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MINNEAPOLIS -- Who said the preseason isn't exciting? Take Friday night at the Metrodome, where the Minnesota Vikings transformed their run-first, West Coast offense into a swashbuckling run-and-shoot.

We can only assume it was a temporary adjustment for a team that led the NFL in rushing last season.

Entering a season in which quarterback Tarvaris Jackson counts as their biggest question mark, the Vikings passed on their first 11 plays in a 34-17 preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Three other passes were nullified by penalties as the Vikings strove to maximize Jackson's three series on the field.

"We have the utmost confidence in our running game," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "That doesn't mean you rest on your laurels from last year. But we know we definitely need to improve our pass game. There's no better way than to see it in a live game-like situation."

Jackson was sharp, completing eight of his 11 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown -- a six-yard pass to fullback Thomas Tapeh. He completed passes to five different receivers, including a 28-yard pass to Bobby Wade and a 24-yarder to Bernard Berrian, and was neither sacked nor intercepted.

Bevell and coach Brad Childress put Jackson in most every situation imaginable, having him throw from the pocket, from play-action and also on several bootlegs. On the touchdown, Jackson faked a handoff to Adrian Peterson and sprinted toward the right sideline before firing toward Tapeh.

"We just wanted to get our passing game off to a fast start," Jackson said.

Last season, a pseudo-competition with Brooks Bollinger limited Jackson's preseason playing time. He threw only 15 passes in the first two preseason games and was still under development when the regular season began.

Childress was determined to avoid that situation this summer. He and Bevell scripted 10 passes to open the game, regardless of the down and distance. Peterson started but did not get a carry and had already been replaced by Chester Taylor when Bevell called the first run.

Childress used a baseball analogy to describe his plans, saying he wanted to see "the battery -- the throw and catch part."

Childress added: "We didn't need to see Adrian as much, We wanted to watch our line protect. We wanted to watch Adrian factor into the protection game and the route-running part and obviously, the wide receivers."

Suffice it to say, he got a good look.