Vikings' Brad Childress fired, but Favre still QB

Brad Childress is gone, one season after he famously picked up Brett Favre at the airport, got a contract extension and came a field goal shy of reaching the Super Bowl.

The Vikings fired Childress on Monday, ending an eventful and often tumultuous run with the team marred recently by player unrest, livid fans and a boss angry over everything from Childress' personnel decisions to a 31-3 loss at home to Green Bay on Sunday that dropped Minnesota's record to 3-7.

Owner Zygi Wilf would not get into specifics after he and Vikings President Mark Wilf, his brother, met with Childress.

"It's often difficult to articulate one reason why change is needed," Wilf said.

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who has interviewed seven times for NFL head-coaching jobs, will serve as interim head coach and he wasted no time in answering a big question: Favre is still the starting quarterback despite a subpar year.

"There's no hesitation from me in that regard," Frazier said.

Childress is the second NFL coach to be fired this season after Dallas canned Wade Phillips.

"I am proud of our accomplishments and believe the foundation of this football team is stronger today than when I became head coach," Childress said in a statement released by the team.

Tempest in Tennessee: Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said Vince Young needs season-ending surgery on his throwing hand. Not that being healthy would have kept the quarterback in Tennessee's starting lineup.

The team is placing Young on injured reserve within the next few days, but after his latest meltdown - throwing his pads into the stands - Fisher said Young wouldn't have started Sunday, anyway.

Young saw a hand specialist, and Fisher said team doctors recommended the surgery to repair Young's torn flexor tendon in his right thumb. Young was injured late in the third quarter of Sunday's overtime loss to Washington.

"He may want to get a second opinion," Fisher said. "He may want to get two dozen opinions. Our doctor said ... it needs to be fixed."

Rusty Smith replaced Young in the game and Fisher said the rookie will start against Houston. The Titans are bringing in Chris Simms to back up Smith. Kerry Collins is expected to start once his strained left calf heals.

Briefly: Cleveland rookie quarterback Colt McCoy injured his left ankle on Sunday at Jacksonville, and his status for this week's game is uncertain. He follows Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace as Browns quarterbacks sidelined by ankle injuries this season. ... Giants leading receiver Hakeem Nicks will miss at least three weeks after being treated for Compartment Syndrome in his lower right leg. ... The Bengals put safety Chris Crocker and defensive end Frostee Rucker on the injured reserve list with knee injuries. ... Eagles cornerback Ellis Hobbs has a disk injury in his neck and will be out at least one week. ... Cardinals linebacker Will Davis broke his left leg in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, and is probably out for the season.