between Brad Childress and Brett Favre."Let the guy who is the best in the world at what he does do what he does," Dilfer told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday. "Brad Childress can't say that. Brett Favre can.
"Give him the keys and say, 'Hey, there's a reason we sent the private jet, a reason why I picked you up, and you've won three MVPs.' "
Dilfer played 14 NFL seasons, won a Super Bowl and made one Pro Bowl roster, and he said he clashed with one head coach over control of the offense.
Based on "conversations with people within" Winter Park, Dilfer said he's confident in his analysis of the Vikings' predicament.
Here is what he told the Pioneer Press:
Q: What do you think is at the heart of the problem?
A: There's two elements involved when it comes to this scenario with offensive coaches who are control freaks.
No. 1, I don't care what they say, (but) they are absolutely influenced by public perception. If the perception is that, "We need to run (Adrian Peterson) more, and if we do that, I'm going to get seen in a better light, then by golly, that's what I'm going to do."
The second element is, there is a mastery of the offensive game that some have and some don't, and (Childress) doesn't have it.
And that's Brett's frustration.
(Childress is) good. He's a great clinic coach. He can talk up what you want, and it looks great on the
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chalkboard. But when it comes to the artistic ability to coach offense — the creativity, handling the matchups, the in-game adjustments — it's just not there, and the result of that is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
What you have is a quarterback who has mastery of the West Coast offense more than any quarterback ever has. He has the best in-game feel of any quarterback to ever play — his intuitive feel for the game is second to none.
So look at the polar opposites at work.
This is a polarizing situation, with (Childress pushing) numbers and then you have the master of the West Coast offense with all of his intuition.
Last night was the perfect example (of the problem).
Look at the formations and play calls in the first half. Look at the numbers. No rhythm.
You let Favre run the show (in the second half), and there are spread formations and, all of a sudden, a world of opportunities open up for you.
And, oh by the way, Adrian Peterson had 66 yards doing it that way and only 28 in the first half.
Q: So you think the Vikings are forcing the run?
A: The golden nugget here is this: Running the football is the product of total plays in a game. Total plays in a game are the product of how many first downs you can create. So doesn't it make sense to throw the football to get first downs and open things up?
Go and look at their scoring drives earlier in the season. Were they pass heavy or run heavy? They were pass heavy. Adrian got touchdowns when they threw it and he ran it in.
Q: Did you ever have a clash with a head coach?
A: Why do you think I wasn't there (in Baltimore, after leading the Ravens to Super Bowl XXXV after the 2000-01 NFL season) the next year?
I don't care about my stats. I had 52 guys in that locker room who would take a bullet for me. I clashed with (former Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick). Third and 2, he wanted to run motion across the formation, and we had a double stick pattern to (Ben) Coates and (Shannon) Sharpe.
I threw backside fade to (Qadry) Ismail for 44.
I have the ball in my hand, and I know best. It's very simple. I depend on you to give me an offensive structure, then let me do what I do.
Think whatever you want about Trent Dilfer. But when I was playing, I was one of the best in the world. (Coaches) can't figure that out. They don't get it.
Now Brett is the best. He's the best in the world at what he does. Being creative. Being intuitive. Having that sixth sense.
Q: What was Mike Holmgren (Favre's longtime coach in Green Bay and Dilfer's coach in Seattle from 2001 to 2004) like?
A: Mike Holmgren had strict boundaries. "This is how we're going to do it. But you choose to do something else, it better work. And if it works, then we'll keep doing it."
What happens now is the system grows, and evolves and blossoms.
Then there's synergy between the play caller and quarterback, and it's beautiful.
What you see in New Orleans is the most awesome thing in football between Drew Brees and Sean Payton. They argue. They fight. But they have synergy.
Q: What is the solution at Winter Park?
A: People say Brett's going to lose it for them. But nobody wants to win the Super Bowl more than Brett Favre. He has so much invested in this in terms of pain.
He wants it more than anybody. Let him go do it.
If you let him do it, then Adrian Peterson will be the MVP of the Super Bowl. Brett doesn't care (about accolades).
Thomas Jones and Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett.
These pedestrian backs rush for 1,200 yards (with Favre). Why? Because Brett knew that if you scare people with the passing game, then your runner goes off.
Adrian Peterson? Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?
The silver lining of last night's game: They were forced by the score to let Brett Favre run the show.
If I were him, I would have been in the office today and said: "With all due respect, I told you so. This is how we have to do it.
"You can have all the credit, Coach. You're brilliant. But let's make something very clear: This is our only chance. Give me the keys, and now let me drive the car."
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