Allen sits out again, looks more doubtful

Jared Allen did not practice for a second consecutive day Thursday because of a shoulder injury. It appears to be a long shot that the Vikings defensive end will play against Green Bay on Sunday.

"I don't know," Allen said when asked if he was optimistic. "To be honest, I've got two more days. I'm not really thinking about it. I want to hopefully see how it plays out.

"If it was my decision, I think you guys know what my decision would be. But coach has to do what's right for the team and [head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman] has to do what's right for my body."

Allen suffered a third-degree sprain, or separation, of the AC joint in his right shoulder against Houston when he was hit by guard Chester Pitts. The injury often sidelines players for a few weeks.

Coach Brad Childress said the team would see if Allen could do "some things" in practice today.

The Vikings must declare Allen as either out, doubtful, questionable or probable on their injury report today.

"Anything moving along from the training room would be progress," Childress said. "So, we'll see. I don't have a good barometer. Not having spent a full year with him, I'd like to think I know, but I just have to see with my own eyes. Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves," he said.

Another look Houston coach Gary Kubiak said on his radio show that he sent three plays from Sunday's game against the Vikings to the NFL for review because he objected to the hits. The Houston Chronicle reported all three involved Allen.

Two were hits on quarterback Matt Schaub that Kubiak considered to be low, including one on which Schaub suffered a knee injury that could sideline him for a month. Kubiak also felt Allen made a horse-collar tackle on QB Sage Rosenfels.

The NFL should announce today whether Allen will be fined for any of the plays in question.

To shake or not to ... There was a bit of a stir after the Vikings' season-opening loss at Green Bay because Childress did not shake hands with Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

Childress said he was chasing after quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to talk to him. But this also came on the heels of the Packers' charge that the Vikings had tampered with quarterback Brett Favre.

Childress said he tried to contact McCarthy but the two never connected.

Asked Thursday if he will make sure to shake hands this time, Childress said: "You're just going to have to judge at the end of the game. And then you're going to want to know, did he have a Adrian Peterson [firm] handshake or a fish handshake? Did you cut your eyes from him and look down at your shoes?"