T-Jack Benched

[boiga]

:lol:

JACKSON BENCHED, FREROTTE TO START FOR VIKINGS
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2008, 12:58 p.m. EDT

Two games into the season, the Minnesota Vikings have made a change at quarterback.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Gus Frerotte will replace Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

So far this season Jackson has completed 30 of 59 passes for 308 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Frerotte started three games for the Vikings last season and completed 94 of 167 passes for 1,014 yards, with seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/17/jackson-benched-frerotte-to-start-for-vikings/#respond

[packers11]

nooooooo... now they have a chance...

[MadtownPacker]

So did they go from bad to worse? Kinda hard to tell.

[Scott Campbell]

Oh crap.

[bobblehead]

Nothing to lose from this, TJack was sucking hard.

[gbgary]

so they've gone to the head-banging gus frerotte. they'll need to keep him away from the stadium walls.

[swede]

Didn't Gus get his first letter from AARP this week?

Edit: Naww. He's only 37.

Gus has a way of helping his new team not suck for about 8 games. I think this is probably a good move for the Vikes.

[mngolf19]

From Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/28527134.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD 3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUX

Gus Frerotte will start at quarterback for the Vikings this week and for the rest of the season.

Coach Brad Childress replaced struggling third-year start Tarvaris Jackson on Wednesday, saying “this is not a death knell [for Jackson], but I’m not going to play checkers” at the quarterback position “and change from week to week.”

The Vikings, with playoff aspirations, started the season 0-2, with losses to Green Bay and Indianapolis.

Frerotte, 37, is in his 15th NFL season. He started for the Dolphins in 2005 and has spent the past two seasons as a backup with the Rams.

[CaliforniaCheez]

A lot can and will happen before the Packers see the viklings again this season.

Forget all that preseason hype and purple boogieman stuff.

They are 0-2 and play the undefeated Panthers this week.

There is a reason Gus Frerotte hasn't been on the field much for years.

[Guiness]

I don't really see this as much of an upgrade. It's not like Ferotte's going to tear it up or something. It's not like he was ever that good, and he's old as dirt.

Mngolf, Rastak, what do you guys think?

[mngolf19]

I don't really see this as much of an upgrade. It's not like Ferotte's going to tear it up or something. It's not like he was ever that good, and he's old as dirt.

Mngolf, Rastak, what do you guys think?

What he can do is throw downfield. He's 37 and the writers say his arm is very strong. He will complete many more passes than Jackson. He just won't move much, and may throw more picks due to more throws downfield and his lack of playing time recently. Jackson due to his own limitation or Chilly's was not allowed to throw downfield unless he could guarantee no pick. Not turning the ball over was foremost in both their minds and caused ultra-conservative efforts in passing. They won't be conservative now. But Frerotte needs a little time to get back into it and therefore that worries me. But no doubt in my mind that Jackson currently has not improved enough to get them where they want to go this year. So whether Frerotte can or not, he has the potential at least to be the caretaker the Vikes need this season.

[Bossman641]

I don't really see this as much of an upgrade. It's not like Ferotte's going to tear it up or something. It's not like he was ever that good, and he's old as dirt.

Mngolf, Rastak, what do you guys think?

I think the one thing Frerotte can give them is consistency. T Jack was way too up and down. He would throw some passes that made you think he was coming along and then miss guys badly. Frerotte will def. get sacked more though.

[Guiness]

I'm with Bossman in thinking that there will be a lot more sacks in Minn. Seemed to me that during our game against them, there was several times that sacks were narrowly avoided - TJack slipped out of them.

Couple the fact that Ferrotte needs more time and that he has less elusiveness, and there could be a boatload of them. How is he at feeling the pressure and hitting the outlet pass?

[GoPackGo]

no matter which one of those posers starts for Minny, the QB position is going to cost them wins and I love watching it

[mngolf19]

I'm with Bossman in thinking that there will be a lot more sacks in Minn. Seemed to me that during our game against them, there was several times that sacks were narrowly avoided - TJack slipped out of them.

Couple the fact that Ferrotte needs more time and that he has less elusiveness, and there could be a boatload of them. How is he at feeling the pressure and hitting the outlet pass?

Well his getting sacked will come from less movement but he will also offset that with throwing sooner. I agree he will bring more consistency to the offense, which is why you try him. He knows what he is doing, he will make all the decisions that Jackson couldn't. He will only be asked to manage the game, he can do that. It just might take some time due to lack of playing time. Hopefully not too long. If he has enough, he'll be ready by week 4. They'll just have to hope they find a way this week though.

[Zool]

I call Booty Time in week 12.

[Tony Oday]

Jump pass is not a NFL QB plain and simple. This move makes the Vikes better.

[Scott Campbell]

I don't really see this as much of an upgrade. It's not like Ferotte's going to tear it up or something. It's not like he was ever that good, and he's old as dirt.

Mngolf, Rastak, what do you guys think?

What he can do is throw downfield. He's 37 and the writers say his arm is very strong. He will complete many more passes than Jackson. He just won't move much, and may throw more picks due to more throws downfield and his lack of playing time recently. Jackson due to his own limitation or Chilly's was not allowed to throw downfield unless he could guarantee no pick. Not turning the ball over was foremost in both their minds and caused ultra-conservative efforts in passing. They won't be conservative now. But Frerotte needs a little time to get back into it and therefore that worries me. But no doubt in my mind that Jackson currently has not improved enough to get them where they want to go this year. So whether Frerotte can or not, he has the potential at least to be the caretaker the Vikes need this season.


Jackson was awful. Ferotte is a journeyman. This is a major upgrade for the Vikings. Now he gets to try and salvage this season, and save Chilly's job. Desperate move? Yes. The right move? Probably.

You're going to miss all those picks you traded for Jared Allen next year when you go into the draft needing to select the QB of the future once again.

[Lurker64]

What might be a problem is that Frerotte is a lot less mobile than Jackson. A lot of plays in the Green Bay and the Indianapolis games Jackson was able to avoid pressure just due to his quickness and athleticism. With McKinnie being out against Carolina and Tennessee (and Ryan Cook really having no business playing tackle), Frerotte is going to get hit a lot.

So we might see Jackson again soon.



You're going to miss all those picks you traded for Jared Allen next year when you go into the draft needing to select the QB of the future once again.

Well, they only traded away 2008 picks, not 2009 picks so they have all their picks slated for 2009. Though, if you mean "the guys they would have taken with the picks they gave up for Allen", then possibly. By all accounts they would have taken a pass rushing DE with the first pick and third round picks don't come with any guarantees.

[packers11]

pft.com

CHILDRESS SAYS FREROTTE WILL START FOR REST OF SEASON
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2008, 3:24 p.m.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has spoken, and he’s made clear that he doesn’t expect Tarvaris Jackson to get off the bench any time soon.

Childress said that barring injury, Gus Frerotte is the Vikings’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“I feel like we have an opportunity here that I don’t want to let pass by,” Childress said. “Obviously we have a chance to have a successful season and I think so we don’t let things potentially slip away, what we’re doing is I’m going to make a change at quarterback.”

Childress claims, however, that Jackson still has a chance to become the Vikings’ starter some day.

“It does not have to be a death knell for Tarvaris Jackson,” Childress said. “There are many quarterbacks in this league that have experienced bumps in the road, if you will. It’s part of the experience factor and while I know he doesn’t like it, I’d worry about him if he did like it, I know he’ll make the most of it.”

But the truth is, if Frerotte plays well enough to turn the Vikings’ season around after their 0-2 start, it’s hard to see how Jackson could return as their quarterback in 2009. And if Frerotte doesn’t play well and the Vikings’ 2008 season is a failure, it’s hard to see how Childress could return to decide who will be the quarterback in 2009.

[mission]

MM would never have addressed the situation that way. Chilly is a moron.

[Lurker64]

MM would never have addressed the situation that way. Chilly is a moron.

Well, realistically Childress had to do this to save his job.

If Jackson continues to start and plays poorly, Chilly gets fired.
If Frerotte starts and plays poorly, Chilly gets fired.
If Jackson starts, plays poorly, and the Vikings limp into the playoffs, Childress is under a lot of pressure for "wasting this opportunity" with a terrible QB.
If Frerotte starts, and the Vikings crawl their way into the playoffs, Childress gets credit for making a tough decision in week 3 to save the season.

[mission]

MM would never have addressed the situation that way. Chilly is a moron.

Well, realistically Childress had to do this to save his job.

If Jackson continues to start and plays poorly, Chilly gets fired.
If Frerotte starts and plays poorly, Chilly gets fired.
If Jackson starts, plays poorly, and the Vikings limp into the playoffs, Childress is under a lot of pressure for "wasting this opportunity" with a terrible QB.
If Frerotte starts, and the Vikings crawl their way into the playoffs, Childress gets credit for making a tough decision in week 3 to save the season.

I should have been more clear. Your reply is on point.

I meant to say addressed the *media* that way. Nothing *really* sticks out as horrible but the language is very "football guy" ...

[oregonpackfan]

Jackson is still young. If he uses this benching as a positive learning opportunity, I think he can come back.

Against the Packers, his passing was indeed erratic. I think that can improve with experience.

As other posters have noted, Jackson is very athletic and elusive in the backfield. If his passing improves, I remain confident he can become a competent starter some day.

[mngolf19]

I don't really see this as much of an upgrade. It's not like Ferotte's going to tear it up or something. It's not like he was ever that good, and he's old as dirt.

Mngolf, Rastak, what do you guys think?

What he can do is throw downfield. He's 37 and the writers say his arm is very strong. He will complete many more passes than Jackson. He just won't move much, and may throw more picks due to more throws downfield and his lack of playing time recently. Jackson due to his own limitation or Chilly's was not allowed to throw downfield unless he could guarantee no pick. Not turning the ball over was foremost in both their minds and caused ultra-conservative efforts in passing. They won't be conservative now. But Frerotte needs a little time to get back into it and therefore that worries me. But no doubt in my mind that Jackson currently has not improved enough to get them where they want to go this year. So whether Frerotte can or not, he has the potential at least to be the caretaker the Vikes need this season.


Jackson was awful. Ferotte is a journeyman. This is a major upgrade for the Vikings. Now he gets to try and salvage this season, and save Chilly's job. Desperate move? Yes. The right move? Probably.

You're going to miss all those picks you traded for Jared Allen next year when you go into the draft needing to select the QB of the future once again.

They traded a 1st and a 3rd. He is already better than any 3rd or 1st they would have drafted this year. So you lose 2 picks and gain 1 player. Not going to miss those at all.

[mngolf19]

pft.com

CHILDRESS SAYS FREROTTE WILL START FOR REST OF SEASON
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2008, 3:24 p.m.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has spoken, and he’s made clear that he doesn’t expect Tarvaris Jackson to get off the bench any time soon.

Childress said that barring injury, Gus Frerotte is the Vikings’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“I feel like we have an opportunity here that I don’t want to let pass by,” Childress said. “Obviously we have a chance to have a successful season and I think so we don’t let things potentially slip away, what we’re doing is I’m going to make a change at quarterback.”

Childress claims, however, that Jackson still has a chance to become the Vikings’ starter some day.

“It does not have to be a death knell for Tarvaris Jackson,” Childress said. “There are many quarterbacks in this league that have experienced bumps in the road, if you will. It’s part of the experience factor and while I know he doesn’t like it, I’d worry about him if he did like it, I know he’ll make the most of it.”

But the truth is, if Frerotte plays well enough to turn the Vikings’ season around after their 0-2 start, it’s hard to see how Jackson could return as their quarterback in 2009. And if Frerotte doesn’t play well and the Vikings’ 2008 season is a failure, it’s hard to see how Childress could return to decide who will be the quarterback in 2009.

The last paragraph says it all. And Booty will not be the QB next year in any turn of events. Either draft one high or FA. Maybe a trade.

[Zool]

pft.com

CHILDRESS SAYS FREROTTE WILL START FOR REST OF SEASON
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2008, 3:24 p.m.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has spoken, and he’s made clear that he doesn’t expect Tarvaris Jackson to get off the bench any time soon.

Childress said that barring injury, Gus Frerotte is the Vikings’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“I feel like we have an opportunity here that I don’t want to let pass by,” Childress said. “Obviously we have a chance to have a successful season and I think so we don’t let things potentially slip away, what we’re doing is I’m going to make a change at quarterback.”

Childress claims, however, that Jackson still has a chance to become the Vikings’ starter some day.

“It does not have to be a death knell for Tarvaris Jackson,” Childress said. “There are many quarterbacks in this league that have experienced bumps in the road, if you will. It’s part of the experience factor and while I know he doesn’t like it, I’d worry about him if he did like it, I know he’ll make the most of it.”

But the truth is, if Frerotte plays well enough to turn the Vikings’ season around after their 0-2 start, it’s hard to see how Jackson could return as their quarterback in 2009. And if Frerotte doesn’t play well and the Vikings’ 2008 season is a failure, it’s hard to see how Childress could return to decide who will be the quarterback in 2009.

The last paragraph says it all. And Booty will not be the QB next year in any turn of events. Either draft one high or FA. Maybe a trade.

I would assume Jackson has to be all but done starting in MN. He's just not getting it.

[Tony Oday]

pft.com

CHILDRESS SAYS FREROTTE WILL START FOR REST OF SEASON
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2008, 3:24 p.m.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has spoken, and he’s made clear that he doesn’t expect Tarvaris Jackson to get off the bench any time soon.

Childress said that barring injury, Gus Frerotte is the Vikings’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“I feel like we have an opportunity here that I don’t want to let pass by,” Childress said. “Obviously we have a chance to have a successful season and I think so we don’t let things potentially slip away, what we’re doing is I’m going to make a change at quarterback.”

Childress claims, however, that Jackson still has a chance to become the Vikings’ starter some day.

“It does not have to be a death knell for Tarvaris Jackson,” Childress said. “There are many quarterbacks in this league that have experienced bumps in the road, if you will. It’s part of the experience factor and while I know he doesn’t like it, I’d worry about him if he did like it, I know he’ll make the most of it.”

But the truth is, if Frerotte plays well enough to turn the Vikings’ season around after their 0-2 start, it’s hard to see how Jackson could return as their quarterback in 2009. And if Frerotte doesn’t play well and the Vikings’ 2008 season is a failure, it’s hard to see how Childress could return to decide who will be the quarterback in 2009.

The last paragraph says it all. And Booty will not be the QB next year in any turn of events. Either draft one high or FA. Maybe a trade.

I would assume Jackson has to be all but done starting in MN. He's just not getting it.

Or the NFL he is not a pro QB...

[Scott Campbell]

Childress claims, however, that Jackson still has a chance to become the Vikings’ starter some day.



So you're saying I still got a chance.

http://www.supanet.com/media/00/14/66/jim_carrey.jpg

[HarveyWallbangers]

They traded a 1st and a 3rd. He is already better than any 3rd or 1st they would have drafted this year. So you lose 2 picks and gain 1 player. Not going to miss those at all.

Didn't they actually give up two 3rd round picks and swapped later round picks (getting the worse of those two picks)?

They could have drafted Joe Flacco and got two other good players in round 3 that could help long-term. Not to mention the minor swapping of picks. Not to mention the risk of signing Allen to a long-term contract knowing he's one strike for a year-long suspension.

Of course, they could have drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. They could have traded up to get Jay Cutler. I'd take Cutler over Chad Greenway and the later round pick (Tarvaris Jackson?).

[Cheesehead Craig]

There's a Viking fan site that I visit from time to time and the majority of Vikes fans there see this for what it is: A desperation move by a coach who is trying to save his job.

The fans are not really thrilled about Gus and feel that his lack of mobility and shoddy performances over the past 4 years are not going to produce any real results over what TJack has done.

There's even some calls to bring in Craig Nall. Seriously.

The fanbase realizes that Chilly is a terrible coach and playcaller. Most of them also state that TJack is a waste of a QB, but some defend him that since Chilly is so bad, therefore the QB will also be bad.

[BF4MVP]

Stick a fork in 'em (well close, anyways)..

[Pacopete4]

Stick a fork in 'em (well close, anyways)..


eh, I wouldn't do that quite yet...

[Lurker64]

Didn't they actually give up two 3rd round picks and swapped later round picks (getting the worse of those two picks)?

It was a first, two thirds, and a swap of 6th round picks with the Chiefs giving up 187 to get 182. You are correct.

[Joemailman]

This now puts the Packers in a great position to be the dominant team in this division in the coming years. They have the youngest team, big play guys on offense, defense and special teams, and the best quarterback. I'm not saying they're a cinch to win every year, but they are in the best position of any team in the division.

[Scott Campbell]

They traded a 1st and a 3rd. He is already better than any 3rd or 1st they would have drafted this year. So you lose 2 picks and gain 1 player. Not going to miss those at all.

Didn't they actually give up two 3rd round picks and swapped later round picks (getting the worse of those two picks)?

They could have drafted Joe Flacco and got two other good players in round 3 that could help long-term. Not to mention the minor swapping of picks. Not to mention the risk of signing Allen to a long-term contract knowing he's one strike for a year-long suspension.

Of course, they could have drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. They could have traded up to get Jay Cutler. I'd take Cutler over Chad Greenway and the later round pick (Tarvaris Jackson?).



My question is whether they got more value out of upgrading the DE position than they would have by addressing the QB position. A 1st and a 3rd should net you a pretty good QB whether you draft him yourself, or trade the picks for a vet.

[Scott Campbell]

This now puts the Packers in a great position to be the dominant team in this division in the coming years. They have the youngest team, big play guys on offense, defense and special teams, and the best quarterback. I'm not saying they're a cinch to win every year, but they are in the best position of any team in the division.



I dunno. Things in the NFL are so fluid I wouldn't bank on anything past the end of the season. We appear pretty well set up right now. But shit happens.

[Fritz]

My nipples are getting hard over this thread.

[SkinBasket]

My nipples are getting hard over this thread.

Getting?

[SnakeLH2006]

Direct reply to topic:

FUCK NO!! Now my fantasy football team is fucked!!

http://www.about-seattlewa.com/wp-content/uploads/OH_NOES.jpg

[mngolf19]

They traded a 1st and a 3rd. He is already better than any 3rd or 1st they would have drafted this year. So you lose 2 picks and gain 1 player. Not going to miss those at all.

Didn't they actually give up two 3rd round picks and swapped later round picks (getting the worse of those two picks)?

They could have drafted Joe Flacco and got two other good players in round 3 that could help long-term. Not to mention the minor swapping of picks. Not to mention the risk of signing Allen to a long-term contract knowing he's one strike for a year-long suspension.

Of course, they could have drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. They could have traded up to get Jay Cutler. I'd take Cutler over Chad Greenway and the later round pick (Tarvaris Jackson?).

Obviously looking back at a draft you could see where you could have done better. Flacco was not accepted as ready to go by many teams before the draft although considered closer than others. Same for Rodgers, but we're seeing how that went now. Vikes got a proven player at the beginning of his prime. The risk of his drinking, if they did their due diligence, is less than the risk of drafting a guy and expecting him to be ready to go. If you want to win this year that is. And if he does as expected and doesn't get suspended, then he was worth it. You mention taking Cutler over Greenway and Jackson, but would you have at the time and based on what the Vikes needed then? Greenway is good.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Obviously looking back at a draft you could see where you could have done better. Flacco was not accepted as ready to go by many teams before the draft although considered closer than others. Same for Rodgers, but we're seeing how that went now. Vikes got a proven player at the beginning of his prime. The risk of his drinking, if they did their due diligence, is less than the risk of drafting a guy and expecting him to be ready to go. If you want to win this year that is. And if he does as expected and doesn't get suspended, then he was worth it. You mention taking Cutler over Greenway and Jackson, but would you have at the time and based on what the Vikes needed then? Greenway is good.

Allen for 3 good picks and a swap of lesser picks, a boatload of money, and the risk of suspension. That's selling the farm to do well this year to me, and it appears it won't pay off--although it's too early to tell.

As far as Cutler, I think I would have done at the time. The Vikings needed a QB even back then. I'd be even more inclined to do it now. There were two things I didn't want the Vikings to do: 1) trade up for Cutler, and 2) draft Peterson. Unfortunately, they drafted Peterson.

[Lurker64]

I think Minnesota's problem was less "they wasted their draft picks" or "trading for Allen was stupid", but more that "they woefully mismanaged their QB position in the offseason.

It's clear that Tarvaris isn't ready to play at a high level in this league, and it's not clear that he ever will be. In light of the high risk that comes with banking on T.Jack to carry the load at QB, you set him up with Sug, and Booty? That's a recipe for disaster. Frerotte isn't really notable for doing anything in his entire career other than "headbutting a wall" and that's not going to help you win football games. There were certainly guys out there this offseason that would help you win more games than replacing Tarvaris with Sug. I mean, Pennington was on the market this year, and do you think he'd really rather play in Miami than in Minnesota? Sure, Pennington has a noodle arm, but he has gaudy numbers indoors and he's a winner.

Chilly really dropped the ball, and he responded to criticism of Jackson by clinging tighter to him and it's blown up in his face. Childress should be fired for so totally mismanaging the most important position in a year where he had essentially all the other pieces in place to succeed. That is, unless Gus is more amazing than anybody anticipated.

[Tony Oday]

What the Vikings are guilty of is trusting in Chilly's judgement on a QB. This kid will never be a good QB. He can rocket the ball but just because you can throw doesnt mean that you can read a defence.

Jump Pass is bad. Fartrot isnt much better. They should have moved on a QB before they got Allen then people would have traded to them.

[Harlan Huckleby]

The more I think about it, I think MN is making a big mistake benching Jackson. The guy has a lot of talent, he just hasn't put it together yet.

IF Childress thought Jackson could be a starter this summer, what has changed? He didn't have terrible games. Where is Childress's confidence in his own judgement? If he chose to go with Jackson, he should give him a chance to come around.

Switching to a 37-year-old journeyman is just throwing in the towel.

[KYPack]

The more I think about it, I think MN is making a big mistake benching Jackson. The guy has a lot of talent, he just hasn't put it together yet.

IF Childress thought Jackson could be a starter this summer, what has changed? He didn't have terrible games. Where is Childress's confidence in his own judgement? If he chose to go with Jackson, he should give him a chance to come around.

Switching to a 37-year-old journeyman is just throwing in the towel.

That's what I think. Why announce that Gus has the gig for the year? Pull the kid to the bench, let him watch and coach him while he's watching. Sometimes the light goes on for the guy. Young QB's need time, like the wine, ya know? The youngesters need to know what to ignore and what to focus on. TJack is still in the "blur" stage. Work with him and clear his head.

[Lurker64]

My guess is that Zygi informed Childress in no uncertain terms that Tarvaris Jackson would not be starting against Carolina. Zygmunt spend a whole lot of cash in this offseason to put together a contender, and likely wanted a much better product on the field.

This also informs Childress's inexplicable "Gus Ferotte is the starter for the rest of the season" statement. It would be reasonable to say "Gus Ferotte will be starting against Carolina this week", but it's in no way necessary to comment on who you expect your starter to be in week 14. I'm thinking this is Chilly saying "You want Gus? Well you're getting fourteen weeks of Gus! What do you think of that?"

[Harlan Huckleby]

Maybe Childress is a really bad coach.

[mission]

The more I think about it, I think MN is making a big mistake benching Jackson. The guy has a lot of talent, he just hasn't put it together yet.

IF Childress thought Jackson could be a starter this summer, what has changed? He didn't have terrible games. Where is Childress's confidence in his own judgement? If he chose to go with Jackson, he should give him a chance to come around.

Switching to a 37-year-old journeyman is just throwing in the towel.

I think it's a bit of the opposite.

Having Jackson as your starter is saying "Ok, this guy's young but he's gonna be our top dog and we're gonna grow with him since he has all this star help around him". It's like people saying Brett gave us the best chance to win now and even though Rodgers is the future, we need to win now -- keep Brett. MGMT said "I dont know if we agree with that, we're going with Rodgers" just like MN stood up and said T-Jack is their guy. Only difference is that Packer mgmt isn't a bunch of idiots.

They are getting pressure to WIN NOW because of AP and Allen and all the media hype, so there's not as much time to write the year off to a T-Jackson "learning experience" ... they can't write this year off and it was getting evident that having him as the QB was doing exactly that for some (false) sense of hope in his future ability to lead that team.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Ferrote was never very impressive. What kind of skills can a 37-year-old, who wasn't so hot in his prime, bring to the table?

I'm just looking at this from a distance, scratching my head.

[mission]

Ferrote was never very impressive. What kind of skills can a 37-year-old, who wasn't so hot in his prime, bring to the table?

I'm just looking at this from a distance, scratching my head.

And I hear that but from what I gather, Jackson is just horrendous, throwing balls way over everyone's head and all that. Not even giving people a chance to make a play ... they look at it like Ferrotte can still go in there and have an average amount of respect from his teammates.

I watch the guy against the Pack and everything is side arm and just piss poor mechanics. Definitely nothing you'd see on an instructional video. No wonder he's so erratic ... nothing previous to him throwing the ball indicates it will go to its intended destination. I mean that.

[KYPack]

You spell Gus's last name "Frerotte" The 1st "R" is silent.

When I was looking up the right spelling, I discovered this all-time Frerotte Factoid:

At the University of Tulsa, Gus Frerotte finished his college career as the school's 2nd-ranked all-time passer behind T.J. Rubley, a teammate from 1991-92.

I didn't know that and now I'm sad that I do know it.

[pbmax]

I am not sure there will be much difference between the two. Frerotte's best recent season was with the Dolphins (and Chris Chambers) in 2005 with 18 TDS, 13 INTs and a 71 passer rating. He started 15 games.

There may be some gameplan items and routes/throws that Childress feels he can call with Gus that he can't with Tavaris, but overall they may be at the same level now. Better to stick with the younger guy and work through it.

[run pMc]

What the Vikings are guilty of is trusting in Chilly's judgement on a QB. This kid will never be a good QB. He can rocket the ball but just because you can throw doesnt mean that you can read a defence.

Let's be thankful...we could be replacing "Chilly" with "M3". Remember, we have two rookies behind a guy with 2 NFL starts. Let's hope Rodgers stays healthy and we don't accuse M3/TT of mismanaging the QB spot.

As to The J.Allen trade, I think getting a high-motor, productive DE at age 26 is a pretty good. He isn't pulling a Cletidus now that he has his contract. The potential for a suspension carries risk, and I think the trade cost MIN a lot. It looked like a "win-now" move...MIN is a team with a shorter window than GB, and trading away picks shortened that window a little bit more. Guys like Pat Williams, Sharper, and Winfield aren't getting younger, and who know how many carries they'll get out of AP.
Tough to have a still developing QB like TJack when the team is in "win-now" mode. I think Chilly expected TJack to be farther along...word is he has monster practices but it isn't translating onto the field.

Frerotte helps them short term, but I don't consider it a major upgrade, and does little for the long-term development at the QB spot. To me, this is like going from Grossman to Orton.

[mngolf19]

My guess is that Zygi informed Childress in no uncertain terms that Tarvaris Jackson would not be starting against Carolina. Zygmunt spend a whole lot of cash in this offseason to put together a contender, and likely wanted a much better product on the field.

This also informs Childress's inexplicable "Gus Ferotte is the starter for the rest of the season" statement. It would be reasonable to say "Gus Ferotte will be starting against Carolina this week", but it's in no way necessary to comment on who you expect your starter to be in week 14. I'm thinking this is Chilly saying "You want Gus? Well you're getting fourteen weeks of Gus! What do you think of that?"

I think this is pretty close. Zygi told him he must win this year or he's gone. Childress decided that since QB is what is holding him back, might as well try a change. Actually, I was surprised to hear that Gus was a pro bowler once. Who'da thunk it.

[Zool]

You spell Gus's last name "Frerotte" The 1st "R" is silent.

When I was looking up the right spelling, I discovered this all-time Frerotte Factoid:

At the University of Tulsa, Gus Frerotte finished his college career as the school's 2nd-ranked all-time passer behind T.J. Rubley, a teammate from 1991-92.

I didn't know that and now I'm sad that I do know it.

Well thats some special company ole Gus is keeping.

[Scott Campbell]

Zygi told him he must win this year or he's gone.


Will 9-7 save his hyde?

[mngolf19]

Zygi told him he must win this year or he's gone.


Will 9-7 save his hyde?

No. I think min of 10-6 and playoffs. Zygi always talks about making progress, getting better. Those would be better albeit not much. Which then has me wondering if he contacts Cowher after the season. Zygi doesn't mind spending if he believes it will move the team forward.

[Scott Campbell]

So he's got to go 10-4 the rest of the way. I'm pulling for him, but for the same reason I wanted Tice strung along for another year.

[sharpe1027]

Jackson is still young. If he uses this benching as a positive learning opportunity, I think he can come back.

Against the Packers, his passing was indeed erratic. I think that can improve with experience.

As other posters have noted, Jackson is very athletic and elusive in the backfield. If his passing improves, I remain confident he can become a competent starter some day.

I hope the Vikings agree with you, because I'm pretty confident that that team will not go anywhere with him at QB. He is relatively young, but I would say it is much more likely that he washes out. He showed a regression from last year after preparing while getting full attention of the coaching staff the entire off-season. He has a great running game and the defense is above average but his numbers were abysmal.

Why? Coaching and play-calling is probably a good portion of it, but from what I saw, he doesn't have the consistent accuracy to make it in the NFL. You don't just throw a few balls in practice and all of a sudden you have an accurate passer. He might improve some, but I doubt he'll improve enough to be a legitmate starter in the NFL.

Just my opinion.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I don't think TJack can be an adequate, let alone good QB in the NFL.

He had just horrific days this past TC and this season hasn't shown anything positive from last year to this year.

The Vikes are going to have to either go for a new QB with a high pick in the draft or make a trade for a young one, but given how much they gave up for Allen, that may not be a viable option.

[Guiness]

Didn't they actually give up two 3rd round picks and swapped later round picks (getting the worse of those two picks)?

They could have drafted Joe Flacco and got two other good players in round 3 that could help long-term. Not to mention the minor swapping of picks. Not to mention the risk of signing Allen to a long-term contract knowing he's one strike for a year-long suspension.

Of course, they could have drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. They could have traded up to get Jay Cutler. I'd take Cutler over Chad Greenway and the later round pick (Tarvaris Jackson?).

Obviously looking back at a draft you could see where you could have done better. Flacco was not accepted as ready to go by many teams before the draft although considered closer than others. Same for Rodgers, but we're seeing how that went now. Vikes got a proven player at the beginning of his prime. The risk of his drinking, if they did their due diligence, is less than the risk of drafting a guy and expecting him to be ready to go. If you want to win this year that is. And if he does as expected and doesn't get suspended, then he was worth it. You mention taking Cutler over Greenway and Jackson, but would you have at the time and based on what the Vikes needed then? Greenway is good.

The Allen trade is hard to judge, but on the surface I think it's ok...if he keeps out of trouble. I know some feel this is a 'win now' move, but he's 26 yrs old...he's got a lot of years left. It's not like it's a Jason Taylor move.

Greenways vs Cutler? I think Cutler would have been the choice. I'd put the blame for Grant's 'run to daylight' against your squad squarely on his shoulders, orbiting the wrong side of that planetary body you have playing DT!

Best thing for the Pack is for Minn to be languishing along, and Chilly to decide Flacco is ready and throw him in sometime around week 12, so he can ruin him too! :P

[SnakeLH2006]

You spell Gus's last name "Frerotte" The 1st "R" is silent.

When I was looking up the right spelling, I discovered this all-time Frerotte Factoid:

At the University of Tulsa, Gus Frerotte finished his college career as the school's 2nd-ranked all-time passer behind T.J. Rubley, a teammate from 1991-92.

I didn't know that and now I'm sad that I do know it.

Well thats some special company ole Gus is keeping.

AHAHAHAHHAHAH!!!! Rubes had an actual GB jersey made too.

http://bp1.blogger.com/_xxJWs1i2nc0/Rp-wT4qtvrI/AAAAAAAAAIk/6MMQfh9jcRM/s1600-h/Schlenker_Rubley2.JPG

[Iron Mike]

You spell Gus's last name "Frerotte" The 1st "R" is silent.


It's the same as Tarvaris.

Two "R"s and no "W"s. :P