Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer
Big game Sunday, we're going to need the crowd nice and loud, stadium cranked up and ready to go. They're a good football team, excellent defensive football team. (Courtland) Sutton is a heck of a receiver. They've got a terrific running back in (Phillip) Lindsey, a Pro Bowl player, so we're going to have to play really well and have to do a great job on special teams.
Q: You've been resilient when you've been without starters before. What is the key to that?
A: We just got good players. They study, they work hard, they come out here, next man up.
Q: You seem to be in a pretty good mood. Is that accurate?
A: No, you're wrong (laughs). Ask the players. I've been very grouchy this week.
Q: What do you see as the differences in the two running backs, Phillip Lindsey and Royce Freeman?
A: (Phillip) Lindsey kind of can do it all. He's a little bit more of a scat guy, bounces. He's got great speed and acceleration, really tough. They're both tough, hard runners. The other guy (Royce Freeman) might be a little bit more in the tackles, but he does a nice job on screens and getting the ball to the perimeter as well. He's a good back.
Q: How much does the way they're using Von Miller remind you of what the Bears did with Khalil Mack?
A: Yeah, it's real similar. Defensively it's very, very similar to what Vic (Fangio) did in Chicago. But yeah, we have to know where he is, for sure.
Q: How do you like the way that Kirk Cousins has been able to spread the ball around with Adam Thielen out the last few games? Eight different receivers caught a pass against the Chiefs, seven did against the Cowboys.
A: I think he's just playing well. He's playing fast, getting the ball out to the right place. Sometimes they've been doubling (Stefon) Diggs, and so we got to get the ball to Kyle (Rudolph) and get the ball to Irv (Smith Jr.), Bisi (Johnson), spread it around. But he's doing a nice job.
Q: Did you see the brawl last night between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and if so, do you have a reaction to it?
A: Yeah, I saw it this morning. I didn't see it last night, but no, it was terrible. It was awful. It was ridiculous. That shouldn't happen in our game.
Q: What's the key to getting guys to play aggressively, but not cross the line like that?
A: I think it just starts with the discipline of – and I'm not talking about any other team or anything like that – but I just think guys understand where the line is, and what they can get away with and what they can't. The discipline of a football team on what you'll put up with is part of it. Knock on wood, we've been pretty resilient in doing those things the right way.
Q: It's Salute to Service weekend, and you've got Austin Cutting right out of the Air Force. Is that kind of cool having a guy like that, especially on this particular weekend?
A: Yeah, he stands right next to me during the national anthem every time, and he's always standing in attention, very diligently watching the flag or listening to the song. That's what true Americans should be, and this week our honorary captain for the Salute to Service is going to be (Vikings Director of Security) Kim Klawiter.
