T-Jack out… Gus in…

I\’m sure you\’ve heard the breaking news… and if you haven\’t, you probably don\’t care. Regardless, Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress named Gus Frerotte his new starting QB for the remainder of the season.

Former Strib writer Kevin Seifert now writes a blog for ESPN focusing on the NFC North. He highlights the reasoning behind the decision:

• Childress said he didn\’t think Jackson had been aggressive enough during the Vikings\’ 0-2 start. He liked what he saw of Jackson this summer and in the preseason, but Jackson has been tentative since returning from a sprained right knee.

I actually agree with the first sentence. Jackson has not thrown the ball with any confidence and has been tentative in his first two games. Is that the long and short of the issues… not be a long shot.

• The Vikings have an \”opportunity\” to win games this season, Childress said, that he doesn\’t want to let slip away while waiting for Jackson\’s development.
  

If that isn\’t an indictment of the entire offensive coaching staff, I don\’t know what is.

• Frerotte is the starter for the rest of the season. Childress said he doesn\’t want to play \”checkers\” with the starting quarterback.
  

How idiotic is that? What if Gus is even worse than Jackson? Will he hold the same blind faith to Gus as he has to T-Jack for a few years now? Further proof that not only is Jackson not ready to be an NFL QB, Childress is not ready to be an NFL coach… oh, how I wish those Bill Cowher rumors were true.

• Jackson is still the Vikings\’ quarterback of the future, Childress said. Considering the fact that Frerotte has started 14 games in a season only three times in 14 previous seasons, that future could come sooner than later.

My prediction is that by the time Tavaris matures enough to play QB in the NFL, either the Vikings will have traded for a competent QB, or Booty will be ready. Or even more likely, Childress will be gone before Tavaris becomes \”the\” QB (barring injuries and such).

Sunday\’s game versus Carolina should tell Vikings fans what they need to know about the rest of their season.