Tarvaris Jackson: Project consistency

There was plenty of talk coming from Winter Park this offseason about the improvements made by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. A newfound confidence on the field. Countless hours spent improving his knowledge of the West Coast offense off it.

Quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers is among those who have been encouraged, but he also is quick to point out that now is Jackson's real chance to demonstrate his progress.

"The big thing is it doesn't mean anything until we roll into Green Bay," Rogers said.

That will happen Monday night when the Vikings open the regular season at Lambeau Field. There are plenty who will be curious to see how Jackson fares.

There is no single player on the roster who has as many question marks surrounding him as the second-year starter. This is twofold: Much of it is performance-based, but there also is the issue of whether Jackson can stay healthy for an entire season.

Jackson has had five injuries since the Vikings selected him in the second round of the 2006 draft out of Alabama State. Last season Jackson missed four games because of a strained groin, broken index finger and concussion.

His latest injury occurred in the first quarter of the Vikings' second preseason game at Baltimore when he failed to slide after a scramble and suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee as he was being tackled.

The 6-2, 225-pound Jackson does not appear to have an ounce of body fat, but he also isn't the type of guy who can absorb numerous hits from defenders.

The sprained knee interrupted a preseason in which Jackson did appear to be showing legitimate improvement from last season, when he threw three more interceptions than touchdowns (12-9) and had a subpar 58.2 completion percentage and 70.8 rating.

"Each day I feel like I'm getting a little bit more comfortable," Jackson said.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has pointed out on numerous occasions that Jackson posted an 8-4 record as a starter in 2007, but Childress clearly wants, and knows he needs to see, more from Jackson.

Sticking with Jackson might have some peril to it, but Childress has decided that entering his third season as the Vikings coach, he will sink or swim with Jackson. Gus Frerotte, who was signed in the offseason, provides some insurance, but there has been no mention that the veteran is anything more than a backup and mentor to Jackson.

"The big thing is just consistency," Childress said when asked about Jackson. "That is what you are looking for from all these guys. What standard can you expect every time you go out there?"

Jackson played parts of five series in the opening two exhibition games, completing 15 of 22 passes for 200 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 127.1 rating. Those statistics were mostly compiled against some vanilla defensive looks, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

"With the improvement he's made, the expectations have changed, too," Rogers said.

Rogers senses Jackson has more confidence in running the offense. That includes not being afraid to get into teammates' faces when it's necessary. The next step is keeping Jackson on the field.

"I feel his confidence level is much higher than it has been at any previous point during his career," Rogers said. "He's played in games, has had some experiences and seen a lot of defenses. ... Tarvaris has a little bit of a book and feels much better about what he's seeing. If you feel good about what you're seeing, you're much less likely to make mistakes."