Minnesota Vikings replace Brad Childress with Leslie Frazier

It isn’t every year that an NFL team gets rid of its head coach midstream. But Vikings coach Brad Childress became the second NFL skipper to get the midseason ax on Monday following a dismal, 31-3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Childress joins ex-Cowboys coach Wade Phillips among America’s jobless. For the Giants, who face the Vikings on Dec. 12, the implications may be grave if a history of reinvigoration holds true.

Dallas, a 1-7 squad languishing on offense and defense — and only one practice week into the Jason Garrett’s interim tenure — came out hard against the Giants last week and blasted them 33-20 at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Then Dallas put up 35 points to beat Detroit on Sunday for a second straight win.

But how the 3-7 Vikings will react under newly promoted interim coach Leslie Frazier, their former defensive coordinator, after Minnesota’s worst home loss since 2001 is anybody’s guess.

If Frazier simply stops the unrest that had built up between Childress, quarterback Brett Favre and other unnamed players who criticized Childress for cutting big-play wide receiver Randy Moss, among other issues, the Vikings could become the NFC’s ultimate spoilers by Week 14.