Notes, Observations And Other Assorted Bitching

Just got done listening to some of Brad Childress’s Monday press conference. One of the first questions was about Adrian Peterson barely touching the ball in the second half after going over a hundred in the first half. Childress’s explanation? Adrian had to be rested a lot because he was tired from returning kicks. Um…okay Brad – how about having someone else return kicks then? And that excuse still doesn’t cover why Peterson was not in the game at all late in the first half when the Vikes had a nice opportunity handed to them after a shanked punt. Sorry Chilly, but that’s bullcrap – Peterson needs to be in there, especially once the team penetrates into the other team’s territory. Chester Taylor‘s a nice back, and yeah he did have a good run yesterday, but come on. Don’t insult our intelligence.

Bryant McKinnie, it turns out, was yanked yesterday because of “food poisoning.” Hmm…sort of funny that the food poisoning waited until after he’d whiffed on KGB twice, and gotten called for a crucial holding penalty, before it kicked in. But, I guess I have to believe them. I mean, even the Vikings wouldn’t be so lame as to fabricate an illness to cover a player’s wretched performance. Would they?

Childress also said in his presser that Visanthe Shiancoe was supposed to have help from Ryan Cook on the play where he ended up one-on-one on Aaron Kampman, and Kampman predictably destroyed him and sacked Kelly Holcomb. So it’s not just Cook’s quickness and strength that are lacking – he flat-out doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing out there.

Childress all but announced to the press that Tarvaris Jackson will get back his starting job when the Vikings resume their schedule after the bye week. I honestly don’t see what difference it makes – Holcomb stinks, Jackson stinks, Bollinger stinks. And even if we had Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, it wouldn’t make any difference with the idiot play-calling and lame pass-blocking. Brady or Manning in the hands of this staff, and behind this line, would be reduced to mediocrity pretty quick.

People are griping about the officiating. Apparently there was an interference call we didn’t get yesterday – this on top of the bad breaks we’ve gotten with challenges this year. Tough. Play better and it doesn’t come down to those calls. Right?