Last week, Brad Childress didn’t throw the challenge flag when he should have. This week, he inexplicably threw one on a play that had no chance of being overturned.

Tom Brady threw a pass over the middle that should have been intercepted by Vikings’ safety Madieu Williams, but instead went through his hands and wound up in the hands of Patriots’ receiver Brandon Tate. Childress, for some unknown reason, threw the challenge flag, even though replay showed that there was absolutely nothing to challenge on the play and that Tate caught it clean.

I get that the decision to challenge plays comes from upstairs. . .but between whoever is choosing replays up in the booth for the Vikings and Childress throwing the flag. . .well, the mind boggles. It never should have been an issue, since Williams not intercepting the pass was inexplicable.

The Patriots took advantage of it, as running back Danny Woodhead took a direct snap on a third and 2 for the Patriots and went into the end zone for the tying score.

With 10:25 left in the first half, the Vikings and the Patriots are tied at 7.