Sid Hartman: Giants familiar foe for Childress, but that won't give edge to Vikings

From 1999 through 2005, Vikings coach Brad Childress was a top assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles, meaning his team played its NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, twice every season.

In that stretch, the Eagles started 0-4 against the Giants, then won seven of the final 10 games during his stay in Philadelphia. Then, with Childress as coach, the Vikings beat the Giants 41-17 last year.

In Las Vegas, where the line favors the Vikings by seven points, much of what determines the odds is based on how teams play against each other. Childress was asked if his past success against the Giants gives his team an edge in today's game that could decide whether the Vikings make the playoffs.

"Aside from the fact that, like you say, you have to win the game, years and teams are too different," Childress said. "There's too many personnel changes.

"I guess knowing the history between the two teams and the two coaches, it's interesting to see the systems attack -- the defensive system, offensive system. It paints some pictures that way."

Childress says he hasn't been associated with Giants coach Tom Coughlin in any close way, but he has strong respect for him.

"I have great respect for Tom because he's a solid, fundamental, nuts-and-bolts football coach and that's what I appreciate the most about him," Childress said.

"Well, besides his pedigree, obviously he's gotten into playing on the football field," Childress said. "It's been an evolution for him, and I just think he's really grown into it well. You've seen him get better and better and better, particularly in the last 365 days."

Is this a better Giants team than the one that won the Super Bowl?

"Time will tell," the Vikings coach said. "It's so hard to tell because -- you just don't know what they've got internally. You can identify the skill people that they have, but it's hard to tell.

"Everybody that's playing in Week 16, which is every team in the NFL right now, has some kind of level of being beat up. It's really a war of attrition.

"Yeah, you hope not, you hope you can stay healthy, but just simply staying healthy doesn't mean you're going to win, either. You've got to have the right group of men and the right dynamics."

"I think you'd have to say if you're counting in December, I think we've done a heck of a job here since we were 5-5 and all tied up in this division," Childress said.

"I want to say we were 4-1 in that time. So, to finish 5-1 you'd have to say you're finishing the regular season strong."

Yes, and for the Vikings to win today, they need to avoid giving up the ball on turnovers, as Childress pointed out: "Can't do it -- no gifts."

Fumbles proved costly in last week's loss to the Falcons.

"We work a lot on it every week, and it's just a matter of the stars lining up and the guys protecting the ball," he said.

"It feels like each week I get better and the injuries heal up a little more each week," he said. "Shoulder is great, there's no problem with the shoulder. The knee is coming along just fine. Oh yeah, I'm feeling pretty good."

He is eager for today's matchup.

"They do a good job, they run the ball very well, they manage the ball well and they work cohesively," Allen said. "No pressure -- pressure is only what you put on yourself. I mean, there's pressure in every game. The simple fact is we have to win this game if we want to go to the playoffs, but you try to win every game."

All mental Giants fans will get their first look at how their team handles Vikings running back Adrian Peterson today because he missed their last game when he was injured.

"I'm looking forward to it," Peterson said. "I'm sure like any other team they'll come in prepared to play."

Peterson is well aware of what's at stake in today's game.

"We've got to clinch our spot in the playoffs, and we all know that; we're all on the same page. That's what we're going to look forward to doing that this Sunday. ... I definitely know the magnitude of the game this weekend. It means we've got to do a lot.

"I've got to contribute and do the best I can. Other guys have to contribute and do the best they can, too. So, if we all just give 110 percent, we're going to be all right."

Peterson is confident the Vikings won't repeat last week's mistakes.

"I can't do it all by myself, it's a team," he said. "I'm sure, but like I said, we can't control what those other guys -- we can only control what we can do, and that's taking care of business."

Look for Peterson to have a great day today.

Jottings Already there are rumors that Arizona is going to make a strong bid to hire away Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith. But Smith seems very happy here, and with an equally outstanding recruiting class for 2009-10, the future should be bright. The four recruits -- Royce White of Hopkins, Rodney Williams of Cooper, former Henry Sibley star Trevor Mbakwe, and Justin Cobbs of Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Calif. -- may be the best in the Big Ten. I don't believe this area has sent three better players to the Gophers than White, Williams and Mbakwe, who were all nationally recruited.

Former Gophers football coach Glen Mason, who worked with the Big Ten Network during the season, will also play a part in the network's Rose Bowl telecast. Mason, happy in his job with the Pohlad family, said he didn't have a single job interview following the 2008 season and seems happy to be out of coaching. ... Bob Knight will make his first appearance as a color commentator for a Gophers game here Jan. 22 when he covers the Minnesota-Purdue game.