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(We’re sprucing up our day-after-game posts here on the NFC North blog, but the structure remains the same.)



After the Minnesota Vikings‘ 14-9 loss Thursday night at the New Orleans Saints, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. I spent much of my time in our “Countdown Live” chat arguing for the Vikings to open up their offense and felt vindicated when passes of 33 and 20 yards to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe resulted in a touchdown just before halftime. But after doing some postgame interviews, I changed my mind. I think the Vikings missed an opportunity to really get after it with their running game. With the Saints playing mostly a three-man line with Cover 2 defense in the back end, the Vikings should have been able to control the game better with their running game. But coach Brad Childress seemed disappointed with the direction the offense took in the second half. Adrian Peterson got only four carries, while quarterback Brett Favre missed on eight of 12 throws. I think the Vikings could have worn down the Saints defense and knocked off a big run or two if they had stayed with it. Oh well. Hindsight is 20-20.
2. Childress said without reservation that third-year player Husain Abdullah is “our starting strong safety.” We knew the Vikings weren’t happy with 2009 starter Tyrell Johnson, but their training camp competition exclusively pit Johnson against second-year player Jamarca Sanford. Abdullah apparently got a few first-team repetitions during practice, but his emergence truly came out of nowhere. I don’t know if the Vikings were playing possum with him, or if he became the starter because both Johnson and Sanford proved unworthy. But I can’t argue with Abdullah’s play Thursday night. He finished with four tackles, including an especially athletic stop of Saints tailback Reggie Bush. And if he dragged down the Vikings’ pass defense, it wasn’t evident on the whole. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for a relatively harmless 237 yards.
3. It took a while for the Vikings to work Greg Camarillo into their offense, but I liked what I saw when they did. Favre’s first pass to him was not until midway through the fourth quarter, but Camarillo made a nice adjustment and hauled in a 29-yard reception to convert a third-and-4 situation. An offense that clearly lacked explosiveness Thursday night should use every weapon at its disposal. Camarillo might not have breakaway speed, but his sure hands and precise route-running should make him an easy fit with Favre.

And here is one issue I still don’t get:

I’m still trying to figure out why the Saints didn’t continue throwing downfield the way they did on their first drive, when quarterback Drew Brees completed three of four passes for 69 yards. Devery Henderson‘s 29-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the game suggested the rout was on. The Saints were clearly trying to capitalize on the Vikings’ three-cornerback roster, but Brees managed only 158 more passing yards the rest of the way. So what gave? Childress suggested that the Saints had success with the “scripted” portion of their game plan but then veered away from it. The Vikings really didn’t make much of an adjustment. They kept playing their nickel scheme and were the beneficiaries of an opponent that decided to play into the Vikings’ strength as run-stoppers and mid-range pass defenders. Whatever.

I have not heard anyone really come out and say this, so I’ll do it.



Carolina’s Sunday opener against the New York Giants is what is called a “résumé game’’ for coach John Fox.



Think about it a bit, if Fox goes into the Meadowlands and hands the Giants a loss in their first game in their new stadium, it could set a lot of wheels in motion. Let’s be blunt, a win against the Giants could be a big step toward Fox coaching the Giants next year.



There, I’ve said it. Yeah, I know there are all sorts of variables involved and we’ll touch on those in a moment. And, yeah, I know fans in Carolina don’t want to hear it, but I’m thinking the chances that Fox won’t be coaching the Panthers next year are better than 50 percent.



In fact, I’m thinking that Fox’s dream scenario would be to go about 10-6 or 11-5 and finally have owner Jerry Richardson come to him with that contract extension that’s been so mysteriously absent. I could see Fox saying something like “Thanks for the offer. It’s been great working for you, but I’m going to coach the Giants.’’



It could happen and here’s why. Fox won’t say it, but if you know the man at all, it’s not a stretch to think coaching the Giants would be his dream job. That job, of course, belongs to Tom Coughlin at the moment. Coughlin won a Super Bowl for New York.



But the Giants missed the playoffs last season and this is a short-term business. Another non-playoff season could open up Coughlin’s job. A loss in the opener could start that door opening.



The people who sit in the owners’ suite for the Giants already have a high opinion of Fox, and if he comes into the Meadowlands and ruins their day, that opinion will only get higher – after a day or two.



Fox has history with the Giants. He was the defensive coordinator there before taking the job in Carolina. He’s built a nice résumé there, keeping the Panthers consistently competitive and taking them to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games.



What more can Fox do in Carolina? Yeah, he could win a Super Bowl and live in that huge new house he just had built. Fox isn’t just going to walk away from the Panthers without some good job prospects out there, and there might not be a better job in the NFL than coaching the Giants.



It’s New York. It’s a franchise with history. It’s a franchise where ownership spends money. Yes, Fox could have a bad year in Carolina, not have a new contract offered to him and be willing to take a less-desirable job.



But he holds some pretty good cards in this hand, and a win on Sunday would only add to that. I know there’s a school of thought among some Carolina fans that Fox never would want the Giants’ job because he “hates’’ the media.



First off, that’s not true. Fox doesn’t “hate’’ the media. He’s just extremely guarded with what he says about injuries and he goes out of his way to make sure he doesn’t provide any bulletin-board material for opponents.



Turn off the microphones and Fox is a gregarious guy. He’s also got some ego, like just about any human being, and the stage that is New York could be a lure. Fox wouldn’t go into New York and suddenly become Rex Ryan, and he wouldn’t be able to be everybody’s buddy like he was with the media in his stint as the defensive coordinator. Besides, compared to Coughlin, Fox would look like a talk machine.



When he’s in the spotlight, Fox just likes to do things his own way. I guess you could say Fox is a bit of a control freak.



If he goes out and wins Sunday, Fox could have a little more control over his own destiny.

Rosenthal: Vikings QB looks rusty, can’t carry offense in opening loss to Saints.

Rosenthal: The Vikings blew a golden chance to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, falling to the Saints 14-9. New Orleans won’t be held to 14 points often; the Minnesota defense played well enough to win. Brett Favre wasn’t yet ready to take advantage.

Rosenthal: The Vikings blew a golden chance to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, falling to the Saints 14-9. New Orleans won’t be held to 14 points often; the Minnesota defense played well enough to win. Brett Favre wasn’t yet ready to take advantage.