Two questionable replay decisions last Sunday left Vikings coach Brad Childress with a 2-6 record in 2007 challenges. The mark ranks him No. 30 among NFL coaches, according to independent statistics compiled by ESPN.com.
This week, Childress said he mistakenly believed that rookie Adrian Peterson got one foot out of bounds before fielding the second-half kickoff in a 23-16 loss to Philadelphia. In the other instance, Childress said it was not immediately clear to him whether Eagles receiver Reggie Brown had possession of the ball before going out of bounds on a 30-yard reception.
Replays on the Metrodome video board showed Peterson grabbing the ball before stepping out of bounds at the 1-yard line, and officials correctly spotted the ball at that point. Asked if he had an assistant advising him based on television replays, Childress said he made the challenge decision based on live action. He also said that line judge Gary Arthur told him, "Coach, it is worth reviewing."We really don't have a crowd [of assistants] that is just watching the TV as it goes," Childress said. "But that's what I thought had happened as I was watching it. And I was pretty close down there looking at it right down the line. So I'll take [responsibility for] that."
On Brown's reception, Childress said: "I saw him twisting funny and wasn't sure he completely possessed it as his other foot came down."
Childress' challenge record is 6-14 over the past two seasons. He said he sometimes throws the red flag to give his defense a breather "if it's a challengeable play," but said Brown's reception Sunday was not one of those instances.
Tickets move ... slowly
The Vikings moved 500 tickets closer to their goal Tuesday and now have about 1,900 tickets remaining for Sunday's game against San Diego.
The deadline for selling out the game is noon Thursday, barring an extension from the NFL. Absent a sellout, the game would be blacked out on local television.
The Vikings have had preliminary discussions about selling a block of tickets to WCCO (Ch. 4), which is scheduled to televise the game. The station stands to lose some $250,000 in advertising revenue if the game is blacked out.
Etc.
• Adrian Peterson needs 72 yards to break Chuck Foreman's team record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie.
• The Vikings converted four of 12 third-down attempts against the Eagles and now rank No. 30 among NFL teams with a 30.9 conversion rate. On Sunday, two of their conversions came by penalty and the other two were on third-and-1 situations. Their eight failed conversions all required at least 8 yards for a first down.
• As Philadelphia's David Akers lined up for a 59-yard field goal, the Vikings considered positioning safety Darren Sharper near the goal line for a potential return if the ball fell short. Ultimately, Childress said they chose to devote all personnel to the line of scrimmage. "We were in an all-out block type of situation," he said. "Typically you end up driving that ball a little lower and you would rather see it bounce and be going the other way where you are trying to return it."
• Former Vikings receiver Cris Carter is a first-year eligible candidate among 124 modern-era players, coaches and contributors on the preliminary list of Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees for 2008. Among the other Vikings on the list are Randall McDaniel, Matt Blair and Chris Doleman. Voters will choose 25 semifinalists, who will be announced in late November.
Kevin Seifert • kseifert@startribune.com
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