Favre’s risk-taking seems to be at odds with coach’s philosophy

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brad Childress wants his quarterbacks to play a certain way. Make the safe pass, keep an even keel, and follow the scheme how it’s coached.

Now, here’s Brett Favre, whose bionic career has been built on a bold, brash, boyish approach to throwing the football. Yes, Childress and Favre have known each other for years. They’re each well-versed in the Vikings’ version of the West Coast offense, too.

But how is THIS going to work?

“I don’t know what I’m going to be asked to do, but I know how to do one thing in particular and that’s be a leader and do things a certain way,” Favre said.

Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon, the 2002 league MVP, predicted this week during his program on Sirius NFL Radio that Favre and Childress would “butt heads” this season.

“Brad Childress is a stickler for doing it his way. He’s a very detailed guy; doesn’t really want to think outside the box; knows what he understands in that system,” Gannon said. “Brett’s going to come in there, he’s going to be hand-signaling the receivers, he’s going to be trying to change plays at the line of scrimmage, he’s going to do stuff that they don’t do in that system, and he’s going to drive Brad Childress crazy.”

Gannon found “shocking” the strong start the Jets enjoyed with Favre last year despite the unfamiliar system he had to quickly force-feed himself following the trade to New York. The fact Childress and Favre are experienced in the West Coast scheme could be a bond strong enough to eclipse any enmity here.

“Everyone who I’ve talked to — former players, coaches, people in general — said, ‘If you were to go back, this is a perfect fit,’ ” said Favre, who holds all of the NFL’s major career passing records, including interceptions.

Favre’s first quarterbacks coach in Green Bay was Steve Mariucci, now an NFL Network analyst. Though admittedly biased, Mariucci was glowing this week about the match in Minnesota.

“He’s a guy in the huddle that can tell a guy exactly what to do or give some reminders, because he knows everybody’s assignment and he knows what’s going on on defense and he can be that coach on the field,” Mariucci said.