Aug 25, 2008 6:56 pm US/Central
Jackson Says Knee Feels Better, But Still Stiff
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) ―
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Hurt in Minnesota's preseason game at Baltimore on Aug. 16, Tarvaris Jackson was held out of the last game against Pittsburgh and also appears headed for another game on the sideline Thursday at Dallas.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson's sprained right knee was still stiff and lacking full range of motion on Monday, though he said he's feeling better.
"It felt good to get out here and do a little something," Jackson said.
Hurt in Minnesota's preseason game at Baltimore on Aug. 16, Jackson was held out of the last game against Pittsburgh and also appears headed for another game on the sideline Thursday at Dallas.
"I think you need to weigh what's best for the team in the long run," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "You can't make a decision on a one-game basis. You have to look at the whole season as a whole and make that decision based on that."
The Vikings open the regular season at Green Bay on Sept. 8. Jackson promised he'll be ready by then, but acknowledged Monday he still has work to do to get there.
"I haven't really pushed to the point where I'd be able to tell," he said. "Just take it day by day."
Jackson has not participated in team drills since the injury. He's wearing a brace.
In the locker room on Saturday night, Jackson said he probably wouldn't be 100 percent against the Packers but said he has "no doubt at all" he will play.
This is the fifth injury of his three-year career. He missed 4 1/2 games last season due to a concussion, a broken finger and a strained groin.
"Ligaments and cartilage, stuff like that, you really can't control that," Jackson said. "So I really don't care about that label at all."
He might have to be more cautious when he scrambles, but he was defiant when asked about changing his running style.
"Nah. I'm not sliding," he said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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