January 13th, 2012 
Randy Perrin 
Posted in So with less than 2 weeks before Vikings coaches take the field for the senior bowl and things are still unsettled on the defensive side of the ball. With a few coaches now out of the discussion as Raheem Morris has taken the job as defensive backs coach for the Washington Redskins and Mel Tucker is back with the Jags, the options are getting slim.
Let’s take a look at who’s left on the Vikings radar.
Steve Spagnuolo – Probably the hottest commodity on the market right now but many are saying he is heading to Philadelphia to be their defensive coordinator. It’s always been a long shot for us to land him and I just don’t see us with any chance to persuade him differently.
Mike Singletary – It looks like Singletary could be a fall back option if the Vikings can’t find anyone for the position. It’s been rumored that Pagac and Singletary could swap places on the defense. Singletary has no experience as a defensive coordinator and if he’s named DC than we probably will be heading towards a 3-4 front.
Juan Castillo – Still currently the defensive coordinator for the Eagles but many people think Spagnuolo will replace him. Him and Frazier spent time together on the Eagles staff and its been rumored that Frazier thought about adding him to the Vikings coaching staff last year before Castillo took over as DC.
Fred Pagac – After all the interviews there is still a chance Pagac could be running the defense again next season. Jared Allen has already expressed his opinion on the matter and if the Vikings can’t find anyone this could be their last option.
Leslie Frazier – Could Frazier have dual responsibilities? I’m not sure its the best idea but still seems like a better idea than Singletary taking over. Frazier took over play calling at certain points in the season when he didn’t agree with Pagac so could be possible he takes over those duties permanently in 2012.
I do know this Singeltary does have DC experenice he was the Defensive Coordinator under Mike Nolan before taking over as HC.
Mike Singletary was assistant head coach and linebackers coach before he was named interim head coach than head coach with the 49ers. Never was the DC.
Where is Jack Del Rio in this coaching search? In 2002 as defensive coordinator for the carolina panthers Del Rio had the 2nd ranked defense … plus hes a former Viking. Whats a guy gotta do for an interview?
Agree with you Shawn, Del Rio is a name I was sure would pop up but hasn’t. His name surfaced as a possible DC in Atlanta but not much made of it yet. Makes me wonder if he is looking for another head coaching role and doesn’t want to be a DC. Wouldn’t hurt to give him a call and see if he’s interested.
One rumor I read had stated Del Rio still wanted to be a HC and wasn’t likely to take a DC job. He’s still getting paid his salary by the Jags.
OK, Handle has some thoughts to share on couple of weekend games:
GREEN BAY –7½ over N.Y. Giant
It never ceases to amaze us how short memories are when it comes to the NFL. Giant struggle along for most of the season. They need to win their final two games in order to qualify for this post-season and upon doing so, they beat the brains out of a heartless Atlanta squad. Suddenly, they are everyone’s darling pick to upset the champion Packer.
We think this is more an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ situation. Teams that played last week are freshly imprinted in the public’s mind. When we look at consensus picks from various websites, all four teams that played last week hold the majority choice over those that were idle.
While Giant recent form has been admirable, let us remind you who they are playing. Green Bay is the defending Super Bowl champion. This year’s squad is better and healthier than last year’s. The Packer lost one game this season. They scored the most points in the league (560), led by the exceptional Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Rodgers led the league with an incredible 122.5 passer rating. He threw for 45 touchdowns, one less than Drew Brees despite Brees throwing 155 more passes. Most importantly when considering how the Giants love to pass rush, Rodgers finished the regular season with a league-best 131.4 passer rating against the blitz.
Giant can be had. They gave up more points than they scored (400-394) and their secondary is suspect. The Patriot, Packer, Saint and Cowboy all threw for more than 300 yards against it. For those that have forgotten, Green Bay’s arsenal will serve as a bold reminder of who still remains the team to beat.
Play: Green Bay -7½
SAN FRANCISCO +4 over New Orleans
We realize how easy it is to like the Saint here. Why wouldn’t you? They are an offensive machine, they’re hot and they’ve been down this road in recent times. At the all important quarterback position, New Orleans Drew Brees lays over San Francisco Alex Smith. However, life in the NFL is rarely that simple.
There are issues on Saint side that cannot be conveniently overlooked, namely on defence. Saint struggled against the run early in the season, surrendering more than 100 yards eight times through 10 games. That was prior to New Orleans going into their high-octane scoring when teams hardly could run the ball in an attempt to play catch up.
Niner will not abandon their ground game. It’s their bread and butter and it has proven effective. Quietly, San Francisco finished 11th in scoring, ahead of teams like Raven and Cowboy. If need be, the 49er can do some damage through the air. Smith was proficient with a league-low five interceptions and having seen Calvin Johnson’s 211 yards receiving last week, the 49er could have success throwing to WR Michael Crabtree. 49er have a huge edge defensively, having surrendered just 229 points on the season compared to the Saint 339. This marks only the second time since 1982 that the road team has been favored in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. That’s because the home team has usually earned the right to host and therefore should not be in the underdog’s role. Saint might be the sexy pick, the Niner are the prudent play and that’s the side we’ll endorse.
Play San Francisco +4
If Frazier falls back on Singletary I believe he will lose a lot of respect another the players ~ Just a gut feeling here so it means nothing ~ I believe Allen and KW speaking up for Pagac may win the day for him over Singletary ~
Another thing about Singletary I dont like is his missing meetings as the LBer coach based on what I have read ~
I would take any of the other 4 over Singletary with Spagnuolo being #1 & Pagac #2 ~
I wouldn’t why Frazier hasn’t bothered to look at some of the college DC ~ Surly there a few ready to make the move up to the NFL and would love to take the Vikings job ~
Edit ~ Is there a way to edit a post here ~ ?
That should read ~
I wonder why Frazier hasn’t bothered to look at some of the college DC ~ Surly there a few ready to make the move up to the NFL and would love to take the Vikings job ~
Agree Vikadan, giving Singletary the job spells disaster. I would like the Vikes to find someone to run a hybrid defense. Someone with a background in a 4-3 and 3-4. I think defensively we have the personel to do it. Tucker fit that mold perfectly, too bad he headed back to Jax. As far as college coaches, I’m sure there are some qualified candidates.
Whatever D coordinator is chosen will decide Fraziers fate.
If the the defense struggles Frazier is gone.
Then again….if the offense struggles Frazier is gone too.
The raiders fired their coach after one year,so don’t expect the Wilfs to be patient…..especially with that new stadium on the line.