The Vikings’ Sunday night loss to the Carolina Panthers was highlighted by head coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre getting into a rather heated discussion on the sideline. It is being reported that Childress wanted to take Favre out of the game because he was getting pounded and the offense was struggling to produce for the Vikings. This brings up a whole host of questions.
Why is Brad Childress even considering pulling Favre in a game, that at the time, the Vikings led 7-6? Sure the Vikings came into the game knowing they had the division wrapped up due to the Packers losing to the Steelers yesterday. But, by no means, do the Vikings have the #2 playoff spot clinched in the NFC. One begins to wonder if Childress is even aware of the implications of not securing the second seed in the playoffs.
For starters the Vikings are only 4-3 on the road this year and 2-2 in games played outdoors with one more remaining at Chicago on Monday Night Football next week. Settling for the #3 spot means you have to play during wild card weekend and also means you are going to Philadelphia the following week. Minnesota does not want to travel to Philadelphia for a playoff game in the middle of January where dome teams typically go to die.
Secondly, one begins to wonder what kind of message this is sending to your team by pulling your starting quarterback with the game still in the balance? This is not an entirely meaningless game. The Vikings need to get that second playoff seed in the NFC if they want to have any chance at making it to the Super Bowl. Trying to “protect” Favre in that situation sends the wrong message to the team and implies you are okay with not winning that game. After all you basically implied that Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson did not have the chops to lead this team when the going gets tough late in the season when you begged and pleaded to Favre to come back in the first place.
Honestly, was it really Favre’s play that was killing the Vikings offense last night? Granted, he was not lighting the Panthers up, but, he was not throwing the game away either. It is becoming painfully clear, however, that when a team keeps Adrian Peterson in check the Vikings offense becomes rather impotent.
The Vikings have lost two of their last three games and in those two losses Peterson was held to 19 yards on 13 carries against the Cardinals and 35 yards on 12 carries versus the Panthers. In those two games the offense scored just 17 points in the loss to Arizona and just 7 last night in Charlotte.
What is readily apparent is Favre can no longer carry in offense late in the season like he used to be able to. Those who thought bringing Favre on board was not going to bring the Vikings a Super Bowl are starting to come back out of the woodwork. Keep AP in check and Favre does not have the chops to get the Vikings over the hump.
In addition to Favre coming up short the offensive line has not been up to snuff of late either. They gave up 3 sacks to the Cards and 4 last night to the Panthers. In those two losses the Vikings averaged just 3.0 yards per carry and only 3.8 in the win against the Bengals sandwiched in between those two losses.
On top of the offensive struggles the defense has not been coming up of late either. The Cards ran for 4.5 yards per carry while Kurt Warner carved up the secondary to the tune of 285 yards and three touchdowns. Even more embarrassing, though, has to be the fact they let Carolina’s Matt Moore carve them up to the tune of 299 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Moore completed passes to 9 different receivers and the Panthers averaged 14.2 yards per completion last night.
Steve Smith torched them for 157 yards and 17.4 yards per catch. What is going to happen when they face an Eagles team that features speed demon DeSean Jackson who averages a league-high 19.4 yards per catch this season? If they cannot contain Smith how are they going to contain Jackson or the Saints squad of receivers who can get down field?
What of Favre’s undermining Childress’ authority as head coach? Keep in mind this is not the first time he has undermined Childress this season. Remember the Packers game on Monday Night Football earlier this year? Remember when Favre threw a deep pass down the field with the Vikings up big in the fourth quarter? Childress had called for the team to simply run time off the clock and Favre audibled into the pass play. Childress wanted to yank him then but offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell opted to keep him in the game. Why should anyone else listen to Childress on that team if Favre chooses not to?
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings will turn it around in time for the playoffs. History tells us that teams that struggle in December tend to exit the playoffs earlier than the teams that start peaking in December. The next two games are pivotal for the Vikings. If they let the second seed in the NFC slip through their fingers they can kiss the Super Bowl good bye.
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I remember a about 15 years ago, George Seifert pulled Steve Young when the 49ers were losing to the Eagles in SF. The Niners were getting killed. The TV coverage stopped focusing in on the game and started focusing in on the Young/Seifert yelling match. The Niners won something like 10 games in a row after that and the Super Bowl. I’m not saying the Favre & Chidress are doing something to fire up the team through the media, but maybe it’s something the team can feed off of and use it as motivation.
Yeah, they actually talked with Steve Young about that on SportsCenter the other day.
This all depends on how Favre responsds because the crux of the issue revolves around him being unable to keep his ego in check. The situation with the Niners simply had to do with the team playing like crap and Young feeling like he was being shown up by Seifert because he pulled most of the starters and let Young go back out on the field before sending Elvis Grbac out to the huddle to relieve him.