EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —Minnesota has been mend-e-sota this month, but Vikings players have made progress through rest and rehabilitation work.
The Vikings have dealt with injuries to key players throughout December, but all players, including the NFL's leading rusher, Adrian Peterson, have been listed as probable for Week 16.
The Vikings (9-5) host the New York Giants (6-8) on Sunday Night Football in the final regular season home game of the two-year outdoor era at the University of Minnesota.
The 7:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff will follow Sunday afternoon's visit by Green Bay (10-4) to Arizona (12-2) at 3:25 p.m. Central (Zimmer would have been in the same place had this week's game not been flexed into the national broadcast of America's most-watched program for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff).
Peterson was added to the weekly report this week with ankle and shoulder injuries suffered last week against Chicago, but was listed as probable in the final release after practicing fully on Friday.
"If guys are ready to play, they'll play," Zimmer told beat writers Thursday in reference to this week's game.
Earlier in the week, Zimmer said Head Athletic Trainer Eric Sugarman told him that Peterson is like "Rubber Man."
A win Sunday by the Vikings will secure their first trip to the postseason since 2012. The Vikings also will clinch a berth if Atlanta (7-7) loses or ties Carolina (14-0) in a game that starts at noon (CT) or Seattle (9-5) defeats or ties St. Louis (6-8) in a game that begins at 3:25 p.m. (CT).
The opportunity, however, of winning the NFC North for the first time since 2009 is also there for the Vikings. If Minnesota and Green Bay are within a game of each other heading into Week 17, the victor would claim the crown.
"If a guy is iffy health-wise and we're already in the playoffs, I may sit him for another week but that's a fine line because I don't want guys to be rusty going into Green Bay and have bad momentum," Zimmer said.
Keeping an edge: Zimmer and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn lamented past years in which teams they coached or played for seemed to lose their edge after securing a playoff spot.
Zimmer recalled 2009 when he was defensive coordinator of the Bengals and faced a Jets team that needed to win to join Cincinnati in the postseason.
"We didn't play anybody and we didn't play very good and got beat [37] to nothing," Zimmer said, a point off the final tally during his recollection. "Guess who we played in the first round of the playoffs?"
The following week? Jets 24, Bengals 14 in one of three games that postseason that were rematches of the regular-season finale.
In 2013, Munnerlyn's last with the Panthers, Carolina won its final three games of the regular season to secure a first-round bye. He said he felt the break kept dreams from panning out against the 49ers in the Divisional round.
"We came out flat and didn't play well at all," Munnerlyn said. "We've got our mind set on one goal, and that's winning the division. We've got to take care of business Sunday night and see where it goes from there."
Injury reports: For the Vikings, Rhett Ellison (ankle) and Harrison Smith (knee/hamstring) were limited. Josh Robinson (concussion), Anthony Barr (knee), Linval Joseph (foot), Everson Griffen (shoulder), Charles Johnson (ankle), Jerick McKinnon (hamstring) and Peterson fully participated. All players are listed as probable.
For the Giants: New York had a walk-through practice Friday. LB Devon Kennard (foot), DT Markus Kuhn (knee), S Cooper Taylor (concussion) and LB James Morris (quad) did not participate. All four have been ruled out. WR/RS Dwayne Harris (shoulder) and T Ereck Flowers (illness) were limited. RB Orleans Darkwa (illness) and DE George Selvie (concussion) fully participated. Harris is questionable. Flowers, Darkwa and Selvie are listed as probable.
