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Vikings take a look at bevy of fullbacks

  • Article by: Kevin Seifert , Star Tribune
  • Updated: November 23, 2006 - 10:35 PM

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The Vikings worked out four fullbacks Tuesday at Winter Park, but as of Tuesday night they had not signed any of them as a replacement for the injured Tony Richardson.

Coach Brad Childress said Monday that he was "OK" with in-house replacement Jeff Dugan, a converted tight end. Nevertheless, the Vikings worked out free agents Fred Beasley, Nick Luchey, Alan Ricard and Chris Manderino. No Vikings officials are available to comment on Tuesdays, so it was unclear whether they had changed their mind about the issue.

Manderino, a rookie from Cal who was in Cincinnati's training camp this summer, is a candidate to be signed to the practice squad.

Meanwhile, Richardson remained on the active roster Tuesday but he is expected to miss the season because of a fractured arm.

Wherefore Longwell?

Much of the public discussion following Sunday's 24-20 loss to Miami has centered on whether the Vikings, trailing by 11 points, should have attempted a field goal during their final drive. If they converted, the Vikings could have attempted an onside kick and then spent the rest of the game driving for a touchdown -- and the necessary two-point conversion -- to send the game into overtime.

Instead, the Vikings used the final 3 minutes, 20 seconds driving for a touchdown that left them four points short at the game's final gun. There were at least two points where the Vikings might have called on kicker Ryan Longwell:

•After completing a 5-yard pass to Mewelde Moore, bringing up a fourth-and-2 at the Dolphins' 25-yard line. With two timeouts remaining, the Vikings eschewed a 43-yard field goal attempt and threw a 14-yard pass to Moore out of a hurry-up formation.

•After Moore's conversion, the Vikings called a timeout with 36 seconds left. Rather than attempt a 29-yard field goal, they continued pursuit of a touchdown, a 1-yard run from Chester Taylor that came with 1 second remaining.

Asked after the game if there was any discussion of kicking a field goal, Childress said: "There really wasn't. There really wasn't. We didn't do it that way."

Apparently referring to the decision to kick an extra point rather than a two-point conversion following Taylor's meaningless touchdown, Childress added: "I know there was a two-point opportunity there with no time left on the clock. We needed to have that try. It didn't make any difference."

Kevin Seifert • kseifert@startribune.com

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