Knee injury could end Alexander's rookie season

Rookie linebacker Rufus Alexander, the Vikings' fifth-round draft choice and a rising special teams star, could be lost for the season after suffering a serious injury to his right knee in the Vikings' 13-10 preseason loss to St. Louis.

Coach Brad Childress said the injury would be re-evaluated today. But Alexander, who suffered the injury while covering a kick in the third quarter, likely suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He declined to comment.

In other injury news:

• Safety Mike Doss suffered a mild concussion and did not return.

• Defensive end Jayme Mitchell was not in uniform because of what Childress termed a fractured orbit bone in his left eye. Childress said Mitchell suffered the injury during practice. "He wanted to [play]," Childress said, "but our doctors wouldn't let him go."

Meanwhile, left guard Steve Hutchinson did not play because of a family matter that arose Thursday night. Childress said Hutchinson will rejoin the team in time for practice Sunday at Minnesota State Mankato.

Not getting his kicks

Childress wasn't happy with the performance of either kicker Ryan Longwell or punter Chris Kluwe.

Longwell's 42-yard field-goal attempt late in the fourth quarter with the score tied missed wide left. Kluwe averaged 41.8 yards and 27.8 net on four punts; Alex Reyes, who is competing for the job with Kluwe, punted twice and averaged 40.5 yards with a net of 30.5.

One of Kluwe's first-quarter boots went only 22 yards and gave St. Louis the ball on its own 38-yard line. But Childress' concern about the punting went beyond that poorly hit ball.

"I thought our kickers need to improve," Childress said. "A couple of those punts we were calling for a different spot than the ball was punted and that impacts how the coverage team is approaching the football. So we need to place that ball better. And Ryan would be the first one to tell you he needs to nail that field goal at the end of the game."

Longwell made 21 of 25 field-goal attempts last season, with all of his misses coming from 40 yards or beyond.

Etc.

• Childress was unhappy with linebacker Heath Farwell, who was called for a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty in the third quarter. Had he not hit quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Rams would have faced a third-and-13 situation. "I thought that was a foolish penalty and one that we're looking to eliminate," Childress said. "It let them out of a big third down. ... Those have to go away."

• Childress did not rule out the possibility that quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who managed 23 passing yards while playing with the second team, could start Friday against his former team, the New York Jets. "He knows that defense forwards and backwards," Childress said, "so we might just do that."

• A visitation is scheduled Sunday for security guard Frank Foster, who died Wednesday at training camp. The funeral will be Monday. The Vikings honored Foster by using a St. Paul police department motorcycle during pregame introductions. Foster, 66, was a retired St. Paul police officer.

• Running back Wendell Mathis (muscle strain), linebackers John Kerr (back) and Jason Glenn (knee) and defensive end Erasmus James (knee) were not in uniform.

• Kenechi Udeze was the official starter at right end. Udeze and Darrion Scott have been competing for the job. Scott took over on the second series.

• Fullback Tony Richardson was told by Childress on Thursday that he wouldn't be playing. "He told me I was getting the senior veteran's night off," Richardson said. He wanted to play but wasn't about to argue. "If [the coach] says you're not playing you can't trump that call," he said.

• Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas had two interceptions, including an 82-yarder that he returned for a touchdown in the third quarter. "I was definitely a little winded knowing that I had to get back out there on defense," he said. "It was definitely one of those things that you can't celebrate too much because you've got to realize that you've got to get back out there and do it again."

• Rookie Marcus McCauley played in the nickel package with the first team. Antoine Winfield shifted into the slot on passing downs.

• The Vikings introduced several new features of their pregame show, including a new mascot. "Viktor" rappelled from the top of the Dome onto the field just before kickoff. "Viktor" joined Ragnar and former mascot Hub Meeds on the field. Meanwhile, Meeds sounded a new "horn" that the Vikings have added to their pregame audio repertoire. The "Gjallaar" horn will signal that the team is ready to come on the field.