Tavaris Jackson fantasy hero? Say what?

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The Minnesota Vikings deserve to win the NFC North if Tavaris Jackson can lead the Vikings offense to 35 points behind four touchdown throws.

But don't be making room for his Hall of Fame plaque (or yellow jacket) just yet. This is the same Tavaris Jackson that was benched in favor of Gus Frerotte. And before you give me the whole "look at his last six quarters" argument, sit down and shut up.

Go to espn.com or any sports/news website and take a look at the last two teams the Vikes have lined up against. Careful research shows that Minnesota has taken on the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.

Sure, the Cardinals are NFC West champs and are going to the playoffs for the first time since Jake Plummer miraculously sent one of the NFL's laughing stock franchises postseason bound back in the days when the U.S. President was more concerned about late night fun in the Oval Office than shoes flying at him. But their defense still sucks.

As for the Lions, they're 0-and-14 and have allowed offenses score as if they were the Washington Generals and their opponents were the Harlem Globetrotters.

And I know that Jackson has looked confident in his last two outings ... but remember ... Lions and Cardinals. It's not as if he was going up against Mike Singletary's '85 Chicago Bears or Ray Lewis' Baltimore Ravens championship team.

Heck, I would be confident if I lined up behind All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson with super-duper star Adrian Peterson as my deep back, Bernard Berrian as my deep threat and Vinsanthe Schiancoe as my wing man at the bar.

Especially if I was going up against the Lions and Cards.

How do Nick Hill and Daunte Culpepper not have jobs?

Somehow Tarvaris Jackson still has a starting job in the NFL.

I find it difficult to fathom that he is better than a former Minnesota Vikings guy like Daunte Culpepper after a pathetic showing that saw Jackson complete 16 of 35 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown in a 24-19 loss that was capped with a Rex Grossman-esque interception.

Sure his numbers weren't dreadful, or Grossman like. But the numbers don't lie otherwise. A completion percentage well below 50 percent is bad enough but this guy has more weapons than most teams in the NFL. He's got Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian as well as some guy named Adrian Peterson.

All that and career QB rating of just-around 70 percent.

How does this guy still have a job?

How does Purple Jesus only get 19 carries in this game when he still had 100-plus yards?

It's frustrating to watch a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball struggle like this. I'm sure it's worse for Vikings fans that will certainly be calling for...Gus Frerotte?

Yikes, talk about no plan B.

If I'm a Vikes fan I'd rather see John David Booty give it a whirl. He could be the next Carson Palmer for all we know...

Or he could be the next Matt Leinart.

After another week of this, it may be worth the risk to find out. Besides... he is the son of a preacher man after all.

But he's also the brother of this winner. Somehow, Josh Booty isn't exactly akin to one of the Manning Bros.