Childress could learn from his laissez-faire defensive policy

By Krupka  |   Friday, February 23, 2007  |  Comments( 7 )

Minnesota Vikings
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When the Minnesota Vikings enter the 2007 season, they will do so with their third different defensive coordinator in as many years. To head coach Brad Childress' credit, he used a laissez-faire defensive policy last year. What became of that was the best run-stuffing unit in the NFL.

In Childress' first season at Minnesota's helm, he hired now-Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to run the defense. Tomlin instituted the Tampa-2 scheme and took total control over the defensive game planning, play calling and substitutions. And it's hard to argue with the results.

Sure, the defense did finish tied for dead last in pass defense with the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing 238.6 yards per game. However, the scheme implemented by Tomlin allows for teams to throw the ball because it's predicated on stopping the run and holding teams out of the end zone. And the proof is in the numbers on just how drastically Tomlin improved the group.

In 2005, the defense finished 19th against the run (115.1 yards per game), 22nd versus the pass (208.2), 21st in total 'D' (323.3) and 20th in points allowed (21.5).

Under Tomlin's tutelage last season, the Vikings' defense improved vastly against the run, shaving off nearly half the yardage it allowed in '05. The unit ranked No. 1 in the NFL, allowing a historically great 61.6 ground yards per game. That number was nearly 15 yards better than the second-ranked 'D' of the Baltimore Ravens. The unit also finished in the top 10 in total defense (eighth overall) and allowed 1.1 fewer points per game.

Childress' laissez-faire policy didn't extend to the team's offense in 2006, unfortunately. The Childress-led offense did improve drastically in the run game, but that can be attributed more to the additions of All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson and running back Chester Taylor, not coaching.

The passing offense actually threw for fewer yards, although it moved up two spots in rank. Sadly for the Vikings, the unit mustered just 17.6 points per game (and that's with the aid of quite a few defensive scores), down from the putrid 19.1 in '05.

It was Childress' unwillingness to make adjustments, baffling play calling, and lack of execution -- namely drive-stalling penalties -- that hampered the offense. On opening drives, the group resembled the well-oiled machine of the Indianapolis Colts. By the second quarter, it seemed as though Andrew Walter and the Oakland Raiders traded places with the men in purple.

After hiring Leslie Frazier to take over for the departed Tomlin, Childress made it known he would stick to his hands-off policy regarding the defense.

"I think you screw it up as a head coach that has been involved offensively, to think you are going to jump in and say, 'You know, I've done offense my whole life, but in this job I'm going to jump in and I'm going to get real involved with the defense. You hire guys to be experts ... and let them do their job," said Childress.

That, of course, is good news for the defense. But just think how good the Vikings could be with an offensive philosophy to match their defensive scheme. Unfortunately for Minnesota, laissez faire only applies to one side of the ball.

Eric Krupka is a senior writer for RealFootball365.com. He can be contacted via email at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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CommentsComments: 7  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Archangel		08:07 PM
02/23/2007
I hear ya, man. I hope the hell he sees the errors of his ways with the offense. I think that they picked well with Les Frazier....
No.2
dim gim		02:00 PM
02/24/2007
Yup yup yup the man does need to hand over control of the offense. I believe after not calling plays while he was with Philly he...
No.3
Mike Tice		11:39 PM
02/24/2007
ha ha ziggy, maybe i scalped tickets, but Eduardo the hot dog guy could call a better game than this clown, the most boring,...
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