the game plan. If the QB can't make that throw, why would it be called during a game?

The question really becomes: Which throws can Frerotte make?

One poster provides some evidence behind why he feels Jackson is truly the problem in Minnesota.

"The fact that Indy put 8 and sometimes 9 guys in the box to stop (Adrian) Peterson, should tell you that T-Jack can't find the open guy! As far as out playing a championship caliber team, the only stat that counts is the scoreboard. He is the absolutely the worst quarterback in the league and Childress is a fool for staying with him."

In Jackson's defense, and another shot at Childress, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe dropped a nicely thrown pass in the end zone against the Colts, forcing the Vikings to settle for their second field goal of the five they got versus Indy. One poster acknowledged that in his vote on the poll.

"I voted for 'other' because I think the most glaring problem is the total lack of ability of our receivers to catch a freaking pass! I see wideouts all across the league making spectacular grabs that make their qb look good and in turn I'm sure it boosts the qb's confidence."

Childress will be forever linked with Jackson's success (or lack thereof). He got the start in the last two games of a throwaway 2006 season, and was named the starter in 2007 -- just one year removed from being drafted from Alabama State. One poster feels if the Vikings would have had a stronger veteran presence and not given Jackson the job by default, they may not have been forced to bench him now and risk destroying what's left of his confidence.

"Another issue I've had about the handling of Jackson is that he's NEVER had to COMPETE for the starting QB job. I believe competition is healthy, and brings out the best in just about everyone, and I would have felt better about his overall progress if he actually had to beat out a guy with more QB experience than him for the job. Again, I suppose a lack of options hindered their abilty to go in this direction."

Casting aside the rhetoric of an early season quarterback change, Frerotte needs to lead this team to a win over Carolina in Week 3, or it may be Childress and Bevell on their way out of Minnesota.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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