Childress: Basics first, before the exotics

MANKATO - The Vikings gave a glimpse of just how difficult they might be able to make life on opposing defenses this season as they worked on a variation of the Wildcat offense during an 11-on-11 segment on Thursday.

But before coach Brad Childress will get excited about using trick plays, he wants to see the team's regular package of passing plays executed properly. And, according to Childress, that isn't happening enough.

Childress was asked if he was "pretty happy" about the fact the Vikings have been hitting on some of their deep throws during the first seven days of training camp. "We have a long way to go in the passing game, a long way," he said. "The plan is to get there, but I'm not going to say pretty happy."

Childress said it's not only one facet that concerns him and added that he expects the passing game to be good every day. "I just think we've got a lot of work to do in all areas," he said. "... We've got a long way to go to be happy with the passing game."

Childress' desire to see improvement in a passing game that will be directed by either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels does not come as a surprise. In Childress' three seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings have finished 18th (195.2 yards per game), 28th (171.6) and 25th (184.4) in passing offense.

The Vikings are hoping rookie receiver Percy Harvin can play a key role in improving those rankings, and it might not only be by catching the ball. Harvin also lined up as the quarterback as the Vikings ran less than a handful of plays out of an offensive set that the Dolphins made popular last season.

The formation means either Jackson or Rosenfels is split out as a receiver. Jackson, back from a sprained left knee, likes the change of pace.

"It's fun for me. I get a chance to get out there [on the outside] and bang a little bit," he said. "I actually got shook by [cornerback] Benny Sapp trying to block him. I was basically trying to stay out of his way. I didn't want to bump knees or anything. But he made me look bad. I told him if I was 100 percent I would have pancaked him."

But Childress made it clear that potentially using Harvin, or anyone else, to take direct snaps remains a work in progress. "We're just seeing exactly what we are, who we are and just trying to kind of fine-tune different things,'' he said.

Staff writer Chip Scoggins contributed to this story.