Vikings' air attack has remained grounded so far

The young quarterback has a new slot receiver, an expensive upgrade at tight end and a different play-caller. Really. Trust us. Don't listen to your eyes, as Yogi Berra might say.

It hasn't been evident during the preseason, but independent sources have confirmed the Vikings will indeed employ a passing game this year. Some unusual game twists -- most notably four defensive touchdowns -- have limited the Vikings' opportunities to practice their pass offense in live game situations.

The Vikings' 41 preseason passes, in fact, ranked lowest among NFL teams that had played two games as of Sunday evening.

Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson's 15 attempts ranked him 67th among NFL quarterbacks, and leading receiver Bobby Wade's four receptions rank him 65th.

Preseason statistics typically are meaningless, but preseason snaps are at a premium this season as the Vikings break in new personnel at quarterback, receiver and tight end (Visanthe Shiancoe). Coach Brad Childress acknowledged Sunday the importance of game experience, but he said its significance should not surpass a normal preseason substitution pattern.

Childress also emphasized the gamelike conditions of his training camp practices.

"I would tell you that we're playing against a pretty good defense on a day-to-day basis [in practice]," Childress said. "You can say, 'Well, you haven't gotten live game snaps.' Really, we're trying to practice at as high a tempo as we can to try to simulate that.

"You have to balance that. Yeah, I want to see those guys play against live players, but by the same token the goal is to get them better but also get them healthy to [the regular season]."

Jackson and the rest of the starting offense will play into the third quarter Saturday at Seattle, Childress said. Statistically, at least, they have some catching up to do.

The Vikings have run 100 offensive plays this preseason, again an NFL low for teams with two games played. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has split those plays evenly, 50 passes and 50 runs, but the starters' relatively short stints have provided precious time for on-field chemistry building.

Wade has four receptions, while Troy Williamson has caught three passes and Shiancoe one. Jackson targeted neither Williamson nor Shiancoe during his two-possession stretch Friday night against the New York Jets.

After a brief practice Sunday, Wade said the passing game is "not even close" to being ready for the Sept 9 season opener against Atlanta.

"I think we're progressing well," Wade said, "but we can't even pretend to think that we're where we want to be at all because we're not. Everybody knows the seriousness of what we need to do offensively, especially in the passing game. We're really focused on getting it better."

It is no secret the Vikings offense will revolve around tailbacks Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson. Yet the Vikings know they must pose a viable threat in the air to prevent defenses from loading up against the running game.

The Vikings ran for 167 yards against the Jets, and Wade said, "When you're running the ball that well, you've got to kind of play with it. There are going to be games where we might only come out with 25 passes or 20 passes a game. But there might be some games where the majority of [the plays are passes]. For wide receivers and quarterbacks, you always want more work at that. But from an offensive standpoint, I think it reflects the way we play."

To be fair, Jackson's preseason playing time has mirrored that of other young NFL starters. Denver's Jay Cutler also has 15 attempts while Denver's Matt Schaub has thrown 17 passes. Arizona's Matt Leinart has 18 attempts.

Those numbers all will ramp up this weekend; like the Vikings, most teams use the third preseason game to get their front-line players substantial playing time.

Childress said he won't alter the typical preseason game plan to give Jackson more aerial opportunities. But Jackson still figures to double his productivity to date.

"It'll come with the more work and the more opportunities we get," Williamson said. "We're doing well in practice. It's just a matter of timing and a bunch of other things that we have to put together. But it will all come together in due time."

Staff writer Judd Zulgad contributed to this report.

Kevin Seifert • kseifert@startribune.com