Artis Hicks swears somebody made a typo and inserted an "E" after the "T" when they were listing Jim Kleinsasser's position. "That guy is a tackle to me," Hicks said of the veteran tight end.

Kleinsasser, an 11-year veteran who has established himself as one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL, nearly found himself playing tackle last Sunday night in Arizona. With right guard Anthony Herrera sitting out because of a concussion, the Vikings starting offensive line from left to right was Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Hicks and Phil Loadholt. But in the first quarter both McKinnie (ankle) and Loadholt (shoulder) had to leave the game briefly.

That left the line looking like this: Hicks, Hutchinson, Sullivan, rookie Jon Cooper and Ryan Cook.

It also meant that if one more lineman went out and McKinnie and Loadholt were unable to return, Kleinsasser could have been pressed into duty as one of the tackles.

Kleinsasser said he got some practice at tackle at one point when Mike Tice was the Vikings coach because depth was a concern but that he was never pressed into service in a game."I knew that was the next logical step," Kleinsasser said of possibly having had to slide over from tight end last Sunday. "Who else was going to play it at that point?"

Kleinsasser, who has caught only four passes for 15 yards this season, often stays in during passing situations to provide help blocking to one of the tackles.

Asked how he might have done, Kleinsasser said: "I don't know, we'd have to see. I pretty much know what the tackles are doing, I work with them all the time [in protection schemes]. The biggest thing is probably on pass rush just realizing the corner is a little shorter on you and you're one guy further down. That would be the big deal."

Then he added with a laugh, "I'd have to drop my anchor."

But Hicks said this was no laughing matter. Kleinsasser could flat out slide to tackle with no trouble.

"You know what? He's a tackle already," said Hicks, who is the Vikings top backup at both tackle and guard positions. "I mean watch him out there on the edge when he's blocking. You can leave him one-on-one with defensive ends in pass protection. He does a great job of sealing the edge off, getting guys hooked on the outside. So in my opinion he's listed as a tight end but he's a tackle. He's big enough [6-3, 272 pounds]. He's probably bigger than some tackles in the league."

Kleinsasser certainly has nothing from a height or weight standpoint on the Vikings' two starting tackles. McKinnie is 6-8 and listed at 335 pounds and Loadholt is 6-8 and listed at 343 pounds. Hicks, the top backup at both tackle positions, goes 6-4, 335 pounds.