Steve Hutchinson, the Vikings Pro Bowl guard and no doubt the best in the NFL at his position, can't believe all of the talk about coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre disagreeing over offensive plays the team runs.

Hutchinson was asked if there was -- as reported by some Internet sources -- a Favre offense and a Childress offense, or if that was baseless drivel.

"That is a bunch of media stuff. The plays still get called by the coaches and Brett calls them, and he is told when to check and that, and he does a great job of running this offense," Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson, who played in Super Bowl XL with the Seahawks in 2006, was asked if he can see any comparisons of this Viking team and that Seattle team.

"We started off 2-2 that year and we made a nice run; I would say this year, our situation is a little different -- we started out better, obviously, and then had a couple of losses late in the season," Hutchinson said. "It really doesn't matter what happened last week or five weeks or seven weeks ago, it is what happens this week."

Asked if the Vikings have slipped or are as good as they were when they had a 10-1 record entering December, he said: "We have the same guys; we just for whatever reason, offensively speaking, haven't really been playing our best football the last couple weeks. I think the second half of this game [against the Bears last Sunday] was an improvement, but again, you don't want to come out in the first half and do the same thing. Hopefully that was enough to get us back on track."

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Steve Hutchinson.

Nothing new Hutchinson was asked if the Vikings offensive line is seeing new defenses that have prevented running back Adrian Peterson from being as effective as he was earlier in the season.

"We are not really seeing anything new -- that's been the type of style of defense we have seen the last couple of years with Adrian in the backfield, is teams that stack the box to stop him from getting going, so that is nothing new.

"It is everybody -- running the ball isn't just the offensive line and the running back," he said. "I think, first and foremost, we have to do a better job, and to be honest with you, it is everybody -- quarterback getting in a good situation if there is an audible and the receivers blocking. Obviously, the offensive line and tight end, the backs, just like the passing game, it starts with the offensive line up front protecting, the run game starts with us, too. We've got to set the tempo and make sure everybody is on the same page."

Hutchinson believes this team can still go a long way despite losing three of the past four games.

"Absolutely, nobody has lost confidence, disheartened, anything like that," he said. "Like I said, what happens in the past, it doesn't matter what we did when we were 10-1, what matters is we have a proud football team that is coming in here this week. The New York Giants, they have had the type of year that they didn't anticipate recordwise. So they are going to be hungry and they are going to want to finish off the year strong, so we are going to be in for a dogfight this weekend. It will be a good measuring stick to see if we are ready to go, and it would be good for us to get back on track and head into the playoffs on a winning note."

Hutchinson added: "Every Sunday, you have to be on your toes. It doesn't matter what records are, a team that necessarily you think was supposed to win, it's a battle every week, like we have had the last couple of weeks. I don't think I have ever heard a situation where players didn't try 100 percent every week."

Impressive victory Unbeaten Purdue had to struggle some with Iowa last week to beat the Hawkeyes.

Well, the Gophers, who face Purdue at West Lafayette, Ind., on Tuesday night, went into Iowa City and dominated the Hawkeyes on Saturday, winning 86-74 after leading by as many as 26 points.

Even though Royce White, one of the top-ranked freshmen in the state, is still suspended and Trevor Mbakwe is also not available, coach Tubby Smith said he believes this team can go far in the NCAA tournament.

If somehow White and Mbakwe become available, I believe this team can play with the best in the Big Ten, and that is a possibility unless Smith decides to keep both players out this year to give them an extra year of eligibility.

Smith had been playing two different lineups until Saturday, when Ralph Sampson III wasn't available because of an ankle injury. And Smith has said both are equal in ability.

Well, Purdue is ranked fourth in the country after beating sixth-ranked West Virginia on Friday. We will know more about Gophers after Tuesday.

Jottings Going into Sunday's game with the Giants, the Vikings are tied with New England for the second-most victories in the NFL over the past two years with 21. Indianapolis leads the league with 26 victories. Only the Vikings, Arizona and San Diego have won back-to-back division titles.

The record is a tribute to Childress and his coaching staff, whose team's record has improved every year since he took over.

The NFL schedule is made by computer, and every year a team like the Vikings will face a full opposing division plus some other teams, as determined by the standings. But the big mystery is why the Giants are on the schedule this year as well as 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, and the Vikings are expected to play them next year.

Former Gopher Quincy Lewis is an assistant basketball coach at DeLaSalle under David Thorson. Lewis, a young man with a great personality, had applied for a job in the University of Minnesota athletic department in fund- raising. He would be a great hire. Lewis also plans to attend graduate school in the near future.

Clem Haskins, the former Gophers basketball coach who was here for the reunion of the 1989-90 team, has had countless offers to work as a scout or in other jobs in the NBA, but he has turned them down to take care of his 200 cattle on his farm in Kentucky.

Smith had Haskins talk to the team before the Penn State game and had all of the former players in the locker room before and after the game. Smith's office stays in contact with all the former Gophers, sending them birthday cards and such and inviting them to attend practice.

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