The Vikings have reached the nadir of their search for a productive and reliable quarterback. Jeff George, who hasn't thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2001, is confident he can upgrade the team's 30th-ranked pass offense. After veterans Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger combined for only 182 passing yards against Philadelphia on Sunday, George called Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen out of the blue and asked him to gauge the team's interest, specifically that of coach Brad Childress, in the 39-year-old free-agent quarterback. "'After all,'" George told Allen," 'we are both Illinois guys. That has to mean something.'" "I think he misses the game badly and wants to be a part of it again," said Allen, who also co-hosts a morning show on KFAN-AM.

In a move that has been anticipated much of the week, Minnesota Vikings' backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb will start in place of the injured Tarvaris Jackson on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, sources said late Saturday night. The game will mark the third start of the season for Holcomb, who spent the offseason and much of training camp with the Eagles, before being traded to the Vikings for a sixth-round choice in the 2009 draft.

The Minnesota Vikings won't announce a starting quarterback until Sunday morning, but signs still point to veteran Kelly Holcomb replacing the injured Tarvaris Jackson against Philadelphia. Jackson was listed as questionable on Friday's injury report with a broken index finger on his throwing hand. Coach Brad Childress said Jackson will either start or be the emergency third quarterback against the Eagles, in which case Holcomb would be the starter. "I'm still debating, the old game-time decision," Childress said. "You just want to see how a guy keeps coming, keeps coming." "I see him touch it a little bit better every day, and we'll just see if it will keep coming along."

The National Football League plans to come to Minnesota to take an up-close look at the Vikings' stadium issue. At owners' meetings in Philadelphia this week, the NFL directed that an assessment of the stadium situation be done before the end of the year, and the league plans to send representatives to Minneapolis to evaluate the viability and timeline for a new stadium. The Vikings are bound by lease to play in the Metrodome through the 2011 season. While in Minnesota, NFL officials are expected to meet with political, business and community leaders, then report the Vikings stadium status to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Toronto could become a bigger threat for a possible relocation site of the Vikings than Los Angeles.

The Minnesota Vikings signed punter Chris Kluwe to a six-year deal Thursday, extending his contract through the 2013 season. Kluwe leads the NFL with 18 punts inside the 20 this season and has averaged 44.2 yards in the first six games. He would've been a free agent after this season. "I'm glad to have it done," Kluwe said. "This is a great place to play. I enjoy being here. And I look forward to the rest of this year and the next six years to come." Kluwe was cut by Seattle as a rookie in 2005 and claimed off waivers by the Vikings. He spent the first week and a half living in a hotel and wondering if he would make the team, but the Vikings ultimately settled on him over veteran Darren Bennett.

Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has a broken finger on his throwing hand, an injury suffered in Sunday's defeat at Dallas. Jackson has what's called an avulsion fracture in the index finger on his right hand, where a ligament or muscle tendon has stretched and pulled off a tiny piece of the bone. Jackson was wearing a small splint on the finger in the locker room. He said he hurt it in the third quarter when he hit his hand on another player's arm and then reinjured it near the end of the game. "Right now, I'm just waiting for some of the swelling to go down to know exactly where it is," said Jackson, who completed only six passes for 72 yards in the 24-14 loss to the Cowboys.

Minnesota Vikings' rookie Adrian Peterson has scored three touchdowns in his first game against the Chicago Bears. His TD runs have been 67, 73 and 35 yards long.

Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is listed as probable for the Vikings' game Sunday at Chicago, making it likely that he will get his first start in three weeks. Jackson injured his groin against Detroit in Week 2, when he threw four interceptions. Veteran Kelly Holcomb started the next two games. He kept the turnovers to a minimum, but also had trouble igniting a sputtering offense in losses to Kansas City and Green Bay. The Vikings had a bye last week, giving Jackson time to recover. He has said he is not 100 percent but is feeling better every day.

The Vikings are 1-3 and their fans are discouraged, but owner Zygi Wilf reiterated his support for coach Brad Childress. "We just feel very comfortable with Coach Childress and with his philosophy, and we're behind him 100 percent," Wilf said Tuesday.