EDEN PRAIRIE, (AP) &045; Bryant McKinnie briefly stepped out of the Minnesota Vikings’ private lounge area and glanced at the throng of reporters waiting for comment on the team’s latest collapse.

The big left tackle let out a sigh and dipped right back into the safety of the lounge.

That was the theme at Winter Park on Monday after a humbling 30-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Most players didn’t talk, and those who did had no answers for the team’s monumental struggles through the first four games.

&uot;I can’t put a finger on it,&uot; offensive lineman Adam Goldberg said, his eyes glazed over. &uot;Sorry, I can’t be of much help this morning.&uot;

The Vikings’ convincing victory over the vagabond Saints two weeks ago had players saying the first two losses of the season were aberrations. But after getting bulldozed by the Falcons on Sunday, it appears that the victory was the aberration.

&uot;We have the talent, but talent don’t win ballgames,&uot; linebacker Sam Cowart said. &uot;Until we start playing together and playing smart and stop giving our opponents opportunities, we’re going to be an average ballclub. We’ll beat the teams we’re supposed to beat, but we’re not going to beat the good teams.&uot;

Coach Mike Tice was more than an hour late to his scheduled press conference with the media on Monday, leading some to whisper about whether or not new owner Zygi Wilf had decided to fire him on the spot.

Once he did emerge from a team meeting, a sullen Tice was forthright and blunt &045; knowing that a 1-3 start, which includes being outscored 67-18 in two losses on the road, has fans calling for his ouster.

&uot;That goes with losing,&uot; Tice said. &uot;If I am not doing my job, then they should call for my head. Right now, I’m not doing my job because we are 1-3. I need to continue to work to do my job better. … I believe when all is said and done and evaluated at the end, I will have done my job. Right now, it is hard to say I am doing my job when we are 1-3.&uot;

The Vikings head into the bye with myriad problems to address, including holes on the offensive

line, execution on defense and the suddenly awful play of Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Culpepper was sacked nine times by the Falcons, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. After the game, he said his performance was affected by a sore right knee, and he looked confused and gun shy in the pocket.

Several of Culpepper’s passes were woefully off the mark and he had trouble getting the ball quickly out of his hands. Offensive coordinator Steve Loney said just three of the nine sacks were the fault of the offensive line.

Culpepper was unavailable for comment on Monday. Tice, who has been hesitant to criticize his team’s biggest star in the past, said, &uot;Right now, none of us are unflawed.&uot;

The Vikings haven’t been much better on defense. They gave up an astounding 285 yards rushing to the Falcons, who played more than two quarters without quarterback Michael Vick. The Vikings knew all week that Atlanta would run the ball, but when it came down to it, they couldn’t do anything about it.

&uot;They did what they do,&uot; Cowart said. &uot;We knew that, most of the NFL knew that. We have to get to the point where we find out what we do best and execute it to a ‘T.&uot;’

Compounding the Vikings’ problems have been a rash of knee injuries to key players, including receiver Nate Burleson, defensive end Kenechi Udeze, safety Darren Sharper, running back Moe Williams and cornerback Brian Williams.

Tice expects to have Burleson, Sharper and defensive end Lance Johnstone (chest) back for a critical game at Chicago in two weeks but thinks it could be much longer for Udeze and Brian Williams.

The only good news is that the Vikings play in the NFC North, where no team has more than one victory.

&uot;We do actually take some solace in that and some reality, because whether it’s right or not, it is a reality that we have the same amount of wins as the other teams in our division &045; one,&uot; Tice said. &uot;The bottom line is winning the division.&uot;

That will take a lot of work.

&uot;We have some things to look at &045; plenty. We have some problems to deal with &045; plenty. We have some schemes to fix &045; plenty. We have some players that need to get healthy &045; plenty,&uot; Tice said. &uot;Now we have to deal with it.&uot;