Dustin Hoffman has the lead role in a new movie called “Last Chance Harvey,” the story of an aging bachelor pursuing a relationship. This summer it looks like the Vikings have a quarterback who could star in the sequel, “Last Chance Tarvaris.”
Tarvaris Jackson, 25, is headed toward year four with the team, perhaps his last with the franchise. He’s flirted with success but despite opportunities never became the team’s starter and 2009 is the last year of his contract.
Coach Brad Childress sent Jackson a message when the team acquired 30-year-old backup (usually) quarterback Sage Rosenfels from Houston. The Childress edict: both players will compete for the starting quarterback job. Even prior to acquiring Rosenfels, Childress intended for Jackson to compete with 37-year-old Gus Frerotte who started the most games (11) at quarterback for the Vikings last season.
Jackson and Rosenfels both need to produce better stats in 2009 than their career numbers. Jackson has thrown 20 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. Rosenfels, 30 touchdowns, 29 interceptions.
Rosenfels will have a better defense and running game for support here than in Houston. He said last week that having a dominant defense on his side can mean not forcing passes as he did last year in Houston. In 2008 Rosenfels threw six touchdown passes and eight interceptions while playing in six games, starting five.
Frerotte, who has been released, was a stabilizing influence in the locker room, a source told Sports Headliners last fall. That role could go to Rosenfels now helping to soothe any decision as to who the quarterback will be.
Rosenfels said he doesn’t know Jackson, but got along with other quarterbacks on previous teams during his NFL career and is willing to help Jackson if he can. “I do have some experience,” Rosenfels said. “Eight years in the league. I think both of us push(ing) each other, it will make each of us better and at the end of the day it will make this football team better.”
During the off-season and training camp Childress will watch the quarterbacks compete and evaluate. He won’t predict how he will divide up playing time in the pre-season games.
Jackson is an exceptional scrambler and that’s one distinction in the skills packages between him and Rosenfels. Childress was asked if there could be playing time for each quarterback in regular season games, even if it was minimal plays for one of them. The coach wouldn’t predict, emphasizing the decision rests, too, on what the abilities are of the offensive team.
“We may want to do something like this desperately, but can we in fact do it?” Childress asked. “Who are we? That’s what you attempt to locate as you come out of training camp.”