▁the ▁play offs . ▁Anal yst s ▁put ▁the ▁Vik ings ' ▁ 8 – 8 ▁record ▁on ▁the ▁successful ▁running ▁of ▁Ch ester ▁Taylor ▁and ▁ro ok ie ▁Ad rian ▁Pet erson , ▁which ▁took ▁the ▁pressure ▁off ▁of ▁Jackson ▁and ▁the ▁defense . ▁ ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁season , ▁oppon ents ▁decided ▁to ▁focus ▁all ▁their ▁def ensive ▁efforts ▁on ▁stopping ▁Pet erson ▁and ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁running ▁game , ▁while ▁d aring ▁Jackson ▁to ▁beat ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁passing ▁game . ▁The ▁Washington ▁Red sk ins ▁successfully ▁util ized ▁five ▁def ensive ▁lin eman ▁or ▁four ▁line back ers ▁against ▁the ▁Vik ings , ▁leaving ▁only ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁def ensive ▁back s ▁in ▁pass ▁coverage . ▁And ▁the ▁ 4 9 ers ▁bl itz ed ▁their ▁corner back s ▁ 2 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁instead ▁of ▁covering ▁rece ivers ▁with ▁them . ▁On ▁the ▁season ' s ▁last ▁game ▁against ▁the ▁Den ver ▁Bron cos , ▁Jackson ▁led ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁to ▁two ▁fourth ▁quarter ▁drives ▁to ▁tie ▁the ▁game ▁and ▁send ▁it ▁into ▁over time . ▁In ▁over time , ▁however , ▁Jackson ▁f umbled ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁play ▁and ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁lost ▁the ▁game . ▁Jackson ▁showed ▁slow ▁improvement ▁over ▁the ▁season : ▁he ▁played ▁a ▁large ▁role ▁when ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁five - game ▁winning ▁stre ak ▁in ▁November , ▁but ▁also ▁showed ▁his ▁in ex per ience ▁in ▁several ▁ill - jud ged ▁inter ception s , ▁jump ▁passes