With the Minnesota Vikings having won four consecutive games and profiling themselves as a legitimate contender for an NFC wildcard spot, head coach Brad Childress was asked this afternoon about potential complacency among his players. The Vikings, 7-6, defeated San Francisco yesterday and remaining games are with teams that have compiled mediocre records, Chicago, 5-8, Washington, 6-7, and Denver, 6-7. Making prospects even more attractive is that two of the final three regular season games are at home.
Childress said he approached the potential issue of the team being too relaxed or taking things for granted before the 49ers game last week. San Francisco, 3-10, has been one of the NFL’s weaklings but Childress warned about a “trap game.” The facts were that the 49ers were capable of winning and the Vikings “didn’t want to get sucker punched by delusion.”
The Vikings didn’t and Childress will continue his approach each week. “The facts are we need to take care of business with the team that’s up,” Childress said. “As long as we deal with the next team we’ll be fine. If we’re casual about the next team…casualness leads to casualties.”
Here and nationally there’s newfound admiration for the Vikings. Childress was asked about the impact of the praise and how it may influence players. He knows they hear what’s said and written.
“I am not saying that these are little boys in a bubble, that they’re living in a vacuum,” he said. “They’re not. … I also realize (they receive) all that patting on the butt, (that) they’re the best thing since sliced bread. …When they come in here (Winter Park) they get a dose of who we are, what we have to do. It is by the same token, good for them to be confident, and have a swagger. …”
Childress observed that in the locker room after the game there was leadership from players advocating that the team not become over confident. The message was to use the early part of the week to renew and come back ready to prepare for the Bears game Monday night.