There is still a logjam atop the NFC North standings and the Minnesota Vikings are right in the thick of the race. Minnesota will have to put its road woes aside this Sunday, however, when it pays a visit to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.

The Vikings (5-5) are just 1-4 on the road this season and wasted a golden opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the NFC North after last weekend's loss at Tampa Bay. They completely broke down over the final 30 minutes of a 19-13 setback to the Buccaneers and must avoid a trap game against the Jaguars with division-rival Chicago looming the following week.

Minnesota is tied with Green Bay and Chicago in the division standings and will be trying to reach the .500 mark before returning home to host the Bears at the Metrodome. Chicago defeated the Vikings earlier in the season to take the upper hand in a tie-breaking scenario.

The Vikings have dropped two in a row as the visitor and are in the midst of playing four of five games on the road.

With three losses over its last four games, Jacksonville is in a world of hurt and pretty much out of the playoff picture right now in the AFC.

The Jaguars (4-6) had the unbeaten Tennessee Titans on the ropes at halftime last week, leading 14-3 at the break, but imploded in the second half to suffer a heart-breaking 24-14 loss to their AFC South rivals. Head coach Jack Del Rio is starting to feel the heat, and last year's 11-5 mark and a trip to the second round of the playoffs may not save him.

Del Rio already got under the skin of some players on the team, most notably middle linebacker Mike Peterson, with his stickler ways and tough approach. The former NFL linebacker, who signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason for over $20 million, also hasn't been getting much lately from quarterback David Garrard.

Garrard was practically mistake-free in 2007, but this year has been a complete aberration of what he is capable of accomplishing. Like Del Rio, he also signed a big contract in the offseason and hasn't lived up to the big bucks. Maybe showing him the money was premature, as evidenced by his 83.4 passer rating compared to last season's 102.2 quarterback classification.

SERIES HISTORY

The Vikings own a 2-1 leads in their all-time series with the Jaguars, breaking a deadlock in the series with a 27-16 home win in the most recent meeting, during the 2004 campaign. Jacksonville won the previous meeting, a 33-3 road rout in 2001. Minnesota will be visiting Jacksonville for the first time in team history.

Del Rio is 0-1 as a head coach against the Vikings, for whom he played from 1992 to 1995. Minnesota's Brad Childress will be meeting both Del Rio and the Jaguars for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE VIKINGS HAVE THE BALL

Vikings veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte (1,757 passing yards, 11 TD, 11 INT) played it safe against a stingy Tampa Bay defense last weekend by throwing for a season-low 138 yards and a touchdown. Frerotte ended with his second rating of more than 100, but has thrown eight interceptions to go along with eight touchdown passes over his past four games. The Vikings are only 21st in passing this season and will face a talented Jacksonville defensive backfield on Sunday. Frerotte, who has won five of eight starts this season, won his only start against the Jaguars back on September 28, 1997 as a member of the Washington Redskins. He was able to pass for 244 yards and three touchdowns that day. Many years have passed since then, and Frerotte's top targets now are Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade. Berrian (33 receptions, 667 yards, 4 TD) leads the team in receiving yards and had three catches for 43 yards at Tampa Bay. In his first season with Minnesota, Berrian has a touchdown catch in four of his last five games and produced three 100-yard performances over that span. Wade (38 receptions, 1 TD) leads the team in 38 catches and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (23 receptions, 4 TDs) is even with Berrian for the team lead in touchdown receptions.

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