After a night in which Saints running back Reggie Bush returned two punts for touchdowns in a losing effort to the Vikings, Minnesota coach Brad Childress played the “don’t blame me” game . . . by blaming his punter.

“Both of those kicks are supposed to be out of bounds,” Childress said of the two punts that Bush returned for scores, “and when you say to somebody kick the ball out of bounds, that’s what you expect to happen.  That’s what I expect to happen with a professional football kicker.”

Bush’s second punt return for a touchdown could have come on the kick sandwiched between his two six-pointers, but once he broke free he tripped and fell.

Asked whether the strong-legged Kluwe can control his punts in that fashion, Childress was blunt.  “You know what?  If he can’t do that, I’ll find someone that can kick the ball out of bounds.”

Though Kluwe is only the punter, we’re troubled by the coach’s decision to make his displeasure with Kluwe publicly known.  The message to the rest of the locker room is clear:  “If you screw up, I’m gonna call you out to the press so they won’t call for me to be fired.”

Really, why else would Childress throw Kluwe under the bus for all to see?  The words are so stunning because it’s so rare to see a coach lambast a player through the media.

And so as Childress tries not to lose his job, he needs to be careful or he might lose his team.