METAIRIE, La. ― A little more than seven months after the Saints pounded the Vikings into submission with an aggressive, hard-hitting defense, Brad Childress continues to wonder about some of the hits in the NFC championship game.
“I understand a quarterback’s going to get hit. People are going to get hit,” the Vikings head coach said Sunday during a teleconference. "It’s football. I don’t have any illusions about that. What I hate to see are the late hits or attempts to hurt anybody.
“I don’t think there’s a place for that in the game.”
The Saints host the Vikings on Thursday in the season-opener for both teams.
Brett Favre was hit several times just as he threw the ball or split seconds later. The one that everyone remembers is the high-low hit where Saints defensive tackle Remi Ayodele hit Favre in the chest while defensive end Bobby McCray took out the quarterback at the ankles.
That’s the play that hurt Favre’s ankle and it ended a Minnesota drive.
When asked Sunday whether he still wondered about the Saints’ intentions in that game, Childress said yes.
“Yes, I would have to say that,” he said. “Yes.”
McCray ultimately was fined $20,000 by the NFL for his hits on Favre. Additionally, Anthony Hargrove was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness when he picked up and slammed Favre to the ground and Jonathan Casillas was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness for hitting the punt returner after downing the ball.
WWL-TV.com will have this full story Wednesday on the website .
