EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -Tarvaris Jackson said he was surprised by how calm he felt before making his first career start on Thursday night.

Unfortunately for the Minnesota Vikings' new quarterback, his teammates and coaches looked like rookies in a 9-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Jackson completed 10 of 20 passes for just 50 yards, no touchdowns and one interception on a soggy night at Lambeau Field. Much like his predecessor Brad Johnson, those numbers were skewed by dropped passes, penalties and questionable play-calling, all of which combined to spoil a memorable night.

``I know the numbers are what they are, but he had as good an eye coming to the sideline as anyone on that offensive football team,'' coach Brad Childress said Friday.

The Vikings (6-9) produced just three first downs and 104 yards of total offense against the Packers, with their lone score coming on an interception return by Fred Smoot.

While Johnson, who was booed off the field in the third quarter of last week's loss to the Jets, has received much of the blame for the unit's season of struggles, the home fans may have a new target when the Vikings finish the season on Dec. 31 against St. Louis.

Considered an offensive guru when he was hired away from Philadelphia, Childress' offense has failed to generate the big plays Vikings fans are used to seeing. All too often, the quarterbacks are throwing passes to receivers well short of the first down marker.

The results on Thursday night were the worst of the season - nine three-and-outs in 12 possessions.

``Obviously it wasn't good enough,'' Childress said. ``That's our offense, that's my offense, and I take it personally when it doesn't go as it is supposed to go.''

It rarely has gone well in Childress' first season, and the coach said Friday that fans can expect changes to the personnel before next season. He also said it has been an adjustment going from sitting in the booth as offensive coordinator with the Eagles to being on the field and overseeing every aspect of the game, in addition to calling plays, with the Vikings.

``I know it's a (high-powered) offense when it is executed properly and it's been done with all different levels of people and personnel, but I'm not shaken,'' Childress said. ``It's a system. It's a multiple system that you can run it just as easily as you can throw it, and we need to become better at it. That's my job.''

Whether Jackson succeeds in this offense may ultimately decide Childress' fate in Minnesota. The Vikings traded up into the second round to take Jackson, a raw talent out of Division I-AA Alabama State, who Childress said would blossom once he got some coaching.

Johnson, in his first public comments since losing his job to the rookie, said he was impressed by Jackson's poise under the bright lights.

``I thought under those circumstances, playing at Lambeau, national TV game, conditions, I thought he handled things well,'' Johnson said. ``Just the preparation of the week and you go through your bumps and bruises and you learn from them. But I thought composure-wise I thought he handled things well. It's a total team game, good and bad.''

How well Jackson plays in the season finale against the Rams could have a substantial influence on what the Vikings do at quarterback next year. Johnson almost certainly won't be back, and Childress will have to decide if he can trust Jackson with the No. 1 job.

Jackson knows he's auditioning for next year.

``To get these games under my belt, to see what it's exactly like, let coaches see what I'm like during the game, and let my teammates see, it's very important going into the offseason to see the things we need to work on and improve on,'' he said.

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