EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)Leslie Frazier's six-week stint as interim headcoach last season for Minnesota was full of complications, from a slew ofinjuries to the Brett Favre(notes) sideshow to the snowstorms that postponed orrelocated three straight games.Frazier's latest tall task is to revive the Vikings from the 0-3 start andkeep them from spiraling into a state of discouragement following three straightsquandered Mark Sanchez Jersey Blue second-half leads."It takes a little while, especially the way some of our games have gone oflate," Frazier said Monday, when asked about how he's recovered from another"heart-wrenching loss," as he put it. "You run some things back and forth inyour mind, try to work through `em and see how they might help you in thefuture."

Given the almost-unfathomable fashion in which the Vikings have lostthey've been outscored 67-6 after halftime after building a cumulative 54-7advantage over the first two quartersthere are several areas under scrutinythis week by fans and analysts. Like every other NFL coach, Frazier's managementof the game is on full display for everyone to dissect, and a late decision hemade on each of the last two Sunday afternoons became a key part of the outcome.With the Vikings clinging to a three-point lead on Sept. 18 and Tampa Baydriving for the go-ahead touchdown, Frazier opted to keep all three of theteam's timeouts to use on

offense, explaining afterward he firmly believed thedefense would keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone. But they took the clockdown more than 3 1/2 minutes to 35 seconds

left, and the Vikings weren't able tocatch up.Then against Detroit, with the Vikings facing fourth-and-1 at the 17-yardline, Frazier kept the field-goal unit on the sideline. Toby Gerhart(notes) took aquick inside handoff, rather than star Adrian Peterson, and was stopped for nogain. The Lions went the other way and tied the game before winning by threepoints in overtime."We were confident that we had a good play that would get us the firstdown," Frazier said.Defensive end Jared Allen(notes) said he likes "that kind of football," anaggressive move to try to take a 10-point lead."That's just the ebbs and flows of the game," defensive tackle KevinWilliams(notes) said. "We make it, everybody's happy. We didn't make it, so it'squestionable now."With a full day to reflect on the play, Frazier smiled when asked if hewould've done it differently."I wouldn't mind if I could have gone out there and made that block for ourguys and just got that first down," Frazier said. "I thought we could get it.It didn't work out."Though offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave calls the plays, Peterson's usewas another topic of external examination of Frazier, who vowed to focus thisweek on ensuring that Peterson remains an

integral part of the offense in thesecond half. He had only five yards on five carries after halftime againstDetroit, excluding a 14-yard gain negated by penalty."I have to remind myself of this: Even if Adrian gets stopped for negativegain or two yards because they've got so many people at the

line of scrimmage,he's such a great player that even against eight-man fronts he can still makesomething happen," Frazier said. "You can't ever forget that."One of the reasons why Peterson didn't touch the ball more

was that theVikings went three-and-out four times in the second half. Quarterback DonovanMcNabb's(notes) misfires on some critical passes have been part of the problem.McNabb's wrist bothered him during the game, but Frazier insisted he was "stillpretty good" after he hurt it. But the coach said the Vikings would look at hisdrops in the pocket and footwork this week to determine whether he can fix someof the short hops he's thrown."That's not the only reason we're falling short. That's one of the reasons.There are some other things we have to work on as a team," Frazier said.Like getting open down field and giving McNabb time to throw when he doeswant to go deep. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian(notes), whose role is exactly that, hasjust one catch in three games.McNabb has only one turnoverFavre had seven by this point last seasonbut if his accuracy continues to be a problem, Frazier will find anotherimportant decision in the spotlight. With first-round draft pick ChristianPonder(notes) learning behind the 34-year-old McNabb, the Vikings could be wise to turnto the rookie if they fall out of the playoff race early.For now, Frazier's main priority is to keep the spirits up."This team, we're strong. Everybody is for each other," wide receiverPercy Harvin(notes) said.NOTES: Harvin declined to be specific about the illness that kept him out ofone practice last week and a chunk of the fourth quarter on Sunday. "I'm finenow. No symptoms. Everything's good. It was really nothing," he said.

Frazier said Williams was "a little sore" on Monday morning after his firstgame following a two-game suspension but said he thought the nine-year veteranwas "a factor" in the defense that held the Lions to 20 yards rushing on 19attempts and that the attention

he drew inside helped Allen and DE Brian Robison(notes)see more one-on-one matchups outside on the pass rush.Follow Dave Campbell on Twitter: /DaveCampbellAP