To his credit, coach Brad Childress said Gus Frerotte will be the Vikings’ quarterback this season when he announced a change after the second game. Even a 37-year-old veteran like Frerotte benefits from a team environment where there’s a commitment to the starting quarterback.
Childress did no less for 25-year-old Tarvaris Jackson last season. He was the starter at the beginning of the 2007 season and even though he missed games because of injuries he was No. 1 when he returned.
Childress kept his commitment to Jackson during the 2008 pre-season. The third year quarterback looked improved, more confident and decisive. Then came a knee injury in game two of the pre-season and Jackson didn’t play in the team’s last two tune-up games. Jackson came back to start the first two games of the regular season but his play didn’t look sharp.
Vikings’ placekicker Ryan Longwell is a 12 year NFL veteran. He’s also a team captain and played with Brett Favre in Green Bay for nine seasons. He was asked last week about the Childress commitment to Frerotte as the starter for the rest of the season.
“I just think you want a chance over the long haul to just know that you’re the guy,” Longwell said. “I think it gives you a lot of confidence. It gives some stability to the team and to the offense (that) it’s not going to be in and out. It’s just steady Eddy and I think that’s important for an organization, too.”
The statistics for Jackson and Frerotte are similar so far. Each has started two games. Jackson has completed 31 of 60 passes, with one touchdown and one interception. Frerottte is 41 of 71, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Jackson’s quarterback rating is 65.7, Frerotte’s is 70.7.
Neither quarterback has had a lot of help from his receivers. Dropped balls and inconsistency characterize the performances. Slot receiver Bobby Wade has been about the only guy to brag on a little. He leads the team with 13 catches.
Starting tonight in New Orleans against the Saints (2-2), the 1-3 Vikings need a better passing game. The Vikings rank 21st in the 32 team NFL in passing, while the Saints defense is 29th against the pass. Offensively the Saints are No. 1 in passing at 327.2 yards per game. The Vikings rank 16th in passing defense (207.5 per game).
The Vikings’ can put a temporary stop to a lot of local negativity about their start to the season. Otherwise, at 1-4 coaches and players could be welcomed home next Sunday with a serenade of boos for the Detroit game.
In the meantime, Jackson will sit and watch. Longwell sees the positive side of that role. “I think if he approaches it the right way, like it looks like has, he can do wonders for himself in the future,” Longwell said. “Whether that’s later this year, or tomorrow, or two years from now. Who knows? But you gotta prepare yourself, and you can learn a lot from just being around and watching the game unfold.”