After staring down three Pro Bowl rushers and holding his own against them in Minnesota's first three games, Hicks will be asked to block Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has quietly become one of the NFL's best defensive ends.

Maybe, just maybe, if Hicks passes this test he'll still find himself in the lineup. For now, he's focused on playing left tackle as Bryant McKinnie's fill-in - and trying not to worry about what comes next.

"That's not my decision," Hicks said. "I never worry about stuff I can't control."

But Hicks is human. He can't completely block out thoughts about his status, which seems set on changing when McKinnie returns on Monday from his four-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

"It's kind of a double-edged sword," Hicks said. "Bryant's a good friend of mine, and I love him like a brother. I want to see him back and have a Pro Bowl year, but it's going to mean I move around a little bit."

Vikings coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell weren't about to speculate what will happen when the 6-foot-8, 343-pound McKinnie returns.

"I'm a day-at-a-time guy," Childress said. "I can't go to next week right now."

Hicks was the starter at right guard in 2006 and the first third of the 2007 season until losing his job to Anthony Herrera. Since, he's been the Vikings' version of the utility infielder, able to move around as needed and provide a veteran backup at several spots.

"Certainly, a guy like that, you kind of hope you never need him," center Matt Birk said. "But when you do, you're sure glad you got him."

McKinnie's punishment wasn't a surprise, so Hicks was given some time at left tackle during training camp before the announcement came from the league. He was the natural replacement, but there was plenty of uncertainty about how he would hold up against Green Bay (Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila), Indianapolis (Dwight Freeney), Carolina (Julius Peppers) and Tennessee (Vanden Bosch).

Those four pass rushers have combined for 231 sacks in their careers. Vanden Bosch, who Childress called a "whirling dervish," is playing better than any of them.

"I think Artis has stepped in and done a great job," Birk said. "He's one of those guys at the start of the season if you're looking at the roster, you're probably not thinking of him as a key player. But I think to do what he's done, to step in and play three games at left tackle against three pretty good defenses and three pretty good right defensive ends, Artis has handled himself really well."

The Vikings (1-2) are going to need him for at least one more week. Vanden Bosch has 2 1/2 sacks for a defense that has allowed just 29 points. With 37-year-old Gus Frerotte taking the snaps, Hicks can't count on his quarterback to elude Vanden Bosch if he slips by.

"It's a very good defensive front," Childress said. "Just expect him to continue to keep competing, and he's done a good job."

He may not be the biggest or the strongest or the most physically gifted left tackle around, but Hicks does pride himself on competing.

"In every game it's going to come to a point where you've just got to fight," he said. "It's going to come down to, he's trying to whoop me, I've got to whoop him. It's going to come down to a fight.

"The technique might not be there every time. It might not be great, but it's going to come to a point in the game where you're dog tired, game's on the line, crucial down and distance, and you've just got to dig deep, bow up and fight. And I think that's my approach. That's the mind-set I have."

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