Jackson's decisions, footwork scrutinized

The quarterback regressed with four turnovers, even though team won.

By KEVIN SEIFERT, Star Tribune

Last update: December 19, 2007 - 5:24 AM

Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, a self-described sports junkie, made a major admission earlier this season: After a lifetime of watching "SportsCenter," reading the newspaper and listening to talk radio, he quit. Cold turkey. The negative coverage, he said, was too much.

"It just keeps you from being angry if you ignore it," Jackson said.

Jackson had every reason to continue that practice Tuesday, a day after committing four turnovers and oddly succumbing to leg cramps in the Vikings' 20-13 victory over the Chicago Bears at the Metrodome. With the nation watching, Jackson provided more fodder for those who question his immediate ability to quarterback a playoff team.

Among them were ESPN game analyst Ron Jaworski, who fairly but toughly criticized Jackson's footwork and decision-making and pointed out several instances where a more experienced quarterback would have taken a different approach.

"Obviously I am not happy about how I played," Jackson said late Monday. "But at the same time we got the win and that is all that matters. It's a Vikings win. So at the end of the day, Tarvaris [had] three interceptions but the Vikings win and that is all that matters."

Coach Brad Childress delivered a measured evaluation of Jackson's performance during a news conference Tuesday, acknowledging he was "not wild about the turnovers" while praising him for several downfield throws and two scrambles that led to first downs.

"Those are hard lessons to learn," Childress said. "And [against] somebody that is a little bit more explosive offensively, those things are going to come back and bite you."

It was difficult to blame Jackson for the first two turnovers. The second was a botched handoff that Childress pinned on tailback Adrian Peterson; the first was a pass that bounced off receiver Robert Ferguson and into the hands of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

"You don't want to play volleyball with it and keep it alive," Childress said.

The other two turnovers, however, were reminiscent of Jackson's shaky early-season play.

With time running out in the first half, Jackson was unable to step up in the pocket and threw a pass off his back foot far over the head of receiver Bobby Wade. Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher intercepted to set up Chicago's only touchdown of the game.

"I shouldn't have thrown it," Jackson said. "It was a miscommunication between Bobby and me. I pulled the football down and he thought I was tackled. I should have ate the football and just taken the sack."

In the third quarter, Jackson threw the ball into the hands of Bears safety Brandon McGowan after failing to notice McGowan undercutting tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

"He can learn a good lesson from that," Childress said.

Jaworski noted that mistake as well as a footwork error that led to Jackson's low throw toward receiver Sidney Rice in the second quarter. Rice, wide open at the Bears 18-yard line, likely would have scored on the play.

Childress said a Chicago defender hooked Jackson's left arm on the play, preventing Jackson from stepping into the pass. But, Childress added, "I felt like he needs to make that throw."

Childress added: "I thought he did a nice job of stepping up in the pocket there, but I thought he could have shaped it just a little bit differently and I think he'll learn from that experience."

It is safe to assume Jackson also learned from the searing pain he felt in his left calf early in the fourth quarter. Although temperatures in the Metrodome could hardly be considered tropical, cramping issues forced him off the field for two key plays -- the go-ahead touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Speaking generally, Childress said "a couple of our guys at least mentioned ... that they were a little bit nervous" and didn't eat well Monday before the game. Childress made clear he considers it a player's responsibility to prevent cramping.

"You've got to make sure you have enough coal in the furnace to be able to burn through a game like that," Childress said.