About that extension

Last week word leaked out the Vikings were working on a contract extension for head coach Brad Childress. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf denied any extension talks had taken place, and I haven’t read anything more about it since, but consider that this is the most talented and entertaining Vikings team in years and barring a big collapse, it will post its best record in Childress’ four-year tenure. If the team does that, it will also likely make the playoffs for the second year in a row. And at some point after a season like that has ended, you can expect Childress to get that extension.

If this comes to pass, I expect a lot of Viking fans will consider it a mistake because, no matter what the win-loss record says, most Viking fans think Chilly has done less with more than any Vikings coach in team history.

There’s some validity in such thinking and I’ve mused a couple of times on this blog that the Vikings would be better off with a different head coach. The 6-1 start to the 2009 season has cooled some of the grousing about Chilly among the Vikings fan base. But even as the team is winning, Childress’ game-day coaching decisions continue to inspire doubt about his head coaching ability.

For example, his use of challenges are too often of the high-risk, low-reward variety. Proper clock management continues to be a problem. And Childress remains a conservative guy, despite his background as an offensive coordinator and with an offence loaded with firepower, and the playcalling often reflects this – to the Vikings detriment. The Vikings build up what should be sizable leads on opponents but they rarely seem able to finish them off.

Those are the big debits in Childress’ ledger. However, let’s give Childress his due – he’s done a very good job rebuilding the talent base on the Vikings roster and that’s a very important part of his job description. You don’t make the playoffs and win Super Bowls in the NFL without talent.

Of course, you have to give some of the credit for the acquisition of that talent to the Vikings scouts and player personnel guys, particularly Rick Spielman and, yes, even the dearly departed Fran Foley. Still, I don’t think the Vikings are signing any free agents that Childress hasn’t identified as players he’s wanted on his team. And Childress is the guy these free agents meet, talk with and know they have to live with when they’re being courted by the Vikes. If they weren’t buying what Childress was selling, they wouldn’t be signing here – although Wilf’s fat wallet certainly helps.

Look at the free agents the Vikings have brought in since Childress arrived in 2006. In his first year the Vikings signed All-Pro offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, steady linebacker Ben Leber and the even steadier kicker Ryan Longwell. In 2007, the Vikings brought in tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, which looked like an expensive mistake at the time, but Shiancoe has emerged as a valuable player. In 2008 the Vikings signed the deep receiving threat they desperately needed in Bernard Berrian, and safety Madieu Williams. And while they missed out on wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh this year, Childress was able to convince Brett Favre to come out of retirement. That’s worked out pretty well.

The Vikings have also made some astute draft picks since Childress joined the Vikings and there was the big trade for Jared Allen. Again, you can’t give all the credit here to Childress. But just like with the free agent signings, I doubt Rick Speilman (or Fran Foley before him) drafted any players – or traded any draft picks away for players – over the objections of Childress.

So I hope Zygi Wilf holds off on any extension talks for a bit. Let’s see how the rest of the season plays out and how Chilly and his team performs if they make the playoffs again. But even now, I think there’s an argument to be made for keeping Childress as head coach beyond the five years he signed on for. That’s something I didn’t think I’d ever write on this blog.