By Eric Edholm
Sept. 4, 2008

Tarvaris Jackson

The four-game suspension of Vikings OLT Bryant McKinnie came as no surprise to the team, but the offense knows it must fill a big hole. McKinnie has not been perfect, but he’s a mauler in the run game and can use his long arms to deflect pass rushers. His battles with DE Jared Allen have been the highlight of the summer, but with McKinnie out and Artis Hicks in, there’s a noticeable drop in talent.

Despite this, QB Tarvaris Jackson — the man whose backside is at stake here — says he’s not worried one bit about Hicks stepping in. “Of course, there’s an adjustment we have to make. (McKinnie) has been the left tackle, starting every game, since I have been here. So it’s just a comfort level. You know he’s going to get it done,” Jackson told PFW on Wednesday. “But I am very confident in Artis. He has been in this situation before. He played left tackle in Philly when (Eagles OLT) Tra Thomas went down. He has played everywhere here, too — I have seen him everywhere but center. He’s versatile. He’s athletic enough to do it, just to the point where you get comfortable with him there.”

Vikings WR Bobby Wade says he thinks the receivers have taken a step forward this season. “I think it definitely started at OTAs and our offseason workouts because we knew immediately, once we had grabbed Bernard Berrian, what we had. It’s basically the same group we had last year plus Bernard,” Wade told PFW. “So that definitely helped in terms of getting involved with each other and understanding our personalities and our roles and how we’re all going to fit into the offense. I think the biggest thing (with Berrian) is that he’s going to be a consistent force. He understands how to play in this division and all the (NFC North) opponents. He’s going to be as big as everyone expects. He’s going to be big in play-action, which is huge with the backfield that we have. He’s going to hit some home runs, but he’s going to be a consistent first- and second-down guy, too.”