Sid Hartman: Friendships get put aside on Sundays

It's a coincidence that three weeks in a row, Brad Childress will be coaching against someone he has previously worked with.

Last week, it was Steve Spagnuolo, in his first year as Rams coach, who worked with Childress in Philadelphia, as did this week's opposing coach, the Ravens' John Harbaugh. Next week, the Vikings visit Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh, coached by Mike Tomlin, who was Vikings defensive coordinator in 2006, Childress' first year here.

Childress was asked if it helps prepare for an opponent coached by somebody he has worked with in the past.

"Oh, you know, what all it is is a matter that you did work with the guys," he said. "You have some great friendships that you build in this business when you get a chance to work and spend an extended period of time [together]. But, you know, philosophies, but it's still Xs and Os and it's still those guys playing on the football field, but it's nice to compete against people. Just the same as we compete on the golf course, we compete on Sunday."

Harbaugh told reporters in Baltimore earlier this week that he considered Childress one of his closest friends in coaching. Asked about Harbaugh, Childress said: "He knows what I'm all about, I know what he's all about. But still, I can't get inside of his head and he can't get inside of mine."

Childress, Harbaugh and Spagnuolo all coached together with the Eagles on Andy Reid's first staff in Philadelphia in 1999; Childress was offensive coordinator, Spagnuolo was a defensive assistant and Harbaugh was special teams coordinator -- and one of four assistants kept from the staff of the previous head coach, Ray Rhodes. The three assistants all remained together on the staff until Childress became Vikings coach in 2006.

"Spags and John Harbaugh were very close," Childress said. "... The three of us used to go jogging around south Philadelphia, around the streets, and just ended up building a great bond."

The Vikings remain one of five unbeaten teams in the NFL. "I expect to win every week," Childress said. "People ask me, 'Did you expect to be 5-0?' I don't get into records. I just expect for us to do well and win every week.

"It's the same as somebody said, 'Are you surprised that Brett Favre has only thrown two interceptions?' And I said, 'I expect no interceptions. I expect none every week.' So, I just think we've gotten better, we've got a good football team and we continue to improve and learn each week."

As for Favre, he is doing everything Childress expected.

"His physical skills have not eroded in my mind, and he just brings a great leadership piece to the equation," Childress said. "He's a strong, silent type. When he speaks people listen. And he works at the game: He's not a guy that just shows up at 8:59 for a 9 o'clock meeting and gets out of here. He spends time at his trade.

Of his relationship with the three-time NFL MVP, Childress said: "It's a player-coach relationship, but he's got a great personality. He's not afraid to poke fun or prank or anything like that, and you've got to be able to give it back to him. ... He fits great in that locker room with the coaches and with everybody."

Childress said Favre's relationship with receivers has developed nicely after the quarterback got a late start with the team.

"That's always, that's still a work in progress," he said. "I think it is for every quarterback. Even though you work in the offseason, you work in training camp, you want it to be all together, but because guys don't play every snap of the preseason, sometimes it takes just a little bit to grow, and I just think they'll continue that evolution.

"[Favre] can play as long as he wants to play, barring some terrible injury. But that's up to him. Your mind's got to be right as much as anything."

You have to give credit to Childress, who was convinced that Favre would be a great addition to the Vikings, and never gave up trying to land the former Packers star.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers had Penn State a 17 1/2-point favorite to beat the Gophers, so it was no surprise that the No. 14 Nittany Lions won 20-0 at Happy Valley on Saturday.

The Penn State defense had given up only five touchdowns this season and none in the first half, so the Gophers figured to have trouble scoring.

Actually, the Gophers defense did a good job holding Joe Paterno's team. The Nittany Lions have scored fewer points only once this season, in their 21-10 loss to Iowa last month.

Penn State has the top rushing defense in the Big Ten, entering the day giving up 81.8 rushing yards per game. The Gophers had only 37 yards on 18 carries.

It won't help the Gophers next week that their next opponent, Ohio State, lost at Purdue on Saturday. Rest assured, that loss will make the Buckeyes that much tougher.

If the Gophers are to go to a decent bowl game this year, they are going to have to win their three remaining home games, against Michigan State, Illinois and South Dakota State. Iowa, the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten, likely will be hard to handle in Iowa City in the final game of the season.

Willie VanDeSteeg is on the Ravens practice squad, and the former Gophers defensive end said he does everything the players on the 53-man roster do, except play on Sundays. "I just do a little bit more lifting and I'm trying to grow a little bit so I can get a little bit bigger and stronger," said the 255-pound VanDeSteeg, who signed with the Ravens as a free agent. "It's one of the best defenses to be on to learn from. Some of these guys are unbelievable. Ray Lewis is obviously a Hall of Famer, and to be in meetings with him and learn from him, you can't get taught much better than that."

Pat Williams, who is going against former teammate Matt Birk today, said: "I'm just going to go out there and play. I don't care who it is. Everybody is trying to make it a Birk-type thing, but I played against Birk before I came here. So, it really don't matter. ... I just have fun everyday. I'm old school about it. I don't learn from nobody. I learn from my own self. I don't give nobody no credit. Nobody taught Pat Williams nothing. I came in the league a free agent, so nobody can take credit for none of my business."

Brian Robison is finding himself playing all over the Vikings defensive line, not just at end but at tackle, too. "I'm just the guy that when a pass-rushing down comes up, I go inside and I play outside, so I just do a little bit of everything," he said.

Chris Hawkins, a wide receiver from Channelview, Texas, in suburban Houston, is the 21st recruit to commit to the Gophers for the 2010 class.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. • shartman@startribune.com