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Just to keep you updated, the Minnesota Vikings have made it official: Former Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams is their new defensive coordinator and Brendan Daly will take over as their defensive line coach.

A news release made no mention of former coordinator Fred Pagac, who reportedly will share duties as linebackers coach with Mike Singletary, who will also be a special assistant to the head coach. I'll withhold most comments until later Thursday, when we should hear from coach Leslie Frazier.

In general, however, I would view these moves as more of a re-shuffling than a shakeup considering the familiarity of all involved. Frazier and Williams worked together on the Colts' staff in 2005 and 2006, and both are devoted to former Colts coach Tony Dungy's Tampa-2 defense. Williams was once part of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff that included Dungy as the head coach and former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as the defensive backs coach.

Daly was the Vikings' assistant defensive line coach from 2006-08, the final two years under Frazier. He replaced Karl Dunbar, who was fired. It is presumed that defensive backs coach Joe Woods will return in his current role. More to come.

A few of you are curious about my reasoning for last week's ESPN.com's Power Rankings, which rated the top 10 coaches in the NFL. In the internet world, that's ancient history -- our linebacker ratings will be revealed in the next 24 hours or so -- but please allow me a moment to reflect.

As you probably noted, I placed Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy third on my list, behind Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. McCarthy finished No. 4 overall.

I thought lead2victory's mailbag objection was worth examining:

I'm curious why you put Tomlin ahead of McCarthy. I think that the argument for MM ahead of Tomlin is quite strong considering three points: 1) Navigating [Brett] Favre drama; 2) Developing [Aaron] Rodgers; 3) Prevailing admits adversity of injuries.

Furthermore, both coaches stepped into stable franchises (debatable with Packers because of Favre), and both have had great success. Yeah, Tomlin has been to two Super Bowls, but McCarthy has had to rebuild with a new QB. Tomlin is good, I just don't see the logic... enlighten me.

Most important, L2V, is I don't think "yeah" goes in front of "Tomlin has been to two Super Bowls." That's an incredible achievement in the first four years of a coaching regime, stable franchise or otherwise. It was the only factor I considered when slotting Tomlin at No. 2. McCarthy has been to one Super Bowl and won it, which is why I placed him ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles' Andy Reid (who finished No. 3 overall).

As to your points, I think you're selling Tomlin short on the adversities he has faced and navigated. In Pittsburgh, the continuing Ben Roethlisberger saga has been comparable to the issues McCarthy faced with Favre. In some ways it is more difficult, because the Steelers didn't have a ready-made replacement available to replace him. Tomlin has had no choice but to make it work with Roethlisberger.

And while McCarthy had more injuries to deal with in 2010, Tomlin had to work his share of personnel magic as well. Not only did he have to start backup quarterbacks for the first four games of last season, but he also had to reconfigure his offensive line and wound up playing the season with veteran left tackle Flozell Adams at right tackle. Meanwhile, don't forget that safety Troy Polamalu missed a couple games because of a sore left Achilles.

Both men have a 5-2 postseason ranking, but Tomlin's regular season winning percentage (.672) is even higher than McCarthy's (.600).

There's no shame in a No. 3 ranking among 32 NFL head coaches. Other than the fact that McCarthy beat Tomlin in Super Bowl XLV, I couldn't think of an empirical reason to place him higher in our power rankings.

Getting inside the Thursday practice report for Super Bowl XLV, culling from the injury and pool reports:


Pittsburgh Steelers: Practice was again held in an indoor facility at TCU. There was no change to the injury report, meaning center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) again missed practice. There continues to be little chance he will play in Super Bowl XLV. "It’s getting to be the witching hour for Maurkice," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He’s going to have to show us something very soon." Defensive end Aaron Smith (triceps) again was limited.

Green Bay Packers: Coach Mike McCarthy cut out one step of the Packers' practice tour, having players dress at the team hotel rather than bussing to Southern Methodist to use the locker room there. Practice was again held at an indoor facility at Highland Park high school. Receiver Donald Driver (quadriceps) was held out of team drills, but McCarthy said: "He’s fine. He wants to practice and all that, but I’m not taking any chances with him. I'll probably hold him out tomorrow, as well." Driver missed a game this season because of a quadriceps ailment, but it seems likely he will play Sunday. Meanwhile, linebacker Erik Walden (ankle) was "very sore," McCarthy said, and was held out of team drills. Frank Zombo has been working with the first-team defense in his absence. Finally, McCarthy said he does not plan to check the team into a new hotel Saturday night, as is customary for many Super Bowl teams.

Getting inside the Wednesday practice report for Super Bowl XLV, culling from the injury and pool reports of Wednesday's activities:

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers practiced in the unheated TCU indoor practice facility for about two hours. Center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) did not practice, and coach Mike Tomlin appears to be targeting Friday as a day for Pouncey to test his ankle. The Steelers' only limited player was defensive end Aaron Smith (triceps), whose chances of playing Sunday are "fading," Tomlin said.

Green Bay Packers: Players and coaches got a nice tour of the Dallas-Fort Worth area Wednesday. They conducted the preliminary portion of their practice -- what coach Mike McCarthy calls a "jog-thru" -- at the team hotel. Then they bussed to their designated practice facility at Southern Methodist University, where they put on their pads, and then took a short trip to Highland Park high school's indoor facility. The Packers seem likely to follow the same drill Thursday and Friday. All Packers players participated in at least a portion of Wednesday's practice. That includes linebacker Erik Walden (ankle), offensive lineman Jason Spitz (calf) and left tackle Chad Clifton (knees). Walden will start Sunday if healthy. "How Erik responds to this practice will be big," McCarthy said. "He practiced and took reps in every team drill. That was the high end of what we were going to try to give him today. It'll be great if he feels good tomorrow."

A loss to the previously winless Buffalo Bills has sparked a new round of discussion about the Detroit Lions' progress, or lack thereof, under the leadership of general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz. Since the start of the 2009 season, the Lions are 4-21. At this point, you would hope they would have been positioned to beat the NFL's worst team even while dealing with another injury to franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.

We pushed through a "Have at It" on Schwartz's performance earlier this season, agreeing for the most part that continuity and patience should be paramount at this point in the rebuilding process. As I suggested in Tuesday's SportsNation chat, Mayhew-Schwartz deserve three years to get this team in a position to win consistently.

But that doesn't mean we can't take a closer look at what the Lions are -- and aren't -- doing now. It's only fair to note that an ominous trend has developed, one that has nothing to do with the talent gap left by former president Matt Millen.

Viewed from just about any objective standpoint you can think of, the Lions have been the sloppiest team in football. As the chart illustrates, no team has dropped more passes or committed more pre-snap penalties. The Lions are also in the bottom third of the NFL in turnovers.

In putting those numbers together, I was reminded of something I often heard Mike Tomlin say when he was the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator. Tomlin wanted his players to be "good at the things that take no talent."

It's true that Millen left Mayhew and Schwartz a bare cupboard of talent. But can you blame dropped passes on a lack of talent? To me, no. At the NFL level, catching is not a matter of skill but of concentration and technique. (If you can't catch, you never make it in the first place.)

Does it take talent to stay onside until the snap of the ball? I don't think so, and I doubt anyone involved in the NFL would tell you otherwise. Again, it's a baseline skill for any professional player.

Mistakes and talent aren't intertwined in this instance. I won't profess to know why the Lions are making so many unforced errors, as they're referred to in tennis. But whether it's their fault or not, Mayhew and Schwartz have presided over some inexcusably sloppy football this season. It's a programmatic issue that ultimately falls on their shoulders. If anything, the Lions needed to be ahead of the discipline curve to eke out some victories while they close the talent gap. Instead, they are putting themselves even further behind by adding to their already-noted deficiencies.

Again, I don't think this combination of numbers means Schwartz isn't a good coach or that Mayhew has a poor eye for talent. At this point, I'll just fall back on a favorite saying of many in the NFL: It is what it is. The Lions have been sloppy, it's contributed to their 2-7 record and it's something they can't blame on Matt Millen.

At the end of his first full year as the Minnesota Vikings owner, Zygi Wilf gave a number of interviews to local reporters. His team had just finished 6-10 amid a tumultuous first year under his handpicked coach, and Wilf wanted to make clear he supported Brad Childress on all levels.

Except for one.

Wilf said he disapproved of the way Childress handled the 2006 departure of receiver Marcus Robinson, the only critical sentiment Wilf has uttered publicly about any aspect of the franchise. Childress, incensed by critical comments published in a local newspaper from Robinson, abruptly and unilaterally released the player on Christmas Eve.

Wilf was in the process of building an organization to reflect his family real estate business in New Jersey, one based on internal communication and well-meshed personalities. He was horrified that Childress had acted with such vengeance and enraged he had done so without appropriate discussion among the team's football leadership. Shortly afterward, Wilf installed a system of checks and balances for all significant player moves to prevent another incident.

"In the future," Wilf said at the time, "I think that issues like this will be handled in a more consistent level and hopefully we will not let certain passions overcome us."

The episode remains relevant and instructive today as another impetuous Childress decision has again sent the franchise reeling. Wilf was reportedly angered by the decision to part ways with Randy Moss, in part because he and other members of the front office weren't consulted before Childress took action. Players are family members, not employees, in Wilf's world. And proper management follows a horizontal structure rather than emanating from a single entity.

It appears Wilf won't fire Childress for this incident, but Childress' future doesn't look promising. Independent of the Moss debacle, he has presided over one of the NFL's biggest disappointments this season. Wilf is paying out one of the league's highest payrolls and has two victories in seven games to show for it. So in an extended Free Head Exam format, let's look at three issues surrounding Childress that merit further examination:

1. Childress has demonstrated what we'll kindly call a unique relationship with the truth, at least when speaking publicly. All NFL coaches protect information for competitive purposes, but increasingly over time, Childress has clumsily expressed falsehoods that call into question the credibility of most everything he says.

The pattern began in his first season, when Childress said on his radio show that he had not decided on a starting quarterback for a game at Lambeau Field. As reporters later discovered, Childress had long before told the team that Tarvaris Jackson would be the starter.

Such episodes have accelerated this year. On Aug. 17, Childress instructed two assistant coaches to misrepresent the whereabouts of three star players who missed practice while they were recruiting quarterback Brett Favre to return to the team.

On Monday, Childress told reporters that he had given Moss permission to skip the team's return flight Sunday night from New England to visit his family. Childress said he expected Moss to return Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

In fact, as the Star Tribune reported, Moss actually refused to return with the team. And Childress' description of Moss' timetable for returning came hours after he had already made the decision to waive him.

Again, half-truths and vague public answers are a part of coaching in the NFL. But Childress has been caught in so many misstatements that it's difficult to believe much of what he says. Players are well-aware of these incidents, and there is little doubt these episodes impact how they interpret Childress' words.

It's especially relevant in Childress' case because he went out of his way to portray himself as a truth-teller upon arriving in Minnesota. Here's what he said during an interview in July 2006:

Telling the truth "is the only way I know how to do it. I think people in the long run appreciate that. Just deal in the currency of truth. If I tell you a lie, the next time I can't remember what I told you the last time. If I tell you the truth, it's a lot easier to just keep telling the truth, over and over. Coaching these guys is no different than coaching anybody. As long as you're honest and direct, the guy knows where you stand, they appreciate it."

2. I have never been a fan of committee leadership structures in the NFL, but Wilf believes strongly in his and demands that his front office work together to make football decisions. Childress is expected to work hand-in-hand with Rick Spielman, the vice president of player personnel, and Rob Brzezinski, the vice president of football operations. Wilf positions himself to settle any disagreements.

Childress has now run astray of that structure at least twice, and he has on multiple occasions noted that his contract calls for him to have final say over the 53-man roster. His personal relationship with Spielman and Brzezinski is probably irrelevant, but I would suggest that Childress has positioned himself on an island within the front office and would have few allies defending him internally if Wilf considered a coaching change.

3. Childress has done a fine job hiring defensive coordinators during his tenure, starting with Mike Tomlin and continuing with Leslie Frazier. So we note with some irony that Frazier's presence provides Wilf a legitimate option for an in-season change, one that wouldn't be realistic with a less established or experienced coordinator.

If there were ever a coordinator capable of taking over a team in November, it's Frazier. He's among the NFL's most prepared men for the job, and Vikings players on both sides of the ball respect him. The potential for disruption would be minimal.

As recently as a couple of weeks ago, the idea of removing Childress seemed remote. He signed a three-year contract extension a year ago, and Wilf would have to eat a large chunk of its $15 million value if a change were made.

On its own, a 2-5 record wouldn't have been enough for Wilf to consider an in-season coaching swap. But Childress has recklessly given Wilf another reason. Wilf has proved to be a pretty patient employer, but you have to imagine he is reaching his tolerance limit. You never want to hand your boss extra fodder for an exit strategy.

We had so much going on Monday that I never got to Brad Childress' suggestion that the New England Patriots (legally) stole the Minnesota Vikings' defensive signals during a nationally-televised massacre at the Metrodome in 2006.

Aha! Finally, we get an explanation for why the Patriots gained 430 total yards -- and quarterback Tom Brady completed 29 of 43 passes for 372 yards and four touchdowns -- in the rout.

Childress offered up the observation during an raucous Monday news conference that also included news of quarterback Brett Favre's fractured left ankle and the NFL's apparent admission that it got two touchdown calls wrong in Sunday night's 28-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Asked about his own team's injury-depleted secondary, Childress said:

"I'm mindful of the last time we faced them here on 'Monday Night Football.' It was like a surgical procedure. That's back when we used to signal [plays] and things like that. I remember having a conversation with [former Vikings defensive coordinator] Mike Tomlin about that. These were some of the all-time great signal stealers. In fact, that's what was going on. They were holding, holding, holding. We were signaling from the sideline. They were good at it. It's like stealing signals from a catcher."

I asked Childress if he thought the Patriots were truly calling their plays based on what defense they thought the Vikings were in.

"Yeah," Childress said. "Is it [Cover] 2? Is it 3? If you know that as a quarterback, that's as good as you can do. And they did as good as they could do."

I'm sure the Patriots were trying to steal signs. It was legal at the time. Why wouldn't you? Now, of course, NFL teams send their defensive signals via helmet radio.

Still, if they choose to, Brady and the Patriots could take the revelation as a slight against their own performance. Speaking on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Brady said: "We've been called a lot worse than that."

He added: "That game was so long ago. ... I remember us executing pretty well that night. I've heard different guys in the past say that. That's come and gone. That's been not a part of football here for a long time, and we've still won a lot of games. In '07, they changed the rule and so forth. I don't buy a whole lot into that. The team that's going to win this weekend is the team that plays better. I can promise you that."

It's worth noting that Childress's NFL teams have faced Patriots coach Bill Belichick three times in the past. Belichick is 3-0 in those games, including regular season victories by scores of 31-10 (2003) and 31-7 (2006). The Patriots also defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIV. Childress was the Eagles' offensive coordinator at the time.

Kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium is 4:15 p.m. ET. It's BYOD: Bring Your Own Decoder.

MIAMI -- How many football lives does Darren Sharper have?

We’ve counted him out at least twice before. There was his departure from Green Bay after the 2004 season, one spurred because the Packers thought he was in marked decline. The next season, Sharper was an All-Pro in Minnesota.

After last season, the Vikings thought he couldn’t help them anymore, and like the Packers, they let him depart via free agency. After two months on the market, New Orleans signed him to a one-year deal worth about $1.5 million.

In 2009, he was an All-Pro once again.

Sharper’s career renaissance with the Saints has been a testament to conditioning, motivation and smart instincts. More than anything, however, it provided a template for how to use, waste and misjudge the specific skills of a player.

In 2004, the Packers blamed a lack of speed -- rather than a knee injury -- on Sharper’s decline in play. From 2006-08, the Vikings squeezed him into a Cover 2 scheme that minimized his playmaking abilities.

In his All-Pro years of 2005 and 2009, however, Sharper played in less rigid schemes that emphasized player flexibility. In those two years alone, he intercepted 18 passes and returned five for touchdowns. During the three years in between? Nine interceptions and one touchdown.

Many followers of the NFC North seem astounded by Sharper’s production this season in New Orleans, where he is one of the primary reasons the Saints will appear in Super Bowl XLIV. To me, it’s pretty simple. He could have been doing this all along -- in the right scheme.

“Playing in the style I played in Minnesota, I was kind of a protector,” Sharper said. “I was the guy that kept everything in front of us and tired to prevent the big play. In [the Saints] defense, I’m allowed to be a playmaker and trust my instincts and attack the football. It’s two different worlds, from where I was last year and where I am this year. That’s the biggest difference.”

(Read full post)

Alex of Gwinn, Miss., is mad as heck and not going to take it anymore. Here’s what Alex dropped into the mailbag: “In your opinion, was the overturned fumble caused by Clay Matthews the worst overturned challenge of the year? What happened to ‘indisputable visual evidence?’”

The play in question occurred late in the first quarter of Green Bay’s 37-36 loss at Pittsburgh. Referee John Parry’s crew originally ruled Matthews had sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a seven yard loss, causing a fumble that Matthews also recovered.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin challenged the play, arguing that Roethlisberger’s arm was moving forward before Matthews hit him. If true, NFL rules call for the play to be ruled an incomplete pass -- negating the sack and turnover.

As Alex notes, the NFL rule book is clear on how officials should approach replay reviews: “A decision will be reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence available that warrants the change.”

FOX’s camera crew offered a number of clear angles, and I just watched those replays a dozen times. I even slowed down the sequence to a frame-by-frame pace to see if, as NFL rules require, “the ball initially moves forward after leaving the passer’s hand.” I’m sorry, but I can’t see it.

There is a frame where Roethlisberger is holding the ball behind his head. Matthews’ right hand is outstretched and about an inch away from the ball. On the next frame, the collision has already occurred.

It’s possible that the ball moved forward a millisecond before Matthews’ hand arrived. But nothing I saw was indisputable. It wasn’t a matter of not having a camera angle; it was simply a very close call.

Even Roethlisberger seemed surprised the Steelers won the challenge. You don’t have to be a lip reader to know what he said after Parry reversed the call: “Wow.”

Ultimately, the decision resulted in 46 yards of lost field position for the Packers. Instead of taking over on the Steelers’ 27-yard line, they got it at their own 27 following a punt.

I don’t know if I would call it “the worst overturned challenge of the year,” but I don’t think this is the kind of play originally contemplated for instant replay.

On to our updated Challenge Tracker:

I am traveling back to NFC North headquarters, so our regular Monday features will post a bit later today. So while you continue to absorb the events of Week 15, I wanted to explain why Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin called for an onside kick with his team holding a 2-point lead with 3 minutes, 58 seconds remaining against Green Bay.

Well, I’ll let Tomlin explain it to you. In essence, he didn’t trust his defense to stop the Packers over a full field. So he decided to let them use half the time to go half the field. Or something like that.

As you recall, the Steelers lost possession because cornerback Ike Taylor touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards. The Packers took possession at the Steelers’ 39-yard line and needed less than two minutes to score a go-ahead touchdown. That left the Steelers about two minutes to mount their final, game-winning drive.

Here’s how Tomlin explained his thinking:

“First of all, I thought with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it. But if we didn’t get it and they were to score, then we would have the necessary time on the clock to score or match their score. Plan A didn’t work. We got the ball but we were illegal. That was the correct the call, but it kind of unfolded the way [we] envisioned it. We had 30 minutes of evidence that we could drive the ball on them. We also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show they could also drive the ball on us. That’s why we took the risk we did.”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. I wonder if that wasn’t what we call retroactive reasoning. Whatever it was, it worked Sunday for the Steelers.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

PITTSBURGH -- Greetings from what might be the United States’ sports and entertainment mecca, at least for this weekend. They had Pitt-South Florida on Saturday afternoon. Penguins-New Jersey in the evening, Steelers-Vikings on Sunday afternoon and a big WWE event Sunday night. Hotel rooms are scarce but the beer was flowing Saturday night, from what I could tell.

I’ll be heading over to Heinz Field in a few hours and will check in with you upon arrival. For now, let’s take a quick spin around the division:

• Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press evaluates the job Leslie Frazier has done in replacing Mike Tomlin as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Tomlin is in his third season as the Steelers’ head coach.
• Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune traces the rise of Vikings receiver Sidney Rice.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times looks at the likely matchup between Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco and Bears cornerback Charles Tillman.
• Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune examines how the arrival of defensive end Gaines Adams will impact the Bears’ defensive line rotation.
• As Green Bay prepares for Sunday’s matchup at Cleveland, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at the possible impact of tailback Ahman Green. Does his arrival reflect a lack of confidence in starter Ryan Grant?
• Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette examines the Packers’ shaky future at left tackle.

	Getty Images
	Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre lead two of the top five passing offenses in the league.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

This is what football is all about: Two cold-weather, northern-division teams with power running games and aggressive defenses getting together for what promises to be … a pass-happy shootout.

Huh? What in the name of the Purple People Eaters and Steel Curtain are we talking about?

Minnesota and Pittsburgh will meet on a natural grass field Sunday on a seasonable mid-October day. The NFL’s leading rusher will be in a Vikings uniform, while the Steelers will have the talented duo of Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker. And when the first whistle blows, you’ll see two of the best passing offenses in this league go to work.

Behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh has morphed into the NFL’s second-most prolific passing team. The Steelers are averaging 297 passing yards per game, a 35 percent increase over their average just two years ago, and through six games they’re getting 75 percent of their total offense through the air.

Roethlisberger’s 104.5 passer rating ranks fourth in the NFL -- just one spot below Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, who has led a renaissance in Minnesota’s scheme. Tailback Adrian Peterson (624 yards) continues to lead the NFL in rushing, but the Vikings have actually thrown more times (184 attempts) than they’ve rushed (174) this season. If that ratio holds up, it will be the first time in Peterson’s NFL career when the Vikings have passed more than they’ve run.

Passing Performance Minnesota Vikings Pittsburgh Steelers Year Pass off. rank Pass rating rank Year Pass off. rank Pass rating rank 2006 18 26 2006 9 15 2007 28 21 2007 22 2 2008 25 18 2008 17 17 2009 12 3 2009 2 4 Rushing Performance Minnesota Vikings Pittsburgh Steelers Year Rushing off. rank Year Rushing off. rank 2007 1 2007 3 2008 5 2008 23 2009 9 2009 15

The new dynamic for both teams is based partly on NFL rules that heavily favor the passing game. Mostly, however, it’s the result of two run-oriented coaches recognizing and utilizing the elite play of their quarterbacks.

“It’s all about the evolution of our offense with Ben Roethlisberger at the quarterback position,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We are not going to concern ourselves with describing any personas or things of that nature. We are going to move the chains and ring the scoreboard up by whatever means possible. Ben is central to that. He is a veteran-proven quarterback who has played well [and] is practicing really well. It’s just going to go through him.”

As Roethlisberger noted, this shift “has been in the works the last year or two.” The Steelers ran 511 times and threw 442 passes in Tomlin’s first season (2007). Last year, however, the ratio moved closer to 50-50. Now, there is no question the Steelers are a pass-first offense. Roethlisberger threw 43 times in the season-opening victory over Tennessee and passed for 417 yards while using a no-huddle scheme last week against Cleveland.

“I’ve said it a thousand times and it might be making people upset,” Roethlisberger said. “But we’re not the Steelers of the ‘70s anymore. They were a running team and that’s what worked for them. We need to be more balanced, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Roethlisberger should have a favorable matchup against the Vikings, who gave up 385 passing yards last week to Baltimore’s Joe Flacco and are likely to be playing without Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield (sprained foot). With that apparent opening, the Steelers would be silly to start crashing Mendenhall into the middle of the Vikings’ still-stout run defense.

“[Roethlisberger]’s come a long way since making eight throws a game and handing the ball off,” Minnesota coach Brad Childress said. “I don’t think they’re at all that kind of football team anymore. … They are throwing it more and being intentional with it.”

The same could be said of Childress and the Vikings, who have passed more than they’ve run in each of their past five games. The trend reflects Favre’s growing comfort level with the offense, and while it hasn’t come at the expense of Peterson’s yardage, it has without question given the Vikings a different look.

Childress sometimes stubbornly insisted on a run-first scheme during his first three years in Minnesota, and Favre has joked that Childress runs a “Midwest” version of the West Coast offense. But the compass is clearly moving toward the Pacific.

In 2007 and 2008 combined, the Vikings called 1,093 running plays and 804 passes when you include quarterback scrambles. This season, it’s almost a statistical 50-50 ratio; they’ve thrown 184 passes and run 174 times.

Credit Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell for taking the muzzle off what had been a conservative approach. In fact, the Vikings have 11 passes of 30 or more yards this season, which is tied for most in the NFL.

And in the event you suspect Favre has used his veteran clout to hijack the scheme, consider this: Favre said this week that he could count “on one hand” the times he’s strayed from a play call this season.

“It’s pretty much what they are giving me,” Favre said. “… Darrell and Brad have increased [my freedom] a little bit, [but] I think part of it is because the scheme is playing so well. If I had to go by percentages, just in all the games, there have been only a few times … where I have done something that we have not talked about.”

Indeed, from this vantage point, it seems both the Vikings and Steelers are simply making fuller use of their offensive schemes.

“I just think we are operating more efficiently,” Tomlin said. “That efficiency, that attention to detail, is producing big plays.”

And a decidedly different look.

	US Presswire
	Ben Roethlisberger and the defending champion Steelers will take on Brett Favre and the undefeated Vikings in Week 7.

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker and Kevin Seifert

As one of just four undefeated teams, the Minnesota Vikings (6-0) can make a claim as arguably the best team in football.

As defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) can also claim they’re the team to beat until someone else holds the Lombardi trophy.

So which team has the advantage when the Vikings meet the Steelers Sunday in Heinz Field?

ESPN.com’s AFC North blogger James Walker and NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert debate the most important storylines in this high-profile matchup.

Which quarterback is more important to his team: Minnesota’s Brett Favre or Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger?

Seifert: Favre has already made a huge difference in at least two victories this season. Without his heroics, I think the Vikings lose to San Francisco (Sept. 27) and last week against Baltimore. Other than Favre and receiver Percy Harvin, the Vikings in essence are fielding the same team they had last year. Through six games in 2008, the Vikings were 3-3. I don’t know if a quarterback can have a bigger impact than doubling a team’s win total through six games. Roethlisberger is the cornerstone of the Steelers, but I like their chances with backup Charlie Batch better than the Vikings’ with backup Tarvaris Jackson.

Walker: Last I recall the Vikings were a playoff team in 2008 without Favre, and Jackson was their starting quarterback for the final four games, including the postseason. Favre is a luxury in Minnesota. At 40, he’s is not even the best player on his own offense. That award goes to tailback Adrian Peterson -- the real engine behind the Vikings. Without a doubt Roethlisberger means more to his team. At 27, Big Ben already has twice as many rings (two) as Favre (one), and Roethlisberger is just entering the prime of his career. He’s 55-22 (71.4 percent) as a starter and kept the Steelers afloat when Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu missed four games with a knee injury. But both deserve to be near the top of the MVP conversation. So look for the winning quarterback to make a huge push in that race as we approach the midpoint of the season.

Which defense is more likely to dominate?

Seifert: We’re not exactly at a high point for Minnesota’s defense right now. I’m pretty sure the Steelers will be scouring the tape of last week’s game against Baltimore, which rolled for 302 offensive yards IN THE SECOND HALF. The Ravens scored 21 points in less than five minutes of the fourth quarter and seemed to expose the Vikings’ pass defense. Most of that damage came after Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield left the game with a sprained foot. It’s difficult to replace a No. 1 cornerback, but can the loss of one player really decimate a defense that thoroughly? I like the Steelers’ chances of getting pressure against Favre more than the Vikings’ ability to cope with Winfield’s injury status.

Walker: I like the physicality of both defenses. But with home-field advantage, Winfield’s status uncertain and the return of Polamalu, the advantage goes to Pittsburgh. The Steelers have the NFL’s third-ranked defense, and that’s with Polamalu missing four games. Now everyone on Pittsburgh’s defense can revert back to their normal roles. Minnesota’s defense is underachieving this year at No. 18. Pittsburgh will be the toughest defense the Vikings have faced so far. The Steelers have the talent to match up with Minnesota’s offense and keep the game manageable. But with four turnovers last week, Pittsburgh's biggest concern should be taking care of the football and not giving the Vikings a short field.

	Rich Gabrielson/Icon SMI
	Adrian Peterson, the NFL's leading rusher, has had his best games against AFC North teams this season.

Who is the biggest playmaker in this game?

Seifert: You have to point out that two of the NFL’s four highest-rated quarterbacks are playing in this game. You have to give credit to any receiver, Pittsburgh’s Santonio Holmes included, who has made a Super Bowl-winning catch. But this game will feature a fascinating matchup between the NFL’s leading rusher (Minnesota's Peterson ) and its second-best rush defense (Pittsburgh). Peterson made quick work of the Ravens last week, rushing for 143 yards. But the Steelers are allowing only 74.5 rushing yards per game, and have given up only one rushing touchdown all year. If anyone can slice through the Steelers, it’s Peterson. But it will be a challenge.

Walker: With 10 combined wins, you can’t help but have a lot of playmakers in this game. For me, it’s a close race between Peterson and Roethlisberger. I believe these two players will most determine the outcome of Sunday's game. Peterson had his two biggest performances this season -- a combined 323 rushing yards -- against AFC North teams in the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Usually the Steelers have success against big, physical backs, but Peterson is special. If he runs wild Sunday, Minnesota has the advantage. On the flip side, Roethlisberger is just as capable -- and perhaps more capable -- of putting up numbers similar to Joe Flacco's (385 yards) last week. So I like Roethlisberger’s chances of controlling the game more, especially with Minnesota hurting at cornerback.

Brad Childress and Mike Tomlin, former colleagues in Minnesota, usually rely on defense and power running. Whose roots will show more clearly in this game?

Seifert: My guess is that Childress would love to follow his roots, relying on Peterson and the defense to win it. But as we’ve discussed above, this game doesn’t seem to set up that way. Whether he likes it or not, Childress is going to have to rely on Favre and the passing game in its most significant test yet this season. This year’s version of the Steelers doesn’t seem to get beat by the running game, and the Vikings' defense might not be suited to take on the pass-happy Steelers. This isn’t likely to be a Childress-like game.

Walker: This is an interesting question, because I think one of Tomlin’s biggest strengths is the ability to be fluid during games. Tomlin is a defensive coach, but he’s not afraid to let Roethlisberger chuck it 35 to 40 times if necessary. Tomlin’s also not afraid to go for it on fourth down at times most coaches would not. Tomlin rarely coaches tight, and the same cannot be said for Childress, who tightened up last week in the fourth quarter against Baltimore. But it’s hard to argue with Childress’ 6-0 record. I think this game will see a little bit of everything, not just smashmouth football and good defense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

It turns out that St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo has grabbed two assistant coaches off Minnesota's staff.

Last week, Spagnuolo hired Vikings special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro as linebackers coach. Monday, the Rams announced Vikings defensive assistant Brendan Daly as their defensive line coach.

Daly worked mostly with defensive line coach Karl Dunbar over the past three years and is well-liked by players. He has also been the assistant coach who sends in defensive playcalls from the defensive coordinator, whether it was Mike Tomlin or Leslie Frazier.

The Vikings haven't announced replacements for either coach. One possibility for Ferraro's job is assistant special teams coach Brian Murphy. Overall, there are four ex-Vikings assistant coaches on the Rams' staff. In addition to Ferraro and Daly, Spagnuolo has also hired Charlie Baggett as receivers coach and retained Steve Loney as offensive line coach.

Meanwhile, the Rams hired former Green Bay strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson. Former Packers and Lions assistant Sylvester Croom is the Rams' new running backs coach.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Introductory Super Bowl news conferences were playing in the background Monday when something stopped me in my tracks. A few sentences from Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin were all it took to send me tumbling back to a 3-year-old memory. Suddenly I was recalling a conversation with a confidant of Minnesota coach Brad Childress during his first training camp in 2006.

	Kevin Terrell/NFL
	Mike Tomlin, left, took some cues from his former boss, Brad Childress, when he took over as head coach in Pittsburgh.

Don't be alarmed, the person said amid the most brutal and jarring training camp I had ever covered.

It was difficult not to be. Players were getting worked over in daily full-contact drills. Reporters had lost much of their access and were lucky to get an audience with Childress once every three days. Fans were complaining about a lack of autographs and the team's seemingly intentional decision to practice on fields as far away from the stands as possible.

But this confidant was convinced it was all part of a larger plan. This is the way Brad feels he needs to approach it. The players and everyone else need to know there will be discipline and that's how the program will run. It'll be a lot easier to pull back later on than it would be to tighten things up.

In my mind, the resulting hard feelings and strained relationships played a role in the Vikings' 6-10 finish that season. Some players never bought into the message, and others said they never understood it. Childress has since loosened up a bit, but some of the damage of that first impression was permanent. He remains deeply unpopular with fans and has a distant relationship with most players.

Tomlin was the defensive coordinator on that 2006 team, and in many ways he was the anti-Childress: A gregarious young coach with enthusiasm and an open door for his players to air grievances.

And yet what did Tomlin do upon leaving the Vikings to take Pittsburgh's head coaching job in 2007? Essentially, he pulled a Childress. Read what he said Monday, shortly after the Steelers touched down in Tampa to continue preparations for Super Bowl XLIII:

"It was my intent to come in here in '07 and to draw some hard lines in the dirt as a basis for beginning to form a relationship with our football team. It's a heck of a lot easier to pull back than it is to pull down."

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