Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer

Give credit to the Packers. I thought they made the plays in the ball game when they needed to. We did some good things, we just didn't do enough. The drive at the end of the ball game, the two point conversion to get it back in there and then we couldn't get them stopped at the end of the ball game. They've got a very explosive offensive team. [Aaron] Rodgers hurt us with his legs today. The third down toward the end of the fourth quarter was a killer, in my estimation, but we just have to keep going. We had a 15 yard run and get an offensive holding penalty late on that one. We get a hands to the face, we just have to quit doing these things. It's not what good teams do. We'll keep going, keep getting back to work and keep trying to pound the mindset and pound the fundamentals of we have to continue to do to win football games.

Q: How did you think you guys did against the Packers explosive offense?

A: I think any time you're playing a team that has explosive offensive weapons, a quarterback that can run and hurt you with his legs and then a physical back, you kind of have to pick your spots and where you're trying to stop them. For the most part we did that some today. They had some tough matchups outside at times as well. You're trying to eliminate certain things at certain times and it's tough to do on every play.

Q: Did you consider doing an onside kick at the end?

A: I did. I did and hindsight I probably should have but you're trying to pop it up and keep it in play and try to pin them back down in there deep but I assumed that we would stop them.

Q: Teddy Bridgwater seemed to settle down in the second half?

A: I didn't think he was as accurate as he normally is early in the ball game. He had a couple of high throws, he had a couple of missed throws. He seems to settle down in the second half and kind of get more, now he got hit a bunch of times, we didn't protect him nearly well enough. We continued to make plays, he made some plays with his legs. He continued to keep drives alive in the second half, so those were all good things that happened. We have to start, he needs to play better in the first half.

Q: What happened with the throw to Charles Johnson on the left side?

A: I don't know. I heard that he slipped coming out of the cut but I don't know. I mean it's hard for me to see that. You have a better view than I do.

Q: You were able to get the Packers offense off the field a lot, do you feel good about what you were able to do there or was it more stinging that you weren't able to stop them one more time?

A: It's disappointing anytime you let a team run the clock out at the end and not give your offense an opportunity to get in there. The third down before, I don't know what it was, the series before that third down that they hit, it was third and 3, that one stung. Then I think he scrambled on that drive. They did a good job with some of the things they did too.

Q: How do you think you played defensively today versus the first game against the Packers?

A: I don't know. That's your guys' job to evaluate that stuff. We had five three and outs the first half against them, so.

Q: How did you think you did stopping Eddie Lacy in the run game today?

A: He's a load and he's tough to tackle. We did a good job a lot of times today. They ran a few new plays, new running plays that we had to adjust to, but he's a load. The run game today was more about the end of the ball game, that's what got us at the end there.

Q: What was the thought process on going for both those fourth downs?

A: I want our team to have an aggressive mind set. I want to try to do things to sustain drives. There's times in ball games where you take those chances and if you hit them their offense gets to stay off the field, you get to continue to sustain drives. It's a lot about mindset too and them believing that you can get it done too. There's times when you're not going to, you're going to have to punt the ball. I told them upstairs we're going to go for it if it's close. 

Q: How are Cordarrelle Patterson and Phil Loadholt doing?

A: Loadholt is getting an MRI. Cordarrelle, I don't know. He was in and out.

Q: It was the shoulder for Phil?

A: Yeah.

Q: Was Sharrif Floyd close to going?

A: He's doing a lot better. I don't know that he's ready to go. If he was ready to go he would have went.

Q: Those are injuries to key guys.

A: I mean, guys get hurt a lot of times so just keep going.

Q: How would you assess the corners playing physical against their receivers?

A: We can do better, we can do better. I think Xavier [Rhodes] continues to get better so we have to continue to keep going with him. We have to get other guys competing and playing hard, making the plays when they are presented to us and that's really the difference in the ball game today. They made some plays and we didn't.

Q: What do you think about Matt Kalil's game and all his penalties?

A: Honestly, it was hard for me to see. The times when I was watching though, the times when I watched him, he seemed to be doing okay but my eyes are looking at their coverage and the blitzes that they're doing and Teddy [Bridgewater]. It's really hard for me to say without focusing in and having a real honest opinion.

Q: You went with Joe Banyard over Ben Tate, was that because he wasn't ready?

A: Wel,l I thought Joe did well when he was in there. He made some extra yards after contact a bunch of times. He looked like he had some juice running and carried his pads low. He deserved to keep playing.

Q: Tough for Ben Tate to show up and play right away?

A: No, he was active so if you're active be ready to play. I think Banyard had the hot hand at the time and [Jerick] McKinnon ran the ball better in the second half as well I thought.

Q: On that decision to not go for the onside kick, was that a real difficult call for you?

A: There was like, three minutes left or something, three something, and I figured they were going to run the ball three times and I figured we could stop them. I was trying to pin it down in there and I don't know, hindsight.

Q: Did you not want to give up the field position?

A: Well, that was part of it. If they did, if they get one first down, two first downs, then they'd have a chance for a field goal too. All those things are in my mind.

Q: Is it a good sign that Teddy Bridgewater can calm down and play well in the second half or would you rather see that in the first half?

A: Well I think we'd like to see it more in the first half but the good thing about it is it shows how he can adjust throughout the course of the ball game and the things that he can do as far as taking what the defense is giving him. I thought he hit a couple, hit a nice ball to Kyle [Rudolph] on the sideline over there, early in the ball game he hit, first play of the ball game I think it was, he hit Rudolph on a crossing route. He did a good job on the two, they blitzed both times and hit [Greg] Jennings on the two point and the touchdown. I mean it shows the ability that he has and he's going to continue to mature and get better and get bigger and stronger.

Vikings Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater

Proud of the way the guys fought today. We fell short, we didn't make enough plays to win this game but the effort was there. We just have to continue to get better each week, be a consistent football team.

Q: Do you feel that there were plays left out on the field especially in the first half?

A: Yeah, there were a ton of plays left on the field and whenever you're playing a team as good as the Green Bay Packers you want to make sure you're making all of those plays. Like I said, we left a bunch of plays out there in the first half but the guys did a great job. We did a great job of making adjustments at halftime and coming back out and playing a better game but like I said we fell short.

Q: Does it seem like you guys seem to start slow and then pick it up late?

A: I think coach Norv Turner said it best at halftime that for about the first 10 minutes of the game we were trying to feel our way through, getting a feel for the Green Bay Packers, but we just have to come out fast right away. In the second half, like I said, we were able to make adjustments and play faster.

Q: What did you see on your interception?

A: It was just a poor decision, a ball that I should have thrown away. It was covered very well by the Green Bay Packers but it was a situation that occurred throughout the game but I have to put it behind me. We continue to fight through adversity. Like I said, that turnover, we did a great job of just bouncing back and making adjustments.

Q: Why did you say you should have thrown it away? Was he covered or did you not have a throw?

A: The play was covered well. The guy did a great job of dropping into a zone. It was one of those decisions where I came into this game telling myself that I wanted to be aggressive but at the same time you have to be smart and in that situation I should have just been smart, threw the ball away. I believe it was first down so we could have come back and had two more chances at the drive.

Q: It looked like the pass floated. Did it come out of your hand right?

A: No, it came out right but like I said I should have just thrown it away. It was a forced throw.

Q: Do you feel that when you play an Aaron Rodgers-led unit that you need to step it up on offense to compete with the points they can put up?

A: We try not to feel any pressure around here. We knew that the Green Bay Packers had a pretty good offense, they are one of the best offenses in the league, and we knew that it was going to be a task and a challenge for our defense. Like the guys said, the defense did a great job of slowing those guys down throughout the entire course of the game and I think we did a good job for the most part of trying to keep their offense off the field and sustaining drives. We just didn't make enough plays today and we fell short.

Q: What do you attribute your accuracy issues to today?

A: Coming into this game, I wasn't able to play the first time we played the Green Bay Packers and I was just trying to get a feel for this rivalry and now I know what it's about. I think I was just very excited being able to play the Green Bay Packers for the first time. I just have to settle down and remain poised and just let the game come to me. We have a great group of guys who pull me to the side or the coaching staff, coach Scott Turner, he's on the sideline with me and he just tells me consistently throughout the game you're going to have some ups and downs but you just keep fighting.

Q:What do the coaches tell you to try and get you to settle down in the first half?

A: We're calling plays that allow me to get the ball out of my hand and get some rhythm early in the game. Our offensive line was doing a great job today of allowing me to sit back and throw the football today and then the running backs were doing a great job also in the run game. For me I just have to continue to have an aggressive mindset but like I said it's an overall team thing and we're going to continue to get better.

Q: Have you been trying to use your legs more when pressured?

A: Whenever something isn't there down the field, because this is the NFL and teams are going to play great coverage throughout the game so when the opportunity presents itself to run the football, the coaches have been telling me don't be afraid to use my legs to extend plays. Today those opportunities showed and I took advantage of them. As an overall offense we did a great job of continuing to move the sticks and the wide receivers did a great job of continuing to move the sticks and the wide receivers did a great job in the passing game and spacing up and the running backs did a great job also. You talk about Joe Banyard, a guy who we asked to step up for us today. CJ (Charles Johnson) and guys who we asked to make plays on a weekly basis. Ever since I've been here I've been impressed with these guys and we're only going to get better.

Q: When you threw that interception on the short field is that an example that when you play the Packers there isn't a lot of room for error?

A: Yes, that's a great example. Whenever you're playing a team, like you said, the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback you want to sustain drives, you don't want to give them a short field because you know that their offense is a high-power offense and they're capable of scoring and taking advantage of your turnovers.

Q: What did you observe from that play on the left sideline with Charles Johnson? Did he drop it or could you have thrown him the ball better?

A: In the course of the game you're going to have throws that you wish you could have back. Charles did a great job, made a great attempt, trying to make the catch. I could be better in my ball placement. That's one of those things that we didn't make and it cost us to fall short today. We're going to continue to make strides at making those throws and getting better.

Q: Is it more of ball placement that you need to work on or do you need more zip?

A: It's one of those deals with ball placement. Charles ran a great route and all I had to do was lay it out there and give him a chance to make the catch. That's one of those plays that we hit throughout the week in practice and today we just didn't get it.

Q: Does a game like today prove that you're going to be a quarterback in this league for a long time?

A: Each week I'm trying to get better and this team is trying to get better. We have 10 other guys in the huddle with me and we have guys, our backups are doing a great job of making the game easier for me on a weekly basis. The coaching staff, they're calling a great game each week. For me, I feel that I'm continuing to gain confidence each week. I'm being more aggressive each week. I'm being able to push the ball downfield and I wouldn't be able to do that without the coaching staff calling the plays and our guys doing a great job upfront whether it's in the passing game, protection-wise or the running backs doing a great job. I'm gaining that confidence and I'm glad our guys are doing a great job.

Q: Has it been difficult to have a rapport with the receivers considering you started the season with second-team guys and Cordarrelle Patterson is hurt?

A: It hasn't been difficult at all because in this offense each week a different guy can step up and make plays. Charles did a good job today. Greg Jennings, he's been a consistent player for us. Jarius Wright and Cordarrelle, those guys have all shown flashes throughout the year and Adam [Thielen] also. We just find different ways to get our playmakers the ball. If one guy is hot, we're going to continue to try to find different ways to allow him to make plays. It's not difficult at all for me. I trust all of those guys and those guys trust me.

Q: How key was your running ability out of the pocket for the offense today?

A: I think it was very key. It was very useful and whenever plays broke down down the field. We knew that those guys would great coverage throughout the course of the game. Whenever the opportunity presented itself to run, I just took advantage of it.

Q: Did you pay attention to any of the throws that Rodgers was making today?

A: Yes. I actually joked around with Greg Jennings today on the sideline and told him when Aaron was on the field I wanted to get up and watch him just to see how he operates throughout the course of the game. Like I said, our defense did a great job of slowing those guys down throughout the course of the game but Aaron Rodgers, he's playing great football right now and I just love watching him play.

Vikings Wide Receiver Greg Jennings

Q: Can you take me through that touchdown of yours?

A: Yeah, it was just a little under route. I ran the drag, it gets a little clustered in there, and you kind of get lost. Same thing on the two-point play. Pretty much similar play, just different formation.

Q: Is the misdirection the key to that?

A: Yeah, definitely.

Q: Was the two-point conversion the same play just different guys?

A: Yes, different personnel, a little different deal, but pretty much the jist of it.  

Q: What did you think of (Teddy) Bridgewater today?

A: I thought he fought. I thought he played well.

Q: Was it his (Bridgewater's) best game?

A: I don't know you got to watch the tape. I thought he played really well. There are some plays there that we have to make for him. Again, I think he will look at the film and feel like he can do things better. As well as, I really believe that everyone in here can do the same thing, including myself, look at the film and evaluate and self-assess what it is we as individuals can do better that collectively as a team will get us the outcome we are looking for.  

Q: Do you think that this game will give you more confidence?

A: I think we've played well the last few weeks. I thought last week we didn't play well at all. I think coming out here with the right mindset, it's all about guys having the will to work and compete. One thing that I admire about the guys in this locker room is, when we are down, our backs are against the wall, you don't feel that. You don't feel like you're 4-7 or whatever the case may be, because guys are going to come and work every day as if we have a shot to do something great.  

Q: We saw some mistakes, a missed play here, a penalty there. Would you say that you guys are one or two plays away from shaping up and making that difference?

A: It's the growing pains. It's all coming together, I really believe that it's all coming together. Coach (Zimmer) alluded to it, there is no moral victories in this game. Although I feel like there were a lot of things that went well out there, apparently they did more than we did, better, which results in a win for them. Once we can do that, even if we have self-inflicting deals that set us back, if we can still overcome them and win ball games, that's when you become a much better team.

Vikings Wide Receiver Charles Johnson

Q: With the opportunities you've been given, you have to love that the ball is coming your way.

A: I just go in there whenever I can and try to make a play. If Teddy (Bridgewater) reads the coverage and gives to me and throws me the ball I try to take the opportunity and make a play out of it.

Q: Did you envision this year that you would be getting fourth quarter reps in a game like this?

A: Of course. I know what type of player I can be, I know what type of player I am. It's just all about opportunity, and hard work makes opportunity and creates your own success.  

Q: It looked like Teddy Bridgewater was settling down late, he struggled with some overthrows early…

A: Yeah, we have to pick him up. When he does have those overthrows, we have to try to make those plays for him. Make those big plays look like routine plays. I mean, he is a young quarterback, but he is real poised and he is going to keep coming along.

Q: You got your first touchdown against the team that drafted you, how did that feel?

A: It was pretty exciting for me, I'm not going to lie. I got to give thanks to the offensive line and Teddy (Bridgewater) for getting the ball to me. I wish we would have won, I would have rather had that.

Q: Do you feel like you got a fair opportunity from Green Bay?

A: Injuries. I had a hamstring and then a knee, I had injuries.  

Q: Do you see this game as a chance for your role with this team to increase, after a performance like this?

A: I am going to continue to work hard in practice, and if I can create more opportunities, I am just going to run with it.

Q: The dropped Ball on the sideline, did you see it into your hands, or were you turning away too quickly?

A: I could have made that play for Teddy (Bridgewater). I could have made that play for our team. I can't make them all, I'm only human, but I wish I would have made that play, it would have turned the game around.  

Q: Did you have trouble tracking it?

A: No, I didn't have any trouble tracking it at all, it was just I didn't make that play.

Q: What is the mindset of that two-point conversion?

A: We need this play. We know if we can make this play, we can be in the running to go and kick a field goal, so we just have to make this play.

Q: Was it the exact same play that Greg Jennings scored on, just different personnel?

A: Yeah. The Green Bay Packers actually asked us that too.  

Q: It seemed like Teddy Bridgewater was a little high on some of his throws in the first half and then settled down, was that just a rookie quarter?

A: I don't know what it is, I am not a quarterback. That's something you'd have to ask him, is it fundamentals, footwork? There are a lot of things that go into being a quarterback in the NFL. Like I said, if he is high, we have to go and try to make those plays.

Q: How many yards do you think you left out there on missed opportunities?

A: For me, personally, I want to make every play. There were three, four, five plays I could have made. Even the hardest catches I want to make those plays. If I can make those plays for our quarterback and for our team, we are going to be successful.

Vikings Defensive End Brian Robison

Q: What do you think about the difference between at Green Bay and today?

A: It's what I've been talking about all year- when we play assignment sound football we play pretty good. We just have to consistently do it.

Q: What's it like when you hold them to 24 points and they scored 50 each of the last two weeks?

A: Like I said, we played much better today. Obviously there are still going to be some things that we need to correct. We still had some missed tackles but I think for the most part we played much better than we have the last couple weeks.

Q: Does today's game give you some confidence?

A: I don't know. I don't really think we need confidence. I think the fact of the matter is we need to play assignment sound football. When we do that we've got an opportunity to be a very good defense.

Q: There are no moral victories in games like this but is there something you can take away from this that you played better and as a unit it was more improved?

A: I mean absolutely. You can always take something away from any game whether it's a loss or a win. For us, it's going to be going back on the film and seeing that we had much more good plays than bad plays. I just think that some of those bad plays we have to shore up and who knows maybe the win-loss column is flipped.

Q: You did a pretty good job on Aaron Rodgers today.

A: Yeah I mean that's what we wanted to do-keep him in the pocket and not allow him to scramble around and do some things. He got out of the pocket a few times but I think for the most part we handled him pretty well.

Q: Do you think the rest of the season will go better now?

A: That's still to be determined. We'll find out on Sunday I guess.

Q: You played them tough but the bottom line is that it's a loss. Does it sting a little?

A: Yeah I mean it's a loss and we are going to have to go back to the tape tomorrow and see what we did well and what we didn't do well. I think there were a couple of blown assignment that may have flipped the ball game one way or another. We fought hard today and you don't want to hang your head on being able to fight and still lose but the fact of the matter is this team always fights and I thought we played much more assignment sound football this week. If we can keep doing that and do it consistently then we have a chance to be pretty good.

Q: What do you think about Eddie Lacy and the problems he present?

A: He is such a big back and is so powerful. He just hits the hole and is one of those guys that you have to rally to him and gang tackle him. When he gets one on one with guys he tends to get another three to four yards out of it. He's just a guy that you have to keep coming after and keep pounding on him and try to get him to the ground.

Q: What happened on the play when Aaron Rodgers threw all the way across the field to the open player in the back of the end zone?

A: I'm pretty sure we are going to see it was a blown assignment. Whenever someone is that wide open it is usually a blown assignment. That is just one of those plays we have to be sure that we don't have. We have to be assignment sound and everyone being where they need to be. Maybe if we can get a goal-line stand there the game might be different. Bottom line is Green Bay was a little bit better than us today.

Vikings Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn

Q:Do you think it is the little plays that were getting you guys?

A: Yeah. We came in the game wanting to make big plays. That was the key with this team. They have been putting up 50 points each and every week the last couple of weeks, so we were just trying to make big plays and just keep the defense on them. The Packers made plays when they had to, and they just came out on top.

Q: Did you feel pretty good there at the end being able to get back on the field and get your guys back out there.

A: Oh yeah, defensively we wanted that. Offense did what they were supposed to do, went down there, got the touchdown, and then the two - point conversion, and then it was on us to make the stop. We had two timeouts and two minutes and something to go and I feel like we let the team down. The offense was on a roll and we put the ball in their hands. I don't know what happened. 

Q: Did you guys know they were going to run it?

A: Oh yeah, you just have to wrap up and make tackles. Eddie Lacy is a great back but at the same time we have to go out there and make the tackles.

Q: There have to be some parts of you that looks at this game compared to the last game. I mean, it is like night and day.

A: There's night and day but there are no moral victories. We didn't win; at the end of the day we didn't win. We wanted to win. At the end of the day, the Packers came out here and won.

Vikings Wide Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson

Q: What point were you able to come back in the game? Did you have to get clearance?

A: It was the fourth quarter. I was trying to tell everybody to go. Let's finish the game and talk about that later. I felt like I needed to be out there to try to help the team out so I got back out there. 

Q: Is an injury on a kick return part of the risk-reward with that job?

A: Of course it's always risk-reward every time you get back there on a kickoff return, but it's my job, so with being back there, I have to take full advantage of it. If I can go, I can go, if I can't, Marcus Sherels is a great guy to step up and is going to help me out.

Q: Do you feel snakebitten with getting a longer return and getting injured on the play?

A: Oh yeah, I know. Every time something good happens it seems like something bad happens on top of that. There's nothing I can do about getting injured. If it happens, it happens so I'll live to see another day.

Q: Teddy Bridgewater said he was fired up about the rivalry part of the game. Did you guys see any difference with him in the huddle early in the game?

A: No, Teddy's a calm guy. I don't feel like Teddy is ever different. He always seems calm. There was nothing different in what I saw from Teddy. He seemed like a calm guy.

Q: Did the team expect the Packers to kick the ball short so often today?

A: Yeah, Coach (Mike) Priefer, we had a good plan coming in. We felt like he wasn't going to kick it deep, but he did, and each opportunity we get, we try to make the most out of it. Chase (Ford), Adam (Thielen), they did a great job of fielding the ball, getting up in there and hitting the hole.

Q: Do you have any concerns health-wise?

A: I don't know. We'll see tomorrow. They'll check me and see. I should be good, get treatments and get back out there to help the team out.

Q: What's worse, the ankle or knee injury?

A: I think ankle is always the worst because when you twist an ankle, you might as well break it because I feel like an ankle is one of the worst injuries.

Vikings Safety Harrison Smith

Q: Would talk about the difference between the game in Green Bay and this one?

A: I think we did a pretty good job challenging the receivers and making plays. We just didn't make enough. 

Q: You tipped Aaron Rodgers in the pocket a few times didn't you?

A: Yeah, there was still a couple. I know there was at least one, maybe 3rd and 6 or something. He can pretty much do it all so he's a tough guy to play against.

Q: Do you think this is the best defensive game you've played so far as a team?

A: I don't know about that. We gave up too many rush yards and a couple deep passes, so it's still not enough to win.

Q: Can you take positives away from that limiting the Packer's offense?

A: There are always positives, even if you guys think we played terrible, there are still always positives. There are no more victories, so you can win and you can lose.

Q: Can you talk about Eddie Lacy moral making big runs for extra yards?

A: We just have to wrap him up. Not to take any credit away from him, he is a good back. I think everyone sees him as a bruiser, which he is, but he is also pretty nifty and can kind of slip out tackles and has good vision. He's a good back, we just have to get multiple guys to wrap him up.

Q: Can you talk about that interception you had when you landed on the ball?

A: I landed on my shoulder and it got pretty jarred on that play. I was hoping to hold onto it, but the way I came down was too much force on my shoulder.

Q: Do you think some of the successes today are a result of what happened last time you played them?

A: I think the coaches did a good job preparing us and had us in the right mindset. We did some good things just not enough.

Q: What do you think about splitting offensive reps at the start of the game?

A: Coaches are going to make their decisions. It's not something I can choose. I would love to be out there, but we'll get Coach (Mike Zimmer) what he wants, and I'll play the role guy.

Q: Is there anything the team can take away from the game on offense?

A: Not really. We had our backs down, we came in and scored and just tried to put points on the board. We've just got to let this game go and get ready for next week. Every loss is hard, so we have to try to bounce back and get ready for next week.

Vikings Running Back Jerick McKinnon

Q: Is there anything in particular that you did differently in the second half than the first half?

A: I wouldn't say anything in particular; just have to do a better job. We got stuck in some bad situations sometimes and it's hard to crawl out of that. We just have to fix the mistakes and get better every day.

Q: Is there some good that you can take out of that last drive where you drove down the field?

A: There's a lot of good. That's really how we've been. That's our identity and how we expect to play. Sometimes we don't show it and sometimes we do so we have to be more consistent with that.* *

Q: Talk about the swing of emotions when it comes to penalty calling.

A: When you have a decent run and you get something out of it, then there is a penalty called, it obviously takes something away from you. You just have to keep punching and come back and do it again.

Vikings Center John Sullivan

Q: You did a lot of things well but there are no moral victories, how does this one feel?

A: I think we are all proud of the way we fought in that game but there are no moral victories in the NFL, the only goal is to win. We didn't do enough down the stretch to win today. No excuses and hats off to the Packers, but we are disappointed.

*Q: Playing hard has not been an issue for this team; you played hard for 60 minutes but came up short. *

A: Playing hard will never be an issue, we have good character guys here and there will never be a question in the effort.  We are going to fight, scratch, and claw through every single game, it's just the way we are. Unfortunately we didn't get enough done at the end.

Q: What do you think about Teddy Bridgewater's poise?

A: He threw some good touchdown passes and a two-point conversion, he bounces back when he gets hit. He's a tough guy and I have nothing but respect for the kid.

Q: He also bounces back after some bad throws like he had today. What can you say about that when it's a big game like the Packers?

A: Teddy never is going to get rattled; we talk about this every single week. He has ice water in his veins; he is just calm and cool.

Q: What about being frustrated with himself?

A: I won't comment on Teddy with himself, I'm focused on protecting him not on what he's doing.

Q: Is that one of the reasons everyone is so high on him because of his demeanor?

A: I mean it certainly helps. These are high- pressure situations and different guys react in different ways and he does it in the best way possible by staying calm and executing. In big situations when we needed that touchdown to get back in the game he played beautifully the entire drive. It was great to watch and be a part of.

Q: When you see guys like Joe Banyard and Charles Johnson stepping up that perhaps people haven't seen, what do you say?

A: That's what their job is, guys get hurt and miss games for a number of reasons. Its next man up and we are proud of those guys coming in here and executing and doing a good job.

Q: What do you think of Jerick McKinnon playing when he is still injured and coming up with some big runs today?

A: He's got what you are looking for in a running back; a lot of juice. He knows what he is doing in the passing game in terms of protection and catching the ball out of the backfield. He is a great player and he helps us win.

Vikings Cornerback Xavier Rhodes

Q: Did you hear Green Bay players calling for flags on you?

A: They are going to do that. Every game I get that so I am kind of used to it. They just try to get the ref to throw the flag on tight coverage. On that play, both our hands were on each other, it was all about who got to the ball first.

Q: How do you feel as you look at this season?

A: We still want to win all out and finish the season without giving up. Anything can happen so we just want to finish out the season the best we can.

Q: What happened on the Richard Rodgers touchdown?

A: I wasn't even in on that one, but basically he just snuck out. He was just uncovered.

Q: Have you seen a quarterback make a throw like that, from one sideline to the other?

A: No. But it is Aaron Rodgers and he makes things happen. He is a great quarterback, Hall of Fame.

Q: Can you talk about Eddie Lacy to, and what kind of running back he is?

A: He is a hard-nose downhill runner. You just have to get on top of him. One man can't tackle him because he is just going to move his feet and he is going to fall forward every time.