Back to Lead the Revolucion

Do the analysts and prognosticators have you down? Trying to figure out how an offense with a second year quarterback throwing to no name receivers, two running backs with durability issues and a line with question marks on the right side is going to get a quality defense into the playoffs? Well, I 'm back! And I’m ready to show how you too can realistically and reasonably hope for the Vikings to make the playoffs. (I can tell you’re excited. At least as excited as you are about Adrian Peterson signing only a few days into training camp.)

So lets start with the biggest question the Vikings have—can Tarvaris Jackson play well enough to be an effective quarterback? I say yes. And I’m not the only one (there are quite a few bloggers who are with me). The premiere NFL analysts on the web, the Football Outsiders, have put out their Pro Football Prospuctus for 2007, and based up on their KUBIAK projection system, it seems the Vikings’ decision not to acquire Jeff Garcia, David Carr or Matt Schaub was a good one.

Tarvaris Jackson: 58.5 Completion Perc., 3363 yds 16TD 16INT, 101 rushes, 677yds
Jeff Garcia: 56.7 Completion Perc., 2640 yards 18 TD, 21 INT, 43 rushes, 133yds
David Carr: 60 Completion Perc., 2644yds 17 TD, 19 INT, 42 rushes, 185 yds
Matt Schaub: 62.4 Completion Perc. 3175yds, 15TD 14 INT, 49 rushes 167yds

Well that TD:INT ration isn’t all that great, I don’t think any Vikings fan will be unhappy with a QB that throws 3 less interceptions and 5 more TD. Not to mention 677 rushing yards. Don’t underestimate the effect a scrambling quarterback can have on a secondary. As Michael Vick would tell you (were he not, you know, busy), that doesn’t mean the receivers will catch the ball, however. It’s definitely an offensive weapon that Brad Childress had when Brad Johnson was quarterback.

Is Tarvaris Jackson going to be able to turn the Vikings’ offense from the awful unit it was last year into the Greatest Show on Turf? No. But the Vikings’ defense didn’t need the Greatest Show on Turf to make the playoffs last year. Not even close. All it needed was a competent offense, something the Vikings’ offense was not. One more touchdown could have made the difference in five games the Vikings’ lost last year. Just one more. And as you may remember from earlier in the post, KUBIAK has Tarvaris throwing for five more touchdowns in 2007 than the Vikings’ passing attack generated last year. And that doesn’t even account for the addition of Adrian Peterson. All the offense needs to be is competent. And Tarvaris and Adrian are going to ensure it is

Viva la Tarvaris Revolucion!!