Vikings’ coach Brad Childress gave his football team a letter grade after Sunday’s 28-21 win over Houston on Sunday at the Metrodome, according to defensive end Ray Edwards. The coach made sure the team knows it can earn a higher grade.
“We’re a C team right now because we’re average,” Edwards told Sports Headliners. “We’re 4-4. …So we’re just trying to keep working, keep working. We’re trying to keep our grade up.”
The Vikings, though, avoided a tsunami of negativity with their third win in the last four games. The last time the Vikings played at home they stumbled to a 12-10 win over lowly Detroit (now 0-8) while some fans chanted for Childress’ dismissal. Then a loss two weeks ago in Chicago only added to the surly outlook of fans in Vikingland.
But yesterday the Vikings took an early 7-0 lead set up by a 55-yard Gus Frerotte pass to wide receiver Bernard Berrian and went on to play perhaps their best game of the season. Heroes included Frerotte with three touchdown passes, Adrian Peterson with 139 yards rushing and a two-sack game by Jared Allen.
The Vikings are just one game back in the loss column from first place Chicago (5-3) in the NFC North. They’re also tied for second in the division with Green Bay which comes to town next Sunday.
After the Packers, four of the next five games will be on the road. The Vikings are 3-1 at home, 1-3 away. As left tackle Bryant McKinnie said after the game yesterday, it’s a “dogfight” on the road.
In the weeks ahead the Vikings will have the opportunity to improve their grade mostly in “schoolhouses” other than their own.