Brad Childress: 12 Mistakes He Likely Won't Repeat, One He Will

NFL consultant Michael Lombardi claims successful head coaches are leaders that: (1) develop a comprehensive plan, (2) communicate it, (3) convince players to buy into it, and (4) admit mistakes. They let their staff design plays.

Brad Childress has been a successful head coach for the Minnesota Vikings. His won-loss records have improved each season by two games to 12-4, and in the playoffs.

He uses simple schemes that rely on his players’ athletic, more than cognitive, skills: (1) a newer West Coast Offense still with precision passing to short crossing routes but also with power running behind inside zone blocking, and (2) base Tampa-2 defense.

Still, he should avoid making so many simple mistakes that last season cost the team tough games against the Browns and Packers, lucky wins versus the 49ers and Ravens, losses at the Steelers, Cardinals, Panthers, and Bears, and playoff elimination at the Saints.

Mistake No. 1: Sending 12 Men Onto the Field

Childress took responsibility for a penalty that gave an outplayed New Orleans Saints team the NFC Championship and a trip to win the Super Bowl.

With the game tied and only 19 seconds left in regulation, the Vikings were just within range of a winning field goal on 3rd-and-10.

Childress called a time out and tried to change to a play without fullback Naufahu Tahi, perhaps because the two previous plays were runs for no gain.

They were assessed a five yard penalty for having 12 men on the field, perhaps because they couldn’t hear over the crowd noise.

They desperately tried to get back within field goal range, but the pass was intercepted.

Childress should have just tried a field goal on third down (in case there was a bad snap).

Mistake No. 2: Losing Player by Telling Him How to Live His Personal Life

Childress criticized Saint Paul native Matt Birk for attending the birth of his child. The pro bowl center left for Baltimore and had to be replaced with the smaller John Sullivan.

Sullivan, who was manhandled by big nose tackles, extended the weak part of the offensive line to the center from the right side, including right guard Anthony Herrera.

They did improve right tackle by drafting big Phil Loadholt to replace former second round pick Ryan Cook, partly because he has short arms (although Childress almost repeated the mistake by drafting Eben Britton).

But with Birk gone, left guard Steve Hutchinson and left tackle Bryant McKinnie are the only Pro Bowlers remaining.

Later last year, Childress appeared to have learned his lesson and saved his job by allowing his team’s most important missing piece, new quarterback Brett Favre, to stay home from training camp.

Mistake No. 3: Failing to Get Enough Good Blockers

Childress has problems developing across the offensive line that, along with the tight end and sometimes fullback, must block eight and nine defenders loading the box to stop Adrian Peterson.

In losses to the Cardinals and Panthers, the line was badly beaten after injuries to all starters, except the rookie Loadholt, forced use of their backups, tackle Ryan Cook, guard Artis Hicks, and center Jon Cooper.

This year, Hicks was replaced by fifth round draft pick, guard Chris DeGeare, while Cook and Cooper are back and they may also add depth with tackle Drew Radovich.

After expressing interest before the draft, they now say they won’t pursue free-agent veteran Chester Pitts, who would be an upgrade at guard over Herrera.

Since they will stick with their starters, perhaps they intend to carry more and better backups and/or rotate to keep them fresh (like some teams facing normal defenses are doing).

Mistake No. 4: Providing No Support for Injured Blockers

Childress admitted he made a mistake by not providing blocking help for his big left tackle Bryant McKinnie after he was manhandled by Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers in the embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers.

McKinnie had developed plantar fasciitis in both feet later in the season and the other linemen weren’t providing him with much help because of their own various injuries.

The entire offensive line had risked injury all season from defenses loading the box to stifle the rushing attack (while leaving the receivers largely one on one).

Since Childress didn’t spell them much, he should have at least devised blocking schemes to help the injured linemen with a tight end or fullback.

Mistake No. 5: Failing to Tell Players to Stop Telling Plays

Childress made a mistake by failing to recognize that McKinnie was telling plays during the loss to the Cardinals.

Former Pro Bowl left tackle Tony Boselli, who was working the sidelines for the Westwood One radio broadcast, said McKinnie told the Cardinals when they were going to pass by putting his left leg a little bit further back.

McKinnie responded that he knew he was doing it on obvious pass plays, but didn’t think anyone would notice.

The Cardinals defense stopped the Vikings offense by dropping seven and eight into coverage on pass plays, while still loading the box on rushes.

While defenses usually load the box to stop their run anyway, it is crucial for the Vikings to be able to disguise play action passes.

Mistake No. 6: Screwing With the Football God

During the Panthers game, Childress compounded the mistake of telling plays by arguing with Favre that he needed to be pulled for a running quarterback, backup Tarvaris Jackson.

He must have been grasping for an answer since most remember how defenses would blitz Jackson while loading the box to stop the rush.

Favre resisted, but Childress took control after the game by demanding that Favre hand the ball off whenever a run was called and not audible to pass.

In the next game against the Bears, Favre just gave Childress “enough rope to hang himself” by handing off to the running backs, who crashed into defenses loading the box.

After Childress relented, Favre passed his way to tie the game in regulation (apparently with the play telling stopped), before Peterson fumbled the game away in overtime.

Mistake No. 7: Forcing Non-Blockers to Block

During the preseason, Childress insanely lined Favre up as a receiver to block for Percy Harvin in the Wildcat.

Favre, who has little blocking experience, threw himself at the defender and drew a penalty and fine for a crackback block.

Childress should know the West Coast Offense is about protecting the quarterback with schemes like short drops, not sacrificing him.

Speed wide receiver Bernard Berrian also tried to block in the preseason and spent most of the season with a hamstring injury.

The quarterback and receivers can’t block well and the linemen are too big and slow for perimeter blocking anyway.

The answer is to mainly just pound the backs between the tackles against the stacked defenses and throw play action passes to their receivers covered one–on-one (of course without telling plays).

Mistake No. 8: Failing to Protect Players

Childress made a mistake by failing to complain enough to the referees about 17 late and illegal hits to his quarterback in the NFC Championship Game.

The most outrageous was an illegal hit below Favre’s knees by end Bobby McCray while tackle Remi Ayodele hit high, causing an interception and injury to his left ankle.

The referees failed to call a penalty (even though McCray was later fined), allowing the undeserved interception to stand. Moreover, Favre would later require surgery that he says could end his career.

McCray was also penalized and fined for cowardly hitting Favre after he handed off, and tackle Anthony Hargrove was penalized and fined for cruelly picking Favre up and slamming him to the turf.

Since this was a team assault on Favre, it is obvious the Saints knew they couldn’t win any other way and are unworthy to be called Super Bowl champions.

Mistake No. 9: Slamming His Star Runner Repeatedly Into Stacked Defenses

For the past two years, Childress has slammed his star running back between the tackles against defenses loading the box on early downs, without spelling him enough.

Since Peterson possesses a combination of power and speed that allows for both inside and outside rushing, he would find a better fit running behind a more balanced line. Scat back Chris Johnson is a great fit for the Titans, who have a perimeter blocking line.

But other teams, like the Saints, Jets, and Panthers, that also have big power running lines like the Vikings, have found that production is maximized by rotating a power back with a combination power and scat back (like Peterson) to help him wear defenses so he can break off long runs later in the game.

The Vikings used a second round draft pick on power back Toby Gerhart, who is also a punishing back like Peterson.

Mistake No. 10: Throwing Dynamic Runner Into Bad and Dangerous Situations

In the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game, Percy Harvin was given a first down carry that trapped him behind the line and he fumbled.

After drafting the explosive combination scat running back and wide receiver last year, Childress made a mistake by assigning Harvin to play in the slot even on third downs, and rush occasionally on early downs.

Scat backs are safer and more dangerous in the open field. Open fields develop in the slot on early downs as defenses load the box, and in the backfield on third down and longs as defenses drop safeties, linebackers and even linemen back into coverage.

Most teams use tall, big, and tough third receivers, like the Vikings Marko Mitchell, in the slot, especially on third downs.

Like other NFL teams, Childress hopes to use scat backs Darius Reynaud and Harvin at running back on third down and longs.

Mistake No. 11: Failing to Dump Unproductive Backs

The 6-0 Vikings were driving for the likely winning score on the Steelers 18 with 1:15 remaining. Chester Taylor let a Favre pass go through his fingers and into the hands of Keyaron Fox, who intercepted and returned it for the clinching touchdown.

After Childress drafted Adrian Peterson, the other power-scat back Chester Taylor became redundant. But he made a mistake by using Taylor sub-optimally in place of a power back in 2007 and thereafter much less effectively for third downs.

The Vikings led the NFL in rushing in 2007, but they also had fullback Tony Richardson.

In 2008, they let Richardson go to the Jets and signed the cheaper Thomas Tapeh, who turned out to be deceiving them about an injury, and ended up with Tahi.

Peterson said he missed Richardson and later he doesn’t want a fullback. Childress is attempting to correct his mistake by drafting Ryan D'Imperio.

Mistake No. 12: Failing to Get Enough Good Cornerbacks

Childress made a mistake by not carrying enough good cornerbacks last year.

The Tampa-2 defense uses cornerbacks and linebackers for coverage and tackling in the underneath zones across the field.

Left cornerback Antoine Winfield and right cornerback Cedric Griffin are good Tampa-2 cornerbacks that can cover, jam, and tackle.

But when Winfield injured his foot, his backup Karl Paymah was lit up by the Ravens wide receivers in a fourth quarter comeback that would have resulted in a loss if their field goal kicker didn’t miss a 42-yard attempt.

Nickelback Benny Sapp and rookie Asher Allen also proved ineffective backups. Then Griffin was injured in NFC Championship Game.

Now, the Vikings appear to have added sufficient depth by signing free-agent Lito Sheppard and drafting Chris Cook in the early second round, while dumping Paymah.

Mistake No. Unlucky 13: Failure to Get Good Safeties (Will Be Repeated)

Childress has deluded himself into thinking the safeties improved during the playoffs.

The starting safeties are the weakest position on the team and among the NFL’s four worst safety duos (e.g., see Madden ratings).

Safety is at least as important as any other position in the Tampa-2 besides the front four (which pressures the quarterback and helps stop the rush), because each safety must cover an entire side of the field deep, with help only from the middle linebacker up the middle seam.

Before the Ravens game, the safeties were already getting abused by tight ends.

In the home opener, tight end Vernon Davis outran the middle linebacker and split the two safeties deep before catching a touchdown pass from 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill.

The play could have ruined the season had it not been for Favre’s miracle touchdown pass to Greg Lewis.

The Strong Safety Can’t Tackle Well or Hit Hard Enough

Tyrell Johnson allowed Packers tight end Jermichael Finley to catch a pass from Aaron Rodgers in front, juke him, and run for a 62-yard touchdown.

Johnson doesn’t tackle well, and can’t hit hard enough to intimidate receivers, to protect the middle, and cause turnovers.

The prototypical Tampa-2 strong safety was hard hitting John Lynch. The NFL’s current best strong safeties, Steelers Troy Polamalu and Cards Adrian Wilson, are also big hitters.

Their first pick in the 2010 draft was rumored to come down to Chris Cook or safety Taylor Mays, who is almost as fast, bigger, and harder-hitting than Polamalu.

Viking Update notes they could have got Mays, good backups at guard (John Jerry), and cornerback (Brandon Ghee) with the next two picks, and a good power back (Jonathan Dwyer) later.

The Strong Safety Can’t Cover

The Bears beat the Vikings in overtime on a touchdown pass from quarterback Jay Cutler to wide receiver Devon Aromashodu because Tyrell Johnson played run and left a limping Winfield in coverage alone.

While in the Tampa-2 defense, the safeties must be able to read whether the offense will run or pass out of play action. But the Vikings safeties can’t read any offenses well.

Moreover, the purpose of the Tampa-2 defense is to eliminate big plays from opposing offenses and force them into short dump-off passes. Yet, only seven teams gave up more plays of greater than 20 yards.

Tampa-2 safeties must also be aggressive in coverage and break up passes. The two starting safeties combined for just one interception and 64 tackles after passes for an average of 12.6 yards downfield.

The Free Safety Can’t Tackle

In the Tampa-2, the free safety either stays in coverage deep or blitzes the quarterback, often requiring him to beat a blocking back.

Against the Bears, Madieu Williams got a free shot on Jay Cutler without having to fend off a running back, but was run over by the quarterback.

In the playoffs, the smaller scat back Reggie Bush caught a crossing pass on 3rd-and-10 and crushed Williams for a 20-yard gain.

Williams is a worse tackler than Tyrell Johnson. Tampa-2 safeties should be good tacklers because they are often the last line of defense.

Childress made a mistake by signing Williams. He should have resigned Pro Bowler Darren Sharper, a sure tackler, big hitter, real ballhawk, and dangerous playmaker with the ball.

The Free Safety Can’t Cover

In Week 13, Madieu Williams allowed a slightly slower Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald receiver to just keep running right through his deep zone, get behind him, and catch a 34-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner.

The Vikings signed Williams mainly for pass coverage as a free agent for $33 million over six years with $12 million guaranteed (compared to Adrian Wilson, the highest paid safety in the NFL at $37 million over five years).

Previous Vikings safety Darren Sharper wasn’t an ideal fit for the Tampa-2 because he lacks speed, but he made up for it by being a crafty veteran in zone coverage.

He is also much cheaper at under $2 million per year, which would have likely allowed the Vikings to sign Birk, Pitts, and Richardson.

The Backup Safety Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen, Again

Backup safety Jamarca Sanford also does not excel in pass coverage and lacks aggressiveness in the open field. Even worse, he is a lethal combination of power hitting without awareness and speed.

Sanford injured his own teammate in the loss to the Cardinals after their running back made him miss a tackle and he collided with middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, breaking his leg.

Sanford took out a crucial part of the Vikings Tampa-2. Henderson is one of the few linebackers fast enough to stop runs and still cover deep passes up the middle seam between the safeties. He can also read defenses as a defensive quarterback.

Why Can’t the Vikings Win a Super Bowl?

Unfortunately, the Vikings won’t have center Matt Birk, guard Chester Pitts, fullback Tony Richardson, and safeties Taylor Mays and Darren Sharper. They will also have E.J. Henderson with a titanium rod in his leg.

Still, the 2011 Super Bowl should go to the superior player talent of the Minnesota Vikings, assuming Favre comes back and has adequate depth across the offensive line.

Hopefully, poor safeties will just make it close, suspenseful, and frustrating like last year.

But Brad Childress could still blow it, as well as get players hurt, again. He must especially avoid needless coaching penalties, telling plays, under-manning positions, putting players in dangerous situations, and also breakdowns on special teams.

Fans should request that the Vikings organization hire football consultants to anticipate and correct all of the possible mistakes for their head coach.