Childress considering playing starters in preseason finale

It has been a unwritten rule in the NFL that teams give significant playing time to their starters on the third preseason game and sitting out their starters for the preseason finale.

This practice is done to allow starters to play enough to get in sync, while allowing the starters to rest and to stay healthy for the regular season.  The fourth preseason game is typically the game where the final roster decisions are made.

This may not be the case for the Vikings next week.

Coach Brad Childress told reporters after Saturday’s exhibition against the Seattle Seahawks that he would make the decision after studying the game tape.

With the new additions of receivers Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo, Childress may decide more playing time is in the best interest of a starting offense in a “flux.”

The Vikings did an okay job moving the ball around, but quarterback Brett Favre is clearly not in sync with his new receivers.  It appears that Camarillo also ran a few wrong routes during his Viking debut, so an extra series or two may benefit the team’s chemistry.

Either way, the Vikings must stay healthy.  This team cannot afford to lose a key player, especially on an offensive line that lacks depth, and a receiving core looking to build an identity.

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