Randy Moss may be gone but the drama at Minnesota Vikings camp is far from over, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Players and team sources spoke to the newspaper anonymously on Wednesday, airing their grievances against coach Brad Childress.
Childress, according to the Sun-Times, has criticized players and questioned effort. "He has absolutely no people skills," one team source said.
Childress was upset with quarterback Brett Favre, who threw three interceptions, after a 28-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 24. "You can't throw it to them; you've got to play within the confines of our system," Childress said, according to the Sun-Times.
“ We know that [Brad] Childress doesn't have our backs, so why should we have his?"Sometimes it's OK to punt the football."
” -- an anonymous Vikings player on Brad Childress
Favre's career-high 446 yards passing last Sunday led Minnesota to a season-salvaging overtime victory over the Cardinals, and some Vikings said afterward they saw a difference in their 41-year-old quarterback.
"This week I've seen in Brett what I haven't seen since last year, when it comes to energy that comes across from him," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said then. "It definitely showed."
Asked Wednesday whether he felt more energy in the run-up to the Arizona game, well, Favre shrugged the question off like a quarterback sidestepping a pass rush.
"Say we lost in OT, I doubt he says that," Favre said, referring to Shiancoe's assessment.
Favre rested again Wednesday. He said he was fatigued during that comeback against the Cardinals. And discussing the left foot that still has two small fractures in it, Favre said he's still surprised it's not giving him more trouble.
"It's OK. Of course, after a game it always feels worse. It's still swollen, but at least I'm able to function enough on it that Monday and Tuesday and maybe Wednesday I try to stay off of it as much as possible," Favre said. "Get it back to where it feels tolerable. I'm surprised with a broken foot that it doesn't feel as bad as it probably should."
Six Vikings players told the Sun-Times they would like Childress to be fired but they won't give up on their teammates.
"We got too many good football players, and we won't lay down like Dallas," one player told the newspaper.
"As much as I hate Childress," another player told the Sun-Times, "I will keep playing."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Joakim Noah's candor is a quality that separates the Chicago Bulls center from many athletes, and when the subject is Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, Noah's candor can turn into biting commentary.
Noah has gone from a fan who once had a Garnett poster in his room to someone who probably has a Garnett photo on his dartboard.
"Kevin Garnett will not -- will not -- get a Christmas gift from me," Noah said with a tinge of humor Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "I don't like him."
The feud started, or perhaps escalated, during last season's playoffs. After Garnett was suspended for throwing an elbow at Quentin Richardson, Noah -- who was in Cleveland playing the Cavaliers -- chimed in that Garnett was a "dirty player."
The most recent incident was Friday night in Boston when Noah received a technical foul, and afterward said of Garnett: "He is who he is."
"He's a very mean guy," Noah said Wednesday. "Where's the love? None at all. Ugly, too."
Noah said what makes the relationship difficult is how big a fan he was of Garnett before entering the NBA in 2007.
"I had his poster in my room," Noah said. "I used to wear his jersey. And the truth is my rookie year, I was in admiration of this guy, and he kind of shut me down.
"And he was very mean to me my rookie year. And he's only mean to the young guys and the [European players], for some reason. I don't know why, but that's who he doesn't like. He's not nice. I talk a lot of trash out there, but c'mon, be a little sensitive. Be sweet."
The Bulls play in Boston on Dec. 3.
The Baltimore Ravens' rise to the top of ESPN.com's NFL Power Rankings faces an immediate test: Thursday night, they visit the No. 3 Atlanta Falcons.
If the Falcons score the "upset," the penthouse could be wrecked before the rest of Week 10's games unfold Sunday and Monday.
The Ravens can savor first place in our weekly poll of experts, just edging the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons, the New York Giants and the New York Jets in the top 5. The New England Patriots, No. 1 entering Week 9, fell to No. 6 this week in the wake of their loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The upstart Browns, ranked No. 23 this week, will see if they can continue to slay giants when they play host to the No. 5 Jets.
• More: Voting | Bloggers' analysis | SN: Rank 'Em | Pick 'em | Team Power Rankings charts since 2002
Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking in the Week 9 edition of the 2010 Power Rankings.
| 1 (2) | Ravens | 6-2 | Channing Crowder's least favorite team has won five of its past six. (Walker) | |
| 2 (3) | Steelers | 6-2 | The Steelers are 3-1 with QB Ben Roethlisberger. (Walker) | |
| 3 (6) | Falcons | 6-2 | The Falcons have held six of their past 10 opponents to 278 yards or fewer, including Tampa Bay in Week 9. (Sando) | |
| 4 (7) | Giants | 6-2 | The Giants seem downright dominating, and they're improving week to week. (Clayton) | |
| 5 (4) | Jets | 6-2 | This is a stunner: Getting to the QB is becoming a problem for the Jets' defense. (Clayton) | |
| 6 (1) | Patriots | 6-2 | It's hard to believe a Bill Belichick team is ranked 32nd in third-down defense. (Clayton) | |
| 7 (8) | Packers | 6-3 | The defense has allowed only seven points in the past two games. (Walker) | |
| 8 (12) | Eagles | 5-3 | Michael Vick is willing to take as many hits as necessary if it means winning. (Clayton) | |
| 9 (10) | Saints | 6-3 | The Saints won big, but they've struggled badly on third down in two of their past three games. (Sando) | |
| 10 (5) | Colts | 5-3 | The limited Bengals are just the right sort of team to pop up on the Colts' schedule now. (Kuharsky) | |
| 11 (9) | Titans | 5-3 | Randy Moss has arrived, and the circus begins. (Kuharsky) | |
| 12 (16) | Raiders | 5-4 | Only three AFC teams have more wins and only one other (the Jets) is 3-0 in its division. (Kuharsky) | |
| 13 (14) | Buccaneers | 5-3 | The best-team-in-the-NFC mantra can wait for now, but the Bucs definitely have made progress. (Sando) | |
| 14 (11) | Chiefs | 5-3 | The Chiefs' next four games appear favorable: at Denver, Arizona, at Seattle, Denver. (Kuharsky) | |
| 15 (13) | Texans | 4-4 | Stuck with no-name receivers? No matter if you're playing the Texans, who give yards to all. (Kuharsky) | |
| 16 (22) | Chargers | 4-5 | Are the Chargers transitioning from typically poor early season to typically strong late season? (Kuharsky) | |
| 17 (15) | Dolphins | 4-4 | LB Cameron Wake is having a Pro Bowl season, but the running game needs a wake-up call. (Clayton) | |
| 18 (18) | Redskins | 4-4 | Did Donovan McNabb need all of this Mike Shanahan controversy before a game against the Eagles? (Clayton) | |
| 19 (17) | Bears | 5-3 | With the way the Bears played in Week 9, they were lucky they were facing the winless Bills. (Walker) | |
| 20 (19) | Jaguars | 4-4 | Look at Week 10 this way: David Garrard's been better than Matt Schaub of late, and the Jags swept the Texans in 2009. (Kuharsky) | |
| 21 (21) | Rams | 4-4 | Beating the 49ers in Week 10 would give the Rams their first road victory and a winning record. (Sando) | |
| 22 (23) | Vikings | 3-5 | It's clear QB Brett Favre and coach Brad Childress won't spend the holidays together. (Walker) | |
| 23 (26) | Browns | 3-5 | Rookie QB Colt McCoy owns wins over Drew Brees and Tom Brady. (Walker) | |
| 24 (20) | Seahawks | 4-4 | Getting Russell Okung back will help the offensive line, but the defensive front is in shambles.(Sando) | |
| 25 (24) | Cardinals | 3-5 | The Cardinals' eight return touchdowns are helping to mask their offensive futility. (Sando) | |
| 26 (25) | Bengals | 2-6 | It's going to be a long second half of the season for the Bengals. (Walker) | |
| 27 (27) | Lions | 2-6 | The Lions are like Ndamukong Suh's kicking: great style points but poor results. (Walker) | |
| 28 (30) | 49ers | 2-6 | Troy Smith gives the 49ers' offense a different look in a year when continuity was a top priority. (Sando) | |
| 29 (28) | Broncos | 2-6 | Losers of four in a row before the bye, the Broncos now play host to the division-leading Chiefs. (Kuharsky) | |
| 30 (29) | Cowboys | 1-7 | This wasn't the way Jason Garrett envisioned becoming a head coach, taking over an underachieving team at midseason. (Clayton) | |
| 31 (31) | Panthers | 1-7 | Perhaps coach John Fox can sell his next employer on the Panthers' No. 11 defensive ranking. (Sando) | |
| 32 (32) | Bills | 0-8 | The Bills are throwing the ball so much they might as well start calling the offense "Air Gailey." (Clayton) |
| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by a poll of four voters on ESPN.com's NFL staff: writers John Clayton (AFC East, NFC East), James Walker (AFC North, NFC North), Paul Kuharsky (AFC South, AFC West), and Mike Sando (NFC South, NFC West). |
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Llamasaurus Rex says:November 9, 2010, 1:47 PM ETWith their win over the Colts, the Eagles announced themselves as a legitimate contender to win the NFC -
AznLadyX says:November 9, 2010, 1:46 PM ETThe most underappreciated team is the NY Giants. How can you not put the #1 Defense and the #2 Offense in the top 2.. -
HenneIsBetterThanSanchez says:November 9, 2010, 1:46 PM ETTop 5 teams.
1. Ravens
2. Giants
3. Falcons
4. Steelers
5. Packers
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