Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 04:35 PM

Backup QB Jackson replaces injured Frerotte for Vikings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Minnesota quarterback Gus Frerotte hurt his hand late in the fourth quarter Sunday when hit as he threw from his end zone and was replaced by Tarvaris Jackson.

Frerotte had thrown for 266 yards and pulled the Vikings within 23-17 after a 79-yard drive with 6 minutes left. But he threw two straight incompletions from his end zone after the Titans downed a punt at the Vikings' 2. He was hit on third down, and cornerback Nick Harper picked off the pass.

That sent Frerotte to the locker room where he received a couple stitches in his left, non-throwing hand.

Jackson, who was replaced by Frerotte as the starting quarterback after Minnesota's 0-2 start, came into the game. He completed his first pass to Bobby Wade for 9 yards, but the Titans sacked him on the next two plays.

The hand injury isn't what Frerotte was upset about after a 30-17 loss to the Titans. He said he had a Minnesota trainer call his wife to let her know he was all right after taking a low hit from Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch on the previous series because it looked so bad on TV.

"It was a direct shot. That isn't called for in this game. To just spear somebody like that is pretty ridiculous," Frerotte said. "I mean, he plays hard and he goes all out, but he wants to do those kinds of things.

"I've been playing this game a long time, and to me, that's no different than coming off the side and hitting you in the knee without anybody touching you."

"Those kinds of things just can't happen. We just got a memo from (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell this week that said we're going to cut out that stuff and we're going to keep our game legitimate. And those kinds of things aren't legitimate."

Asked about Frerotte's charge, Vanden Bosch denied he was a dirty player and said Frerotte was entitled to his opinion.

"I've hit quarterbacks a hundred times. All I did was hit the quarterback," he said. "You've got a small window where you can hit the quarterback. I did not hit him below the knees, I hit him in the thigh and that's where the rule book tells me to hit the quarterback."