(Sports Network) - It used to be that a Viking could score just about any time he wanted, simply by rowing his Norwegian boat into a remote village and pillaging and plundering for a few hours. However, back then, they didn't have to face exotic blitzes, freak-of-nature athletes, and well-disguised coverages.

In today's world, scoring is not so easy. First-year head coach Brad Childress - who is implementing a West Coast offense - is finding this out now that his team has dropped two consecutive games to fall to .500.

"The only struggle I have is that I know it's a hell of an offense when it's clicking," Childress said. "And I just want to see it executed better, and we will."

"We stunk up the field as an offense," said receiver Marcus Robinson, who had a touchdown reception but also failed to haul in a catchable deep ball late in the fourth quarter in Sunday's 17-12 loss at Buffalo. "(The) defense, we (kept) them out there too long, there were too many three-and-outs. We didn't come together as a group and that's something you've got to have. Playing week-in and week-out, you have got to have sustained drives, get three points, seven points. That's something we're not doing right now as an offense."

The complaints about having too much of a dink-and-dunk system are starting to creep in, which is something that has not happened in Minnesota since long before the Randy Moss era opened in 1998. However, as Childress and Robinson are pointing out, a lot of it comes down to simple execution.

Penalties and negative plays are hurting the Vikings. Minnesota had 12 flags enforced against them last week for 78 yards. Quarterback Brad Johnson has been under too much pressure since the beginning of week 2, When Carolina's Julius Peppers exploded against him. Running back Chester Taylor has had too many runs for lost yards.

"It's frustrating," said Johnson. "I felt like we were playing Canadian football there for a while with two downs. The first down, we'd either have a penalty or a negative play and then when it's second or third and long, it's hard to recover from that."

DEFENSE SURVIVING INJURIES

The Vikings' new Tampa-2 defense has been doing its job thus far, as Minnesota has yet to yield 20 points in a game. However, first-year coordinator Mike Tomlin is not overly impressed.

"We have enough issues ourselves," he said, referring to the defense's success in comparison to the offense's struggles.

Those issues would include the injury report, which has been uncomfortably crowded for Minnesota's defense thus far. Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive end Erasmus James, both very young former first-round picks (James in '04, Greenway in '06) were projected starters who landed on I.R. with knee injuries early in the season.

Cornerback Fred Smoot gets dinged up practically every other week, which has held true in 2006. And, against Buffalo, Minnesota was without starting strongside linebacker Ben Leber (sprained knee) and finished the game without Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper, who had a bruised quad.

Sharper's status for Week 5 is uncertain, but things seemed better after overnight treatment.

"It's coming along," Childress said. "It's still uncomfortable, but he's made some progress on that."

WHO'S HOT

After a quiet couple of weeks, tight end Jermaine Wiggins had six receptions for 59 yards against the Bills, including a first-down reception that kept a last-effort drive alive late in the fourth quarter.

"I know my opportunity is going to (come), and when my number is called, I have to go out there and do what I have to do. That's make a play," Wiggins said. "I'm very confident and whatever they ask me to do...I have to do."

WHO'S NOT

Running back Chester Taylor ran the ball only 10 times against the Bills, producing 23 yards. Both were season-lows for the first-year starter.

NEXT UP

There is no better way to get an offense on track than to return home to face the Detroit Lions heading into your bye week.

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Andy Benoit is the author of Touchdown 2006: Everything You Need to Know About the NFL This Year. For more information or to contact Benoit, visit www.touchdown2006.com