Update on the Packers. According to this article, Childress left Philly thinking GB would be the best place for him but took the Minn job due to the full court press they put on and no guarantee he'd be hired by GB.Childress held over in talks with VikingsBy TOM SILVERSTEINtsilverstein@journalsentinel.comPosted: Jan. 5, 2006Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers won't get a chance to find out whether Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress would have been a good fit for their vacant head coaching job, but it doesn't mean they are out of options. On Thursday, general manager Ted Thompson interviewed Dallas assistant head coach Sean Payton, one of the more promising offensive coaches he'll meet during the hiring process. Payton has strong ties to Dallas coach Bill Parcells and would offer Thompson the young, personable leader he is seeking to inject life into the team.It's unclear how his interview went, but from most accounts Payton impressed officials with his intelligence and football acumen.Childress was supposed to interview with Thompson on Wednesday but the Minnesota Vikings got serious in their pursuit of him after an interview Tuesday and convinced him to stay while they conducted interviews with other potential candidates.According to an NFL source, Childress, a former University of Wisconsin assistant coach, left Philadelphia thinking Green Bay might be the best place for him, but the Vikings' urgency to complete a deal was too much to pass up. Unsure whether the Packers would hire him, Childress went for the sure thing with the Vikings.Minnesota has not officially announced Childress' hiring and the Eagles coach still has an interview scheduled with the Packers on Tuesday, but sources said an agreement with the Vikings would be wrapped up soon. Acquaintances of Childress' say one of the first people he'll hire for his coaching staff is Packers quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, who played under Childress at Wisconsin.Bevell's contract is set to expire and he will soon be free to join Childress. Since Thompson is focusing mostly on offensive assistant coaches, it's likely former coach Mike Sherman's entire offensive staff will be different next season.If Thompson is serious about wanting quarterback Brett Favre to return, Payton might be the man he is looking for. The 42-year-old Payton played quarterback in college and the pros, served as quarterbacks coach under West Coast-offense disciples Ray Rhodes and Jon Gruden in Philadelphia and held offensive coordinator positions under Jim Fassel in New York and Parcells in Dallas.Payton helped resurrect the quarterback careers of Kerry Collins in New York and Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe in Dallas. He also managed to coax a 3,000-yard season out of young Cowboys QB Quincy Carter in his first season as passing game coordinator.His years with Gruden and Fassel prepared him for the West Coast offense and his years with Parcells were invaluable in learning the running game, play-calling and player motivation. His interview with Thompson will be a big determining factor in whether he becomes a finalist."He's the new breed guy coming up," said a close friend of Payton's. "He's a head coach. He has no time for drama and everything else. He just wants to coach. He's interested in living a very balanced life."Early in Payton's tenure in Philadelphia, he worked with former Packers quarterback Ty Detmer and there's a chance he would ask Detmer to become a part of his staff if named head coach. Detmer, a backup in Atlanta, just finished his 14th season in the National Football League and if he doesn't return, is expected to go into coaching.The combination of Payton and Detmer, the latter of whom came to Green Bay the same year Favre did and spent four years as his backup, might be enough to entice Favre to come back for another season. Payton's expertise in coaching quarterbacks might be what Favre needs to bounce back from his worst season."Sean can show to Brett, 'This is where Kerry Collins was, this is where Drew Bledsoe was and this is how I got them to do what they should be doing,' " the friend said. "That's one guy who could point to that."Whether Payton is ready to assume the role of a head coach is something Thompson will have to determine. It's unclear if Payton has additional duties as assistant head coach under Parcells, but he has been considered for a head-coaching job before - with the Oakland Raiders two years ago - and Wednesday had an introductory interview with the New Orleans Saints in San Antonio about their opening.He is expected to meet with them again in New Orleans."I don't want Payton to leave; he's a great coach," Cowboys guard Marco Rivera, a former Packer, told the Dallas Morning News. "I couldn't imagine trying to replace that guy. I've only had one year with him, and I'm already excited about next year."He sees the game of football with a different attitude. He has a brilliant mind for offense, and he knows how to convey that to players." Cleveland offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, meanwhile, is expected to formally interview today. He comes with a reputation for being a disciplinarian, much in the mold of his former coach, Parcells. He has served as offensive coordinator in Dallas, Detroit and Cleveland and comes with a strong offensive background.Meanwhile, the Packers are expected to interview Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera on Saturday in Chicago. They will probably interview San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy on Sunday in Green Bay.Also, it doesn't appear Sherman is interested in replacing Childress in Philadelphia, where he would be reunited with close friend Andy Reid. Sherman told WTMJ radio Thursday that he was interested in returning to football only as a head coach. The Eagles are expected to interview Kansas City offensive coordinator Al Saunders this weekend.