Well it's here, the first preseason game of the 2008 season. This is the year we see what Tarvaris Jackson is made of and if tonight was any indication, Childress deserves many apologies. So here's a quick take on tonight's game. Not the usual Purple Pride Ponderings format as I'm not in regular season form yet either.
The Good
Tarvaris Jackson
Jackson went 8 for 11 with 118 yards and 1 touchdown. He looked poised, in control, and made all the right decisions tonight. The most interesting thing about tonight was that while Jackson was in there, they didn’t run the ball until they got on the goal-line and let Chester Taylor punch it in. A well designed test by the Vikings coaching staff for Jackson turned into a success for the third year quarterback. He used his athletic abilities to avoid the rush and made a couple of nice throws on the run. The Vikings have some potential playmakers with Berrian, Rice, and Allison so teams may be a bit reluctant to stack the box against Peterson if Jackson continues to look the way he did tonight. Another positive for Jackson tonight, he didn’t throw a single jump pass!
The Bad
Defense
It must be noted that Pat Williams was a healthy scratch tonight. With that said, the Vikings starting defense looked rather lackluster tonight. I was hoping to see early signs of a dominant pass rush but that was nowhere to be found. The Seahawks starting offense pretty much had their way against the Vikings defense on the ground and in the air the first two drives of the game. I know it’s only preseason, and the 1st game at that, but I was still disappointed in what I saw. Hopefully it will be a different story when the Defensive line has Edwards, Williams x2, and Allen in there.
As for the reserves, they didn’t look ANY better. I’m sure this entire side of the ball will have extra duty when they get back to Mankato. I’d love to be a fly on the wall for the film session with the defense tomorrow.
The Ugly
Bollinger and Booty
He only attempted two passes and I think that was by design. He just looks awkward out there and since the Vikings will be cutting down to three quarterbacks soon, I firmly believe Bollinger is the one to go. Jackson, Frerotte, and Booty will be the three and I was almost equally un-impressed with Booty. If Jackson was to be slammed the past two years, this guy should have tomatoes tossed in his face. I’ve been hearing how Booty may have been the most pro-ready QB in the draft, but he looked horrible. His throws were way off target and he just doesn’t have the arm to get the ball downfield that Jackson has.
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