Why Childress Should be Fired (1 Viewer)

[Avery]

The guy is a dunce, and the fact that the Vikes finally have a relatively competent quarterback is only masking that fact.

That's the problem, and it's beyond just the competent quarterback.The Vikings have assembled such a talented team that they will win a bunch despite of Childress which will:

1. Reinforce to Childress that his terrible play calling are the right calls.

2. Likely get Childress an extension.

Hold on here.I follow the Vikings fairly closely; I don't live in MN any more so don't get as much insight as I'd like, but I do watch the games when I can and check out the StarTrib pretty regularly. Is there some piece of the puzzle that I'm missing as to the Vikings assembling a talented team that does not have to do with the input of Childress? Maybe it's a coincidence but ever since Childress has been the coach I've noticed a huge difference in how much attention the Vikings pay to their lineman (on both sides of the ball) both in drafts and in free agency along with some competent selections in other defensive positions. Their offensive positions, other than Tavaris who was supposed to be Childress' pet project future QB, also seem to be working out OK. Berrian is overpaid but he was the best at a position they needed in a thin FA year.

Now... Childress' game-calling seems to leave a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to in-game adjustments. But is it really fair to say that the Vikings assembled a talented team, outside of Childress' input? If people with more insight than I can answer that question, I'm happy to be wrong. It just seems that the team personnel focus has changed (for the better) since he arrived.

In short, I think the answer might be that he needs a better, and a very strong (so he can't be overruled), Offensive Coordinator. And find a real answer at QB; Favre is OK at this point in his career, but he'd be scraping to make the top half of starting NFL QB's IMO. But firing Childress would seem to hurt more than it helps.

You make valid points.Perhaps Childress should be the co-GM.

 

[SayWhat?]

The guy is a dunce, and the fact that the Vikes finally have a relatively competent quarterback is only masking that fact.

That's the problem, and it's beyond just the competent quarterback.The Vikings have assembled such a talented team that they will win a bunch despite of Childress which will:

1. Reinforce to Childress that his terrible play calling are the right calls.

2. Likely get Childress an extension.

Hold on here.I follow the Vikings fairly closely; I don't live in MN any more so don't get as much insight as I'd like, but I do watch the games when I can and check out the StarTrib pretty regularly. Is there some piece of the puzzle that I'm missing as to the Vikings assembling a talented team that does not have to do with the input of Childress? Maybe it's a coincidence but ever since Childress has been the coach I've noticed a huge difference in how much attention the Vikings pay to their lineman (on both sides of the ball) both in drafts and in free agency along with some competent selections in other defensive positions. Their offensive positions, other than Tavaris who was supposed to be Childress' pet project future QB, also seem to be working out OK. Berrian is overpaid but he was the best at a position they needed in a thin FA year.

Now... Childress' game-calling seems to leave a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to in-game adjustments. But is it really fair to say that the Vikings assembled a talented team, outside of Childress' input? If people with more insight than I can answer that question, I'm happy to be wrong. It just seems that the team personnel focus has changed (for the better) since he arrived.

In short, I think the answer might be that he needs a better, and a very strong (so he can't be overruled), Offensive Coordinator. And find a real answer at QB; Favre is OK at this point in his career, but he'd be scraping to make the top half of starting NFL QB's IMO. But firing Childress would seem to hurt more than it helps.

I don't think there is a definitive answer to whether or not the Vikes would've assembled some of the talent from the past few years without Childress aboard. I'd say it's very likely that they would've, especially in free agency...Wilf finally decided to open his checkbook for the Berrian and Jared Allen acquisitions, and I would venture to guess that had little to do with Childress' input. It does seem that Childress has quite a bit of influence, but I don't doubt that Spielman and staff have equal share in the final draft decisions.The bottom line is that the bolded statements are the issue. After 3+ years, it's painfully obvious that Childress is a below average game manager and play-caller.

 

[SayWhat?]

The bottom line is that the bolded statements are the issue. After 3+ years, it's painfully obvious that Childress is a below average game manager and play-caller.

On those, we 100% agree.But I think you could fix that with getting a new OC and not necessarily a new HC. It would at least be worth a shot before you canned Childress (IMO).

But to that last point, I'm not so sure that I necessarily agree. Forget the basic play calling for a minute. If you're going to be an upper echelon coach or at least one that won't kill your team's chances of making a deep playoff run, don't simple things like kicking a FG from the 36 yard line with 13 seconds remaining and down by 10 seem like simple, no-brainer decisions? I mean, there was no other option at that point that could potentially result in forcing OT. Yet for whatever reason (maybe he's since explained his thought process, or lack thereof), that thought simply doesn't enter Childress' mind. He has Favre drop back and throw a dump pass to Peterson. Game over. Granted, the trifecta of a 53 yard FG followed by an onside kick recovery and hail mary completion is longer than long odds. But the head coach's job is to give his players the best chance to be successful. It's nearly a weekly basis where Childress doesn't do that.

 

[zDragon]

The vikings record has improved every year under him and they are sitting at 6-1 and people are complaining.

Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out.

Just reading threads like this adds plenty of laughter to my day.

 

[Avery]

The vikings record has improved every year under him and they are sitting at 6-1 and people are complaining. Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out. Just reading threads like this adds plenty of laughter to my day.

Simple critique and quite frankly the intellectually lazy way out to see a team's success as a very black and white scenario by crediting the effect of "the viking record has improved" with the cause of "Childress hired as head coach".

 

[SayWhat?]

The vikings record has improved every year under him and they are sitting at 6-1 and people are complaining. Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out. Just reading threads like this adds plenty of laughter to my day.

Or you could say that the Vikings were 9-7 in 2006 under Tice, and it took Childress 3 years to best that record. But that's too simplistic of an approach. That being said, you obviously don't watch the Vikings on a weekly basis. If you did, the only way a thread like this would bring laughter to your day would be if you were a (insert Packer/Bear/Lion) fan and enjoyed the misery that Vikings fans go through each week with this clown at the helm.

 

[Casting Couch]

The vikings record has improved every year under him and they are sitting at 6-1 and people are complaining. Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out. Just reading threads like this adds plenty of laughter to my day.

Or you could say that the Vikings were 9-7 in 2006 under Tice, and it took Childress 3 years to best that record. But that's too simplistic of an approach. That being said, you obviously don't watch the Vikings on a weekly basis. If you did, the only way a thread like this would bring laughter to your day would be if you were a (insert Packer/Bear/Lion) fan and enjoyed the misery that Vikings fans go through each week with this clown at the helm.

SayWhat?

 

[Literary Reference]

Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out.

I think choosing when to be conservative and when to be aggressive is one of his biggest weaknesses.And for those saying that he's greatly improved the team's talent... it shows that he doesn't understand the team's talents.

 

[North]

The vikings record has improved every year under him and they are sitting at 6-1 and people are complaining.

Fact is if he plays conservative or goes for the win he will be called out.

Just reading threads like this adds plenty of laughter to my day.

So then you agree with the play calling?

Pretty smart to take the best player in the NFL out of the game when you're in scoring position!

Or how about just pass instead of giving the ball to your best player.

Here's a news flash for you Childress. Adrian Peterson is your best player, not Favre!

 

[sho nuff]

The bottom line is that the bolded statements are the issue. After 3+ years, it's painfully obvious that Childress is a below average game manager and play-caller.

On those, we 100% agree.But I think you could fix that with getting a new OC and not necessarily a new HC. It would at least be worth a shot before you canned Childress (IMO).

I can agree with that to a point.Part of the problem was that Childress, while its his offense, did not really call the plays in Philly, Reid did from everything I read. So they had a new HC who had never called plays...and he hired a guy who had never done anything more than be a QB coach to Favre (and at that point most likely did very little as a coach of Favre).

I could buy that Childress is not the problem as much...but he has to take on some of it...and it was his hire. But yes, Bevell is certainly out of his league as a playcaller IMO.

 

[FunkyPlutos]

I understand that they have talent on the team, but this team is averaging about 30 points per game, and we are talking about how they aren't calling the right plays?!?!?!?

 

[sho nuff]

I understand that they have talent on the team, but this team is averaging about 30 points per game, and we are talking about how they aren't calling the right plays?!?!?!?

With games against Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis in that mix.Even the Ravens right now are in the bottom half of the league in points per game allowed right now (part of that due to the amount of points MInny put up)The 9ers are just barely in the top half of the league (15th) in points allowed...GB just creeped up there after back to back weeks of playing Cleveland and Detroit and only giving up 3 points.Even with their success, I think there is room to criticize the play calling at times of that coaching staff.I criticized it a bit at times in 2007 for GB and have done so ever since then even when they score a good amount.

 

[JAA]

I'm glad somebody posted this. Huge screw up by Childress. If you're a championship caliber team, you hammer home a TD with Peterson on 1st and goal from the 1. Quit trying to get cute.

Also, on the 1st defensive TD by the Steelers I'm baffled why Tahi was in the game? It was 3rd and goal from the 8. At the very least, he absolutely has to stay in for pass protection. But no, they send on out on his patented route to the line of scrimmage, because when they do dump it to him Tahi's elite RAC skills typically result in a 0 yard gain. It's beyond idiotic. That game was there for the taking, and its little decisions like these by Childress that leave me convinced that he still isn't an NFL ready head coach.

Quoting myself, because in addition to the above questionable decisions I myself forgot to add the most egregious that was literally the icing on the cake to end the day. There's 13 seconds left in the game and you're down by 10. You've just completed a pass down to the Pittsburg 36 yard line. What's the ONLY POSSIBLE WAY you can send this game to overtime? If you answered "throw a short pass to Adrian Peterson," well then you may just have a place on Coach Childress' staff. It would be an extremely unlikely series of events, but at least you have a chance by doing what any casual fan could figure out at that point:

- Kick the 53 yard field goal (likely takes 4-5 seconds off the clock)

- Now you've got 8 seconds left, a few of which are burned on an onside kick recovery

- A recovery gives you a shot at a hail mary and at least a chance to tie the game

Even if Favre goes to the end zone for a TD on that play from the 36 with 13 seconds left, and assuming there's even 4-5 seconds left at that point...if you recover the onside kick you're still not in FG range, so you're attempting another hail mary anyways.

The guy is a dunce, and the fact that the Vikes finally have a relatively competent quarterback is only masking that fact.

Andy Reid Clock Management School