Childress mum on starting QB

The Vikings starting quarterback Sunday will be ...

Tarvaris Jackson or Gus Frerotte. Sorry, but that's as far as Vikings coach Brad Childress was willing to go Monday.

"I'll certainly discuss it with those two guys before I discuss it with anyone else," Childress said.

 As expected, Childress was not willing to announce his starter a day after Jackson had another strong performance in relief of the injured Frerotte. Jackson threw only 17 passes Sunday, but he completed 11 for 163 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-14 victory at Arizona.

Childress shared more praise for Jackson, but he indicated he's not inclined to name his starter for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons until he's seen both quarterbacks in practice. Childress does not like to tip his hand regarding personnel decisions for competitive reasons, so his starting quarterback likely won't be announced until Sunday.

Frerotte suffered a broken bone in his back against the Lions on Dec. 7, an injury that was expected to sideline him one to two weeks, meaning Jackson might end up starting against Atlanta by default. Frerotte said he is making progress and did some individual work with head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman on Monday.

"It's a lot better," Frerotte said Sunday. "It's been constant treatment, constant getting it worked on."

Childress must decide whether to stick with Jackson or go back to Frerotte, assuming he's healthy enough. Jackson has not resembled the quarterback who was benched after Week 2 since returning to the field last week at Detroit. He has shown more poise and decisiveness and been accurate on both short passes and throws down the field.

"I just think I see a brighter-eyed, more well-rounded guy, for whatever reason," Childress said. "Whether it is the time, whether it is sitting back and watching, whether it was a set of events that he didn't care for. Obviously when you get a second chance, you want to make the most of it, and he has done a great job of that."

Cornerback Marcus McCauley, who made nine starts and was active for all 16 games last year as a rookie, saw his most extensive action of the season Sunday playing in a dime defense the Vikings used in an attempt to slow a Cardinals passing game that was ranked second in the NFL.

"That felt good," said McCauley, who was active for only the eighth time this season. "That goes to show you, you just have to stay on top of yourself because you're going to be needed sometime. ... I knew my number was going to be called sometime."

McCauley got the majority of his snaps in the second half as the Vikings frequently used six defensive backs. "[Arizona] had to start throwing the ball, so we just felt like we had to put our best cover guys out there," said McCauley, who was credited with three tackles. "We worked on that [package] all week. That's what we thought their whole game plan was going to be."

Bernard Berrian's 82-yard punt return for a touchdown and 41-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter Sunday put him in rare company, according to stats provided by Elias Sports Bureau for ESPN.com.

Berrian became only the third NFL player to score on a punt return and pass reception in the first quarter of a game. The other two players were Pete Pihos of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1947 and J.T. Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1980.

• The Vikings moved up to No. 1 in the NFL in run defense this week, and their next two opponents, the Falcons and Giants, are tied for the NFL's No. 1-ranked rushing offense. Sunday's game also features the NFL's top two rushers: Adrian Peterson has 1,581 yards while Atlanta's Michael Turner is second at 1,421.

• The NFL Network will air a special one-hour Pro Bowl Selection show at 3 p.m. today. Fan voting finished last week and players and coaches cast their votes late last week.