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Dealing with QB controversy, Vikings host Falcons

Dec 18, 2008 - 7:51 PM Atlanta (9-5) at Minnesota (9-5) 4:15 pm. EST.

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Tarvaris Jackson returns to a starting role this weekend for the Minnesota Vikings, who can win their first division title in eight years when they face the Atlanta Falcons.

While the Vikings can win the NFC North, the Falcons are in the thick of the wild card race.

Jackson, who was benched after Week Two, started in place of an injured Gus Frerotte and was 11-of-17 for 163 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in a 35-14 rout of Arizona last week.

Jackson also completed 8-of-10 passes for 105 yards while leading the Vikings to 17 points in a 20-16 win over Detroit in Week 14 after Ferotte suffered a fracture in his lower back.

On Thursday, Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell announced that Jackson will start Sunday and that Frerotte will back him up.

Jackson patiently waited to redeem himself and now has a chance to lead the Vikings to their first division title since they claimed the NFC Central in 2000.

"I tried to use (the benching) as motivation," Jackson said. "It was hard, but I came to work every day. It was a different situation for me, but I am happy I continued to work and it paid off."

It would be a good idea for Jackson to hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson as much as possible. Peterson rushed for 165 yards on 28 carries against Arizona, marking his franchise-record ninth 100-yard game of the season.

Peterson leads the NFL with 1,581 yards.

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings will try to stop the league's second-leading rusher, Michael Turner, without nose tackle Pat Williams. Williams is out 2-6 weeks with a broken shoulder blade.

Turner ran for 152 yards and his franchise-record 15th touchdown in a 13-10 win over Tampa Bay last week. The Falcons are battling the Buccaneers and Dallas (9-5) for one of the two wild card spots.