(First of all, I want to sort-of apologize for this picture...I usually don't like to personally attack people on this blog without due cause, but it is just too funny not to put up!)
Now that the proper time to reflect on the Vikings' first-round playoff loss to the Eagles has been taken, I want to comment on what I feel is the biggest area the Vikes should address in the offseason...the Head Coaching position.
The obvious question after any season that falls short of expectations is whether or not the Head Coach deserves to keep the reigns for another go-round. In Brad Childress' case, I do not think he does. Sure, he did lead the Vikes to a 10-6 season (technically better than any record Mike Tice posted), but my judgement comes down to this: Under Childress next year, I think the Vikings could just as easily go back to being a 7-9 team as they could make the playoffs again. I mean, who really thought that the Vikings could make a realistic run at the SuperBowl this year (or will next year with the exact same staff in place)? When Childress was quarantined by the Vikings front office and hired away from Philadelphia, he was supposed to be an offense-orientated leader. However, now with three years of hindsight, Brad Johnson throwing to Koren Robinson and handing off to Chester Taylor (the last year of the Tice regime) was just as productive as Tarvaris Jackson throwing to Bernard Berrian and giving to Adrian Peterson. Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that Childress has come nowhere near delivering the "kick-ass" offense he promised a few seasons ago. Sure, the defense has been incredible, but Chilly lucked out in that regard (and was likely helped by the presence of Mike Tomlin, now Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers), as the Wilfs had just doled out the money to Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, and Darren Sharper, while Kevin Williams was becoming a major inside force.
Also, besides not delivering on his promise of a great offense, Childress has also struggled in two other key areas: First, is the special teams. Under Mike Tice, the Vikings had some great special teams units. Under Childress, Vikings fans cringe when the "special" teams hit the field. Secondly, Childress' clock-management has been called into question multiple times each season of his tenure, including a few obvious blunders towards the end of this season that Brad would not take responsibility for.
With Childress out, then, I would hire from within and promote Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier to Head Coach. The reason for this is because a foreign Head Coach would bring with him an entirely new staff and playbook. The offense is just now (the last few weeks of '08) starting to show signs of being able to keep up with the defense, so I don't want to completely mess things up. I just think that a new leader is what the team needs right now, as I'm sure many of the current players (although they would never admit it) must have some of the same reservations about Chilly as I do.
Of course, pretty much this entire blog post is a moot point, because the Wilf family announced after the playoff loss that Brad Childress will return for the 2009 season. I think this is a mistake and I will predict right now that the Vikings will have their first metro-area TV blackout since 1997 at some point over the course of '09. Their just isn't enough support for the Vikings right now and, coupled with a troubled economy in which extra money is either tight or non-existent, fans won't come out to see Childress bungle the clock or prepare sub-par punt coverage units anymore.
It's often funny how NFL head coaches are hired and fired. Mike Tice took over a team that had imploded under Dennis Green and, after one season, overachieved and turned it into a playoff contender. However, because Tice worked for the penny-pinching Red McCombs, he was never really given a chance to make a serious postseason run. Brad Childress comes in with the complete support of the Wilfs, underachieves for three seasons (W-L be darned...you know it!), and gets brought back for a fourth. I don't get it...
Keywords: Adrian Peterson, Antoine Winfield, Bernard Berrian, Brad Childress, Brad Johnson, Chester Taylor, Darren Sharper, Dennis Green, Kevin Williams, Koren Robinson, Leslie Frazier, Mike Tice, Mike Tomlin, Minnesota Vikings, Pat Williams, Philadelphia Eagles, Red McCombs, Super Bowl, Tarvaris Jackson, Ziggy Wilf
Comments
Zach, While I usually agree with your thoughts. I think Chilly isn't the problem and T-Jack is. I think if T-Jack returns as the starter we will also be seeing the last year of the Chilly regime. Jackson showed in the Atlanta game that the 2 games prior to that were a aboration. If he would have came through and led us to victory, which he had a number of opportunities to do, I would be singing a different tune. Also, he can't pin his blame to receivers dropping passes or having obscene amounts of pressure. He simply didn't get it done and Chilly needs to accept that, address it and get a prime time starting QB in Mn. We all know Gus won't, most likely be back. Sorry, had to comment....:o)