WEBVTT - X's and O's with Mike Zimmer | Week 4 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:03.800 What a scintillating victory for the Minnesota Vikings beating the 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:07.320 Seattle Seahawks. Mike zimmer Head, coach, joins us. Now, the 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.680 fans arrived early, there were a lot of them. They 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:14.560 were loud, they stayed late, and it was just wonderful. 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:16.880 What'd you like about it? Yeah, the crowd was great. 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:20.920 They were extremely loud. You know, they're they're very, very 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:23.680 important to us when we play games at home. It 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:28.120 gives us a great home field advantage and the energy 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:31.639 level helps with our team and the opportunity to help 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:34.360 is right in front of you. This weekend, Sunday at noon, 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.720 Cleveland is in town. Very good Cleveland Browns team. They're 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.120 two and one from the AFC North and they like 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:43.800 to run. Number one in the NFL in rushing attempts, 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:47.320 number one in rushing touchdowns. You see it that way, 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:49.720 I mean statistically that's correct, But is that what they 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.600 want to do? First with offense? Run? Yeah, first, first 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:54.760 and foremost, they want to run. They've got two great backs. 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:57.640 You know, both these two guys run extremely hard. Their 0:00:57.680 --> 0:00:59.800 offensive line is very good. They've got a good scheme 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:03.480 um and then you know, the play actions come off 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:06.559 of that when when you see their offense head coach 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:10.240 Kevin Stefanski, a lot of Vikings feel with the Cleveland Browns, 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.520 a lot of former coaches here or there. When you 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:15.559 see their offense, do you see yours? Do you see 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:18.800 San Francisco's? Is it kind of all the same? There's 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:22.000 some of that. Bill call is their offensive line coach, 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.560 and he's done a great job for a number of years. Uh, 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:26.880 you know, they've got they've got the zone scheme and 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:29.920 they've got the gap schemes. So they'll they'll run counters 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:33.480 and stutters and then they'll run to the normal press 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:35.959 plays like wide zone like we do with the With 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:39.039 the two running backs they use most specifically Nick Chubb. 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:42.240 What what does Nick Chubb do? Well? Well, they are 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:45.959 both extremely hard runners, but he's got great vision, sees 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:49.760 the sees the holes. Um, you know, I think, uh, 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:52.680 you know, he's he's able to cut back, but he's 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:55.560 able to get the perimeter as well. And with Kareem Hunt, 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:58.520 I'm more defined for his catching in Kansas City than 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.640 his running. Is it still like that? Yeah, they use 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:02.720 him in third down. He's the third down back, but 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:04.880 they'll use him in there, and really run the same 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.560 exact runs with him. They have this number twenty five, 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:12.320 this rookie, Demetric Demetric Felton, the UCLA rookie. And they 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:14.399 don't use him a ton. But in that Houston game, 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:17.120 a couple of catches fifty one yards. He dropped a 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:19.600 pass last game that probably would have been a touchdown 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:22.919 or something like that. What are they doing with him? Well, 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:25.680 one was a screen and they're using him as a rocket, 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:28.200 you know, as a guy that used the jet sweeps 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:30.800 and things like that. So let's start using him in 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:32.799 motion to line him up as a wide receiver, could 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.440 be in a running back. Sometimes they'll scat him out 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.519 of the the backfield in past protection. And you mentioned their 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:42.160 their offensive line, Bill Callahan, as Mike said, super well respected. 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:45.600 He's their offensive line coach, their reich guard Wyatt Teller. 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:49.440 Is he one of the most underrated players in the NFL. 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:51.520 Not a lot of people know who he is, but 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:54.400 all I hear is that he's fantastic. Yeah, he's a 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:56.920 very good player. But you know, the whole offensive line 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.320 is very good. They're all big guys. They do a 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:03.200 great job. Um, they're all on the same page. Uh. 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.040 JC Trotter gets them in the right in the right 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:10.560 plays and then the guards they do a good job 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:12.000 and the tackles do a good job to a lot 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:15.840 of different schemes. Well, their offensive line, like Seattle's offensive line, 0:03:15.840 --> 0:03:18.520 they rotated the right tackles with shell down. But with 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:22.079 the lines you've seen so far Cincinnati, Arizona, Seattle, then 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:27.360 this one with Pierce, Tomlinson, Kendricks, Harrison Smith. What you 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:29.960 bring a teams like, how how does it match up 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:32.640 compared to what you've seen. Well, they do a lot 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:36.040 of things out of like a three tight end, one back, 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:38.280 one wide receiver formation, and they'll give you a lot 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:41.080 of different looks. They'll open up to open up the formations, 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:43.400 and then they'll give you a lot of two tight ends, 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:46.280 two wides like like we like to do. Um. So 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:48.400 they give a lot of different things. We're gonna have. 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.200 We're gonna have to make sure we're very solid on tackling. 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:53.720 They're gonna try to make our corners tackle, get bounced 0:03:53.720 --> 0:03:56.240 the ball to the perimeter, make our corners tackles. We've 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:58.120 got to do a great job there. So so now 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.360 that your former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski has been there 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:03.160 a couple of years and a couple of off seasons. 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:06.080 Can you see a feel for what he's building with 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.920 this offense, with the running game, the offensive line, sneaky 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:13.280 little felt in stuff like that, because I remember in 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:17.360 twenty eighteen when he became your interim offensive coordinator, first 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:19.720 game against Miami, you ran for like two sixty and 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:22.640 and you know, and that's what's important to you to 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:25.440 compliment your defense. Are you seeing that there? Well, I 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:28.080 think that's that's a lot of his EMO. Now. You know, 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.560 they're run running the football lot he'll run. You know, 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:34.320 in certain situations, they run a reverse pass, they run 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.320 a fleet flicker, they've got some some of the trick 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:38.919 plays that they'll throw in there in double pass one time. 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:40.800 So you know we're gonna have to be on our 0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:42.600 p's and q's in that area too. So it all 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.320 comes off the running game, though. Big game for the players, 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:47.719 big game for the coaches, just like every single one is. 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:50.240 But seriously big game for the fans too, coming to 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:52.679 hup a win because if they want to run first, 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:55.039 if they get any second and third longs, and you 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:57.080 get a chance to make them left handed as a 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:01.360 pass first team, and that's like big right, Yeah, that's huge. Um, 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:03.039 you know, they don't want to be in third and 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:05.880 long situations if they can help it. But uh, you 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.680 know they they're gonna use there, They're gonna spread spread 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.640 out in uh no backs at times, and so they 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:13.719 can get some quick throws in there. So we got 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:16.160 to do a great job in uh really first and 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.279 second down. Mike zimmer x'es and O's Vikings and Brown's 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:23.840 noon KFA in Vikings Radio Network Sunday, Baker Mayfield their quarterback. 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:25.440 What do you see in him? You know, he's he's 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:29.640 playing really well. Uh. He will scramble when there's times ago, 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.240 but he's thrown he's throwing the ball well. I've seen 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.080 him make a lot of strides over the years, and uh, 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:36.839 I think he's doing a great job. You know, they've 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.640 got the two first picks in the draft, you know, 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:43.080 with with him and Garrett so um, they've they've got 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:46.240 a lot of number ones in their in their system. 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:48.720 And uh and with the Vikings offensive line, their first 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.800 round pick Christian Dara saw yet to play. But nevertheless, 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:54.520 you know, all those penalties in the Cincinnati game eight 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:57.400 yards alone on the offensive line last two games looking 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.120 at it calling the game from afar, seems like it's 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.680 been fantastic with your offensive line. Yeah, it's been good. 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:04.480 We're not shooting ourselves in the foot. We're not taking 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.080 a lot of negative plays. Uh, you know, we're advancing 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:10.600 the football, which is always important. Um Cousins has been 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:13.320 playing outstanding. Um. You know, we've got a great effort 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:19.680 this week from from um Um Madison. Madison got it. Yeah, 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:22.920 got a great effort from Madison this week. And uh, 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:24.600 you know on the offensive line did a great job, 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:27.760 tight ends and and the backs, all of receivers all 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:30.560 did a great job with with Cousins and Um and 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:33.880 just what he's doing through three games, no interceptions so far, 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:37.760 a bunch of touchdowns. Um. The you've you've mentioned twice 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:41.440 now after after games, his leadership and you know, without 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:44.800 expounding too much, I would imagine when when you look 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:47.480 for leadership from Kirk that maybe you haven't seen the 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.200 first three years, Like what are you looking for? Well, 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:52.960 I think it's just partly the control of the offense 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:55.080 and then and then the other the other part is 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:58.320 you know, uh, there's some been some off schedule plays 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:00.680 that he's made this year that maybe he hasn't made before, 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:02.960 but we've We've had a lot of good conversations Kirk 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:06.880 and I and uh, you know, I understand where he's 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:08.560 coming from a lot of ways. And that's why I 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:11.840 talk about the leadership, and he's talked about wanting to 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:14.480 be a better leader, and I think that's come to fruition. 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.480 So when like in the Arizona game, when you see 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:21.160 kJ Osborne get fed early on the busted coverage, but 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:24.200 then late on a huge play, Kirk's thinking about him, 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:27.960 then Conklin scores in the next game. Is that I mean, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.840 is that just the play or somebody willingly thinking about 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:34.960 players other than Justin and Adam? Yeah, I don't think. 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:38.600 I don't think Kirk is really willingly thinking about certain plays. 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.000 I think what he's what he's doing is all right, 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:43.240 here's my read. This is the matchup I have, And 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:45.080 let's go to here first and then go to the 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.040 second one. You know, not always were those guys that 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.440 caught balls that you're talking about being might not have 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:52.960 been the first read. You see Conklin every day in practice. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.240 Is obviously seen him all of his career. Have you 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.520 ever seen him run as fast as he did? In 0:07:57.520 --> 0:07:59.840 that last game on that play the win straight down 0:07:59.880 --> 0:08:02.640 the field whole week. Hal is he fast? Yeah, he's fasts. 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.440 He's been fast his whole time. Uh, you know that's 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:07.480 why we drafted him. We like him. Yeah, for sure, 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:10.720 Tyler with a nice touchdown against Seattle UM. And lastly 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:13.160 on Kirk, is it fair to look at it, Mike 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.800 that with what you're getting from him and the sliding 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:19.200 and the ducking and the twenty nine yard run through 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:22.600 all of that, you're loving it. His yards per attempt 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:25.480 at seven point seven, so that can even be better, right, 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.200 So maybe there's better on the horizon. Yeah, and a 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:31.080 lot of it. Again, it's it depends on what the 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:33.760 defense has given you. You know, they're they're taking away 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:36.800 some of our deep shots. Uh and so. But but 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:40.200 advancing the football. Getting a five eight eight yard game 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:43.080 is big. His announced third in two or whatever it is, 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:45.320 and we have opportunities to to do. You know, we 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.400 did much better this last week on third downs and 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:49.840 that was one of our goals this past week. Brown's 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:52.800 head coach Kevin Stefanski came here with Brad Childress and 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:57.120 and you know, through from Childress through Leslie Frasier, uh, 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.600 into into Mike Zimmer. I mean, how rare is it 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.760 to last that long through three regimes? What are some 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.800 qualities that lead to that with him? Yeah, well you 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:09.880 have to be uh, he's very diligent about his work. 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:14.760 He's he's he's a thinker, he wants to analyze things, 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:18.160 he wants to be very organized. Um, you know, and 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:22.080 then then he's got a calm, calming personality that I 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:24.920 think allows the players to play well. Uh. The Brown 0:09:25.040 --> 0:09:28.640 special teams coordinator, Mike Preefer was also with Mike Zimmer 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:33.240 and Prefers protege Ryan Ficken is the special teams coordinator. Now, 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.480 so we talk about Kevin wants to run, you love 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.320 to stop the run. Um, and Kevin used to work 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:41.880 here with you and then Prefer and Thick in one 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:44.480 and one A for so many years that I mean, 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:46.880 what I don't think I've ever asked you this. What 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:50.640 do you think of that special team's coaches matchup? Yeah? Well, 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:53.200 you know, it's at the end of the day, we're 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:55.840 similar in a lot of ways, similar to their special teams. 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.840 And what we got to do is have our players 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:02.400 play really good and and uh, hopefully we break some things. 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:04.680 You know, I think I think we've improved on special 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.000 teams this year. I think we've been more fundamentally sound. 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:09.280 I feel like, you know, we've had some returns. We 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:11.440 had a penalty last week, but we had a twelve 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:15.040 yard return. Um. You know, we've had had some good coverage. 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:17.280 I think, you know, some of our punts have been 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:19.920 better than what we've had in the pass. So I 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:22.560 think all those things are kind of a combination of 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:27.160 really being diligent and about fundamentals and technique. Now we're 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:30.840 into three. So Patrick Peterson, I mean, sometimes just gets 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:34.599 no action for long patches of time overall, outside of 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.360 the sideline play at Cincinnati where maybe he got a 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:42.400 little lost. What have you been seeing from him from Patrick? Yeah, 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:44.440 you know, I think he's done a good job. I 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.880 think for the most part. Uh, you know, he's he's 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:50.000 done a really good job. He's trying to do different things. 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.520 Uh you know, he's trying to understand the coverages that 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:54.840 we're trying to work. And I think he's been uh, 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:57.800 you know, he takes challenges every single week. You know, 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:00.680 he's he was lining up on metcalf some last week, 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:04.920 he was he was on sixteen some last week, you know, so, uh, 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:09.120 you know, he takes those challenges personally, do you overall 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.960 lastly sent your team preshen doing a little not to 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.040 the top, But hey, Cincinnati we had this, then Arizona 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.640 we had this, then we want and had this? I mean, 0:11:17.760 --> 0:11:20.440 is it is it building the way you wanted to 0:11:20.520 --> 0:11:22.760 at this stage? Well, I think the big thing, Paul, 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:24.880 is that we're starting to have some confidence. You know, 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:27.120 we believe that we have a chance to have a 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.480 good football team. But when you go out and you 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:32.160 go out and prove it, and you see the things 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:34.640 like offensively the last two ball games, what we what 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.880 we've done offensively, and then defensively, when we're good, we're 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:41.160 really good, you know. And unfortunately when we were bad 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.560 a couple of times, we're pretty bad. But you know, 0:11:43.559 --> 0:11:46.040 if we continue to take those little steps and keep 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:49.200 working on fundamentals and technique and everybody being on the 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:51.680 same page, I think we have a chance to be 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:53.520 a good team. And I think they're starting to believe that.