I had considered commenting on this news by writing a tongue-in-cheek post about how maybe Favre wasn’t trying to stick it to Ted, but in fact, he was looking out for the Packers all along by signing with the Vikes. I would have argued that Favre figured he could pull one over on the rival he used to hate so much by going there, playing out of his mind and putting the team in a great position at 8-1 or so. Then management would feel pressure to consider extending Childress (something the Packers having been hoping would happen, for their sake). Childress would sign the extension. Then Favre would do everything possible to orchestrate a mighty collapse down the stretch (actually this would be accomplished mostly by no longer disregarding Chilly’s ideas) – making Vikings’ management strongly regret the decision to extend Childress. Favre might gain back some of his Packer supporters – leaving MN with 4 more years of Brad Childress as coach.
I decided not to write that post though because the problem is, Brad Childress has the Vikings at 8-1 and in a surprising number of games this season, he appears to have out-coached his counterpart. Certainly he has out-coached Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy twice. Now, I’d prefer to attribute the Vikes’ success to the other coaches, Favre, Adrian Peterson, the defense, the fact that he has a team so loaded with talent it would be hard NOT to squeeze success out of them – anything or anyone but Childress. But the fact is, as much as I hate to say it, Brad Childress hasn’t done a terrible job so far this year.
Now that I’ve puked up that difficult confession, would I have extended him if I were management? Absolutely not. At least not at this point in the season. He has not been a good coach in the years leading up to this one and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the talented teams from previous years seriously underachieved. And importantly, despite the team’s success this year, Childress is still making coaching errors that hurt his team.
But it is the fat-new-contract-curse most players/coaches have to fend off that has me hopeful. If things play out according to the curse, Childress should start cranking out some shocking losses for the team really soon – perhaps starting this weekend with a loss to Seattle.
packergeeks 
November 19, 2009 at 8:00 pm |
Yeah, hopefully he’ll start coaching and picking players like TT & MM did after they got their extensions (sorry, couldn’t resist). Except for Mangini, who is absolutely worthless, Favre sure made a lot of money for his last few coaches.
Reading the possibly related posts to this post, one would think Favre had actually ruined Chilly’s careeer.
Favre talks to Childress
Favre stays retired
Favre to remain retired
Vikings coach Brad Childress as airline stewardess.
November 19, 2009 at 8:16 pm |
I think the 8-1 record is misleading in terms of coaching. Yes, the Vikes are 8-1 but they really haven’t beaten any power house teams yet. They’ve beaten the Lions (twice), the Packers playing like absolute crap (twice), Cleveland, the Rams, San Fran, and Baltimore. And just think about the talent they have on that team: Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, the Williamses, Jared Allen, etc. They have a crapload of talent – they SHOULD do well. And you have to wonder how much of his success at coaching this year is getting out of the way of Favre running things. I still don’t like Favre anymore but he’s a good QB and he knows the game. And he might be able to do enough to cancel out Chilly’s bad impulses.
November 19, 2009 at 8:43 pm |
….and PackerBelle, Childress didn’t win the Baltimore game so much as the Ravens’ kicker lost it, and the SF win was just plain lucky vintage Favre. (no way Childress had anything to do with that)
Childress is really 5-3 this year
November 20, 2009 at 4:38 pm |
Interesting that some of you consider the Viking’s last second SFO win “lucky” By an extension of the same logic, the critical Williams dropped passes should be similarly classed. If this over-rated receiver catches those, I don’t think you are all basking in the warm afterglow of a Packers win.
Dismissing Favre’s influence on the Vikings as “lucky” is folly. I heard a surprising comment by one of the Viking defense and I apologise for being lax re his name. He was asked to define Favre’s leadership.
“Before (Favre) we would have chalked up those two games, SFO/Bal as losses.”
Obviously, you are all experts on Favre revisionism, but in the words of Michelangelo..”ancora imparo”..I’m still learning and the constant Favre acerbity is puzzling.
I don’t know the coda to this season, but I hope for a wild card and if Favre is “lucky”, let’s hope Rodgers is equally “lucky”
Happy Thanksgiving.
November 20, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Interesting that some of you consider the Viking’s last second SFO win “lucky”
Yeah, thanks to that last-second, desparation play, the Bears are the first, instead of the second, team the 49ers have beat outside the NFC West.
I can hear it now:
D∈T
November 19, 2009 at 8:51 pm |
Favre figured he could pull one over on the rival he used to hate so much
This credits Favre with far more intelligence and long-term planning than he’s ever demonstrated having. I really don’t think his thoughts have gone much beyond the Vikings as a way to another SB ring and/or MVP award (plus revenge on TT/MM).
I agree with PackerBell, that the Vikings have mostly powered their way through their opponents this season. The bad news for Vikings fans is that given this years’ crop of likely playoff teams, they’re not going to be able to just power their way through the playoffs.
Combine that with Childress’ poor coaching skills and Favre’s lack of coachability, and I think the chances of the Vikings getting a Lombardi trophy this year are pretty long.
D∈T
November 20, 2009 at 8:38 pm |
Agree on Chilly. But Favre’s lack of coachability? He’s playing his most disciplined football since the Holmgren years. Seems pretty coachable to me.
November 21, 2009 at 11:28 am
Ben — I doubt Favre’s discipline this year has anything to do with coaching. I think it has more to do with his desire to go out with a SB. The revenge factor is over–he beat his old team–twice.
I think Favre knows he is on a team loaded with talent and realizes he doesn’t have to do everything by himself. He truly does have a real shot at a SB but as we all know, playoff wins are a lot harder to come by than regular season wins.
I would imagine Favre has audibled more calls this year than he has since Ray Rhodes.
November 19, 2009 at 9:04 pm |
Nice Coop, nice.
Packerbelle – carrying your argument a bit further, they barely beat Balt and SF at home and lost to arguably the only tough team on the schedule so far in Pitt. You’re right, the schedule has been weak. I’m still mostly believing that the opinion I’ve held of Childress for a while is the right one: that he totally sucks. And I’m also believing a collapse of some kind is possible. But seeing the Packer/Vike game at Lambeau live affected my opinion of him somewhat. I can’t know for sure how much he had to do with the offensive game plan (it’s possible Favre/Bevel should get more credit), but it was a fantastic one that was well executed. They were so proficient attacking our defensive weaknesses (throwing over Kampman, slants against Tramon Williams, etc), that I left the game feeling the Packers were out-coached. Again though, I still don’t think he’s that good of a coach and I would not have signed him to this kind of a deal yet…
November 20, 2009 at 8:42 pm |
I put Childress and McCarthy on the same level as far as coaching goes. Both are fairly average.
Where Childress outclasses McCarthy isn’t even related to coaching, its talent evaluation. Childress has gotten credit for some of the talent they have brought in over the past few seasons.
November 21, 2009 at 11:35 am
AGREED
However I think TT has more to do with the drafting than MM, not sure how much Chilly plays in the talent evaluation at MN. However it gets done I’d put them ahead of the curve on recognizing talent.
Problem at GB is Super Ted all but avoids FA & when it comes to drafting, with a few exceptions, it appears he can’t pick and/or MM can’t coach them.
November 19, 2009 at 11:49 pm |
-the bears don’t have a draft pick until 2054.
-major dad signed a contract extension, and will have NO prospects at quarterback after next season when favre retires again.
-this line is intentionally left blank
if we don’t win the division every year from 2010-2015, it’ll be because we withdrew from the league.
November 20, 2009 at 10:33 am |
Aw come one now joshy, you know Detroit’s getting better 😉
BTW, you pursuing that legal career?
November 20, 2009 at 1:49 pm |
joshy a lawyer, please tell me it’s not true. we need another lawyer like we need two more OT’s like Barbre.
November 20, 2009 at 3:48 pm |
ron, don’t worry. i work for lawyers, and have decided not to become one. i understand the value, i just don’t have the passion for it specifically.
i’ve decided that any career i decide to pursue should be as illegal as possible. i’m considering distributing narcotics out the window of a speeding, unlicensed vehicle while illegally downloading copyrighted music to my stolen, hacked iPod – either that or swashbuckling.
November 20, 2009 at 3:50 pm |
I apparently also work part-time for the Department of Redundancy Department, and i’ve decided that anything i decide on should be decidedly confirmed and chosen with confidence before i decide.
November 20, 2009 at 5:46 pm |
josh, you add to my happiness with each post. keep it up, please.
November 20, 2009 at 7:14 pm |
swashbuckling. Love it. A co-worker and I have an on-going game where we pick a random word and you have to work it into either a customer conference call or visit. Next up on the list “swashbuckler” or “swashbuckling”. I am still up big from when I was able to work “Jermaine Jackson” into a discussion 2 separate times with the Utah Dept of Human Services. Thanks josh for the assistance.
November 21, 2009 at 2:17 pm |
Trav:
Did you ever try to get “pad level” into a conferance call? I’d love to hear how.
November 21, 2009 at 4:58 pm |
Added to the list. Maybe if I can get a hat trick of “pad level”, I would be a possibility for a coaching position…
November 21, 2009 at 6:52 pm |
Campbell–
Hopefully we get that wild card. If we do I hope & pray the MN has to play at least one playoff game before we do. Probably won’t get that “lucky” though.
Are you not basking in the warm afterglow of a Packer’s victory?
Happy Thanksgiving to you also, my acerbic fellow poster.
As well as to the rest of you..
‘Til Monday
November 21, 2009 at 9:24 pm |
56Coop,
Me…acerbic?
A bitter indictment! Just because I throw the occasional yard of vinegar, does not constitute acerbity…merely avid interest.
Pac e Gioia.