EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Mike Tice stepped onto the field to lead his first practice as Minnesota Vikings coach and thought about Dennis Green.

"I was just trying to close my eyes and remember what Denny does," Tice said.

Tice, a former Vikings tight end who spent the last six years as an offensive coach, became interim head coach after owner Red McCombs forced Green out Friday. Tice will lead the Vikings in the season-ending game at Baltimore on Monday night.

Though he's a top candidate to be Green's successor, Tice spoke more about his former boss than his own future.

"What I want to do this weekend is make (Green) proud of me because he is my mentor," Tice said.

"Mr. McCombs, in all due respect, owns this football team and he can do whatever he wants with me or with anybody else," he added. "But Denny built the team, this is his team. It would be not right for this team to go out on Monday night and not win this game for him."

Tice joined the Vikings coaching staff in 1996 after playing three seasons with the team. As a coach, he helped five players earn Pro Bowl selections, including center Matt Birk, the only Vikings player named to the squad this year. With Tice's promotion, Dean Dalton took over as offensive line coach.

The 41-year-old Tice has long dreamed of being an NFL head coach. But he said this wasn't the way "you would dream about or write a book about getting your first chance."

On Monday night, Tice will square off against Ravens head coach Brian Billick, who coached him as Vikings tight ends coach in 1992 and was Minnesota's offensive coordinator from 1993-98.

The Vikings head into the game hampered by injuries. Wide receiver Cris Carter returned to practice Friday with a fractured rib he sustained against Green Bay on Sunday. He was listed as probable on the injury report and Carter and team trainer Chuck Barta will make an assessment later this weekend. "Cris will decide. If he tells Chuck he's ready to go, he's going," Tice said.

Running back Michael Bennett was also listed as probable with an injured heel, and cornerback Dale Carter was listed as questionable with a pulled hamstring. Both practiced Friday. Linebacker Ed McDaniel was questionable with a shoulder problem and didn't practice much.

McCombs said he'll discuss the team's future with Tice after the game Monday. There are several other prospects for Green's job, including Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy.

"Just say that Mike is the coach now," McCombs said. "This is something I hadn't given a lot of thought to because it's something I really hadn't anticipated."

Nor had Tice.

"We needed to win for me to get my opportunity. Unfortunately, we didn't win this year, so I was just another fat line coach," Tice said. "Now that Denny and Mr. McCombs have parted ways, as Denny puts it, I have an opportunity for a weekend and hopefully I can show Mr. McCombs and the organization and players that I'm ready."