by By Sean Jensen sjensen@pioneerpress.com , St. Paul Pioneer Press

Numerous players caught late-afternoon and evening flights out of the Twin Cities, and they are expected back next Monday to begin preparations for the Detroit Lions.

Since taking over the Vikings in 2006, coach Brad Childress has granted his players this meaty break. And the 2009 Vikings certainly have earned it, getting off to the best start of the Childress Era and the club's best start since 2000, when the Vikings reached the NFC championship game.

"You don't hear many coaches say that it doesn't come at a good time. It does come at a good time," Childress said. "Just from the standpoint that these guys have been going at it for a very long time with the four preseason games, two weeks of training camp, so we're reasonably healthy.

"Whether they're going to sit in a deer stand or sit on the beach or contemplate their navel, whatever it is that they care to do, they're free to do, as long as they're back here on Monday."

Kicker Ryan Longwell is heading to his home near Orlando and has a tee time at Bay Hill, the famous Arnold Palmer-designed golf course that recently was renovated.

Many players are on their way to visit family: Tyrell Johnson to Arkansas, Pat Williams to Louisiana, Visanthe Shiancoe to Maryland. Others are going on vacation, like Sage Rosenfels, who is headed to Miami with his family to visit friends, including former teammates with the Dolphins.

Cornerback Benny Sapp is also visiting his family, except his older brother Todd Richardson is incarcerated.

On Saturday, with his mother, sister and two children in tow, Sapp will visit Richardson for three or four hours.

"It kills me to go there," Sapp said. "It hurts. It hurts a lot."

That's because he cannot take his brother when he leaves, and Richardson has been behind bars for 13 years -- with 12 more years remaining on his sentence.

During the offseason, Sapp said he visits his brother, who is five years older, about once a month.

"But I'm horrible at going," Sapp said. "It's not enough."

As he prepared to leave Winter Park, though, Sapp was particularly excited to his see his 4-year-old daughter.

"I miss my daughter so much," said Sapp, who also has a 9-year-old son. "I can't wait to do the dad thing: Pick them up from school, and meet the teachers."

The Vikings wrapped up a taxing stretch Sunday with an emotional 38-26 victory in Green Bay, where they swept the season series from the rival Packers. Three of the Vikings' past four games were on the road, and they faced the physical Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back weeks.

"I'm mentally and physically exhausted," second-year safety Tyrell Johnson said. "We had some tough games."

Childress said he subscribes to a philosophy imparted to him by Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid.

"I go with the adage that this is a long, grinding affair, and you don't beat up the players, and you don't beat up the coaches when you have a bye," Childress said. "There's something to be said for fresh, as well. Fresh bodies. Fresh minds. Fresh brains, as you go forward."

Despite their spectacular start, Childress also hasn't granted his players any "Victory Mondays," although Rice said they have lobbied for a few.

"We knew we wouldn't get it," Rice said, "but it's worth a try."

Before his players left the team's training facility, Childress imparted some words of wisdom, stressing to be mindful of where they are and what they're doing.

"They may not have any intentions of getting hurt or what have you, whatever situations occur when guys fan out," he said. "I just think it bears talking about, because if you're a little more intentional about thinking about things, you realize what you're doing a little bit more."

When they resume business next week, the Vikings have a reasonable stretch, with three consecutive home games.

"All I know is we've got one when we come off the bye," Childress said, refusing to look beyond the next game against the Lions. "I'm not going to change in the second half of the season, you know?"

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