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Here are the Fox NFL Sunday notes as issued by FOX Sports earlier today.

FOX NFL SUNDAY NOTES - 12/27/09

Johnson: Favre’s Infected With Superstar Disease;


Bradshaw: If Chuck Knoll Told Me To Sit, I Would Sit


Strahan: Favre Should Not Have Brought Up This Distraction


Glazer Reports Holmgren Will Start After The Season & Browns GM Candidates


Howie Long Unveils His Top 10 Most Underrated Hidden Gems


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With news emerging of a rift between Vikings QB Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress, co-host Bradshaw and analysts Johnson, Strahan and Long discuss which course of action should’ve been taken to avoid this controversy.


Johnson: “Brett Favre is infected, he’s infected with a disease, and a lot of superstars get this disease. They have so many accolades and are idolized, they start to think they are bigger than the team, are more important than any one individual, including the head coach. “


Bradshaw: “If Chuck Noll told me to sit on the bench I sat on the bench. Maybe that’s old school. Whatever he says, he’s the boss and I follow orders. I think the mistake Childress made was when he picked up Brett and drove him back to training camp he didn’t explain to him, ‘here’s the rules. I send a play in, you run it. You don’t come out of it.’ Lay it all out there so that when Brett goes out there and does these press conferences you then have a rebuttal. Your rebuttal is, ‘he knew the rules when he came in here.’ I understand Brett’s part but you have to respect your head coach. And listen, Chilly (Brad Childress), sit his butt down even if you have to throw him down. You have to send a message to the leader of the team. Forget the $12 million and all that you brought him in there for; sit him down, throw him down. I don’t care what you do, you have to be the leader and the coach of that team and he didn’t do it.”


Strahan: “I wonder if he was changing plays when they were winning. All of the sudden you’re losing, everybody has an issue and complaint. Childress didn’t address that problem after the game. Favre brought it up. Why do that? Why bring any distractions to a team that has lost two out of the last three, and lost to a Carolina team that everybody thought they were going to blow out?”


Long: “I’m not coming out of the game up 7-6 last week, after New Orleans has lost and the potential for home-field advantage is still there. I’m on Brett’s side on that one.”


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NFL Insider Jay Glazer reports on what took place behind the scenes in Minnesota to diffuse the Favre/Childress situation: “There are some people in life who thrive on uncomfortable situations; Vikings DE Jared Allen is one of those guys. This past week in a team meeting Jared got up in front of everybody and said, ‘Brad, Brett, come on just hug it out. Hug it out, guys.’ Players said it was certainly met with a lukewarm reaction. Childress went along with it, opened his arms up as if to say lets bury this whole thing but Brett said, ‘no, we cant hug anything out until we win this thing.’ Clearly, they’re both trying to be politically correct. Leave it up to Jared Allen to just stir it up even more.”


Glazer on what did resolve the situation for both Brad and Brett: “Vikings team owner Zygi Wilf played a big role in resolving the issue. Zygi is hardly ever at the facility during the week, this week he made sure he stayed there, he huddled with both Brett and Childress and made sure that both of these investments can live with the other.”


Glazer on how bad was the initial battle between Favre and Childress was…“When Childress first heard about it, he was actually in the coaches’ locker room in his towel and summoned Brett to come there and just lambasted him sitting there in a towel. Everybody on the team said we can’t let this derail us from what we’re doing.”

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Co-host Bradshaw and analysts Strahan, Long and Johnson broke down the AFC Wild Card race:


Strahan: “I think Baltimore is in. I think they have a good chance to beat Pittsburgh today, then play an Oakland team that could possibly be ready to go home in the last game of the season. Then you have Denver, they Philadelphia today in a game I don’t think they should win. But in the last game of the season they play a Kansas City team that is ready to go home. I think Denver will limp in and Baltimore will get in.”


Bradshaw: “I see the Broncos getting in and Pittsburgh, I have my fingers crossed for them. I think they sweep and Pittsburgh can get in this thing.”


Johnson: “Denver and Baltimore will be the ones that get in.”

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NFL Insider Jay Glazer reports that Mike Holmgren will wait until the season is over to start: “Mike Holmgren is not following what Bruce Allen did in Washington. In fact, Mike Holmgren is going to come in and his first day will basically be the Monday the day after the season ends. That’s when he’s planning to have his press conference. He doesn’t want to go the Bruce Allen route.”


Glazer reports possible GM candidates in Cleveland: “Right now the names I’m hearing are Randy Mueller who Holmgren is familiar with from Seattle, John Schneider who is right now with the Green Bay Packers who had also been with Holmgren in Seattle. Also, Tom Heckert who is the GM of the Philadelphia Eagles is a name I’m hearing. All of these candidates by the way are represented by Holmgren’s agent Bob Lamonte.


Glazer reports Browns head coach has a 50% chance at best of staying once Holmgren takes over: “As far as Eric Mangini, Holmgren has always contended that he doesn’t believe in the one and done for head coaches. However, people close to him tell me he views Mangini differently because of the way Mangini goes about his philosophy. I think Holmgren is looking for an offensive minded head coach and I’m being told at best, it’s 50/50 that Mangini comes back. I can’t see Mangini and Holmgren matching.”


Glazer reports Falcons sign GM Rich McKay to a 5-year extension: “Falcons GM Rich McKay has signed a 5-year extension, the team will announce it tomorrow.”


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How important is Brian Westbrook for the Eagles?


Strahan: “The Eagles have shown that they can win without them. Now having him is just a bonus. They shouldn’t put him in a position where he’s needs to go out and try to carry the offense. Do what they’ve been doing with him not being there and they’ll be successful.”


Who is the best team in the NFC?


Bradshaw: “Saints even though they lost last week.”


Long: “I think if somebody can beat the Saints in New Orleans it’ll be Philadelphia.”


Who is the best team in the AFC?


Johnson: “San Diego. My preseason Super Bowl picks were the Chargers and Philadelphia.”


Is Randy Moss a light bulb player?


Long: “When the light bulb is on it’s pretty bright.”


With one more loss the Rams clinch the 1st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Who should they take?


Johnson: “As good as Chris Long has been playing the last five or six weeks, you put Ndamukong Suh in there at defensive tackle, Long will be even that much better. Where’s the franchise quarterback? Name one. It’s hard to get a great defensive lineman.”


Bradshaw: “Sam Bradford in Oklahoma has a bad shoulder, Colt McCoy in Texas we’re not sure about. I would take Suh.”


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Howie Long’s Top Ten Most Underrated Hidden Gems


10. Clay Matthews (Packers), Brian Cushing (Texans), & Brian Orakpo (Redskins)

9. Pierre Garcon (Colts), Kenny Britt (Titans)

8. Brian Robison (Vikings)

7. Aubrayo Franklin (49ers)

6. Leon Hall (Bengals)

5. Curtis Lofton (Falcons)

4. Leonard Weaver (Eagles)

3. Calais Campbell (Cardinals)

2. Charlie Johnson (Colts)

1. Chad Greenway (Vikings)