Brett Favre-Brad Childress: Minnesota Vikings Can't Succeed with Both

The Minnesota Vikings are imploding.

Fresh off a loss to the Green Bay Packers, their postseason hopes have begun to diminish, with only two wins. The latest NFL betting odds posted by BetMania have the Vikings as 12-to-1 long-shots to win the NFC, and five-point underdogs this weekend against the New England Patriots.  

If the Vikings want to have a shot at the playoffs, they have to start winning games, but that will require making some changes.

After the loss to Green Bay, head coach Brad Childress was very critical of his quarterback, putting the blame squarely on his shoulders: “It still goes back to taking care of the football. You can’t throw it to them. You’ve got to play within the confines of our system. Sometimes it’s OK to punt the football, and you can’t give seven points going the other way. Not in a game like this. Not with a high-powered team.”

Childress questioned Favre's decision-making and an interception play that turned into a turnover and points for the Packers.

“Yeah, the (interception) to Bishop, I’d have to look at that because I’d like to know where we’re going with the football, because I believe the play was designed to go to the other side and I think Percy’s standing there in big air, so not sure why we’re looking at the left-hand side,” said Childress.

Childress mentioned that he considered taking Favre out of the game,  and is even contemplating on benching him for the upcoming game against New England.

This is the last straw, and the main reason that it’s time for Brad Childress to be fired.

I am not making an excuse for Favre. He had some costly turnovers in that game, and throughout his career for that matter, but that is what you get with Favre.  He is a gunslinger, and he takes risks, and more often than not, they seem to work out.

The Vikings were just inches away from winning that game. If Favre is benched, the Vikings are just not a good team.  If the Vikings want a chance of winning right now, they have to stick with Brett Favre.

The tenure at head coach for Brad Childress in Minnesota should be over. The locker room has openly questioned his offensive play-calling and wants him to let Favre be in control of the offense.  

The team gets no real direction from Childress and, as evidenced by the press conference on Sunday, he publicly bashes his players—something that is frowned upon in any professional sports league.

Childress blamed his quarterback, the referees and anyone but himself. A true leader and coach may comment on those issues, but will ultimately take the blame for the loss and the decisions made on the field.

Throwing Favre under the bus was a deliberate attempt to salvage his dignity (and most likely his job, if the season is not turned around in the near future).

Brett Favre can be a NFL superstar, and he can be a villain, and you may like him or hate him, but he is not the problem in Minnesota. If they bench him, they will be making a huge mistake.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at [e-mail]

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