If they can play average on offense and not crap themselves on defense, they should be able to beat the Cardinals, who are not exactly great themselves. The thing we have to worry about is Larry Fitzgerald getting off the same way Calvin Johnson did two weeks ago and Dwayne Bowe did last week. The big play is killing this defense. Every week it’s the same story: They hold up reasonably well for awhile and then bam, they get burned.

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In his Wednesday piece, Jensen relays some very strong comments from unnamed Vikings players concerning Childress.  On the subject of why no players came forward to publicly support Childress even after Sunday’s season-saving win over the Cardinals, one Viking said, “We know that Childress doesn’t have our backs, so why should we have his?  We’re playing for us, and we’re winning despite him.”

Another “team source” said of Childress’ notoriously poor handling of personnel, “He has absolutely no people skills.”

Another point of contention between Childress and his players was the way Chilly went after Brett Favre in the wake of Favre’s bad performance against the Packers.  One player said he and his teammates reached “a turning point” in their feelings about Chilly after the coach threw Brett under the bus for throwing three picks.

However, the players want to make it clear that they have no intention of quitting on the season, regardless of their animosity toward their alleged leader.  “‘We’ve got too many good football players, and we won’t lay down like Dallas,” Jensen quotes one player as saying.  And, in the strongest statement of all, another player declared, “‘As much as I hate Childress, I will keep playing.”

Can a team really rally itself all the way to the playoffs by uniting in their hatred of a coach?

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The Patriots‘ Myron Pryor gave Favre a shot up under the helmet Sunday, splitting Favre’s chin and sending him to the locker room.  Today Pryor was fined $7500 by the league for the hit.

Thanks to Pryor, Favre was not available for any kind of late fourth quarter comeback attempt by the Vikings.  This proved moot as the Vikings’ defense, and particularly Asher Allen, were unable to prevent Danny Woodhead and the Pats from scoring one last touchdown to put the game out-of-reach.

After Favre’s abrupt, violent and somewhat pitiful removal from the game, Tarvaris Jackson entered and promptly threw both a touchdown pass and a two-point conversation toss to Percy Harvin.

Despite T-Jack’s small taste of success at the end of that drive, few Vikings fans were thrilled about the prospect of him becoming the starter in place of Favre.  Thankfully, Favre’s injuries do not appear significant enough to keep him out of this weekend’s Fire Chilly festival at the Metrodome (which will also include a game against the Cardinals).

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