*Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer *

I had to get my pacemaker readjusted after that one, but we fought today, we did some really good things. Obviously we didn't do everything that we liked to do. We've got to take care of the football better, we've got to run the football better than what we did. I thought we played very well defensively other than the third and nine – I wish I had that one back – or the third and 10, whatever that one was. I'm proud of this football team. I told them in the locker room after the game it is never easy to win in this league. I know all of the media are saying how soft the schedule is. Everybody in this league is good, so there is no soft spots in any schedules. I told our team all week long this was going to be a nail-biter and as you can tell from my nails, they are. Questions?

Q: Would you say you left too many points on the board early in the game and were unable to capitalize on missed opportunities?

A: Yeah, well we turned the ball over in the redzone, which takes away points, and really I thought the first half, we were fairly dominating and that's the kind of games you worry about when you're really winning football games and you give them a chance to hang around and hang around. You kind of saw what happened. I thought the 3rd and 15 that Teddy [Bridgewater] hit late in the ballgame was a huge key play. Obviously the fumble – I'm pretty sure it was Linval [Joseph] that caused it – was a big play. Throughout the course of the ballgame I'm thinking we're losing the turnover battle 2-0, so we've got to try to get a turnover somewhere, but all those things were on my mind. I think we went for it on fourth down early; I can't remember how many points we got out of it. So it could be a lot better, but it could be a lot worse.

Q: When did you know when Everson Griffen wasn't playing? How do you think Danielle Hunter also played?

A: I thought Hunter did some good things. I think one of the sacks Sharrif [Floyd] got, he had a very nice rush. I'm trying to see so many things, it's hard for me to focus on one guy unless they really flash or I check the replay. I thought he did some good things. And I knew about Everson [Griffen] around 9:30-10:00, something like that.

Q: How has Stefon Diggs worked his way into the game plan so well so quickly?

A: He performs. He's a good kid, he performs, he gets open, catches the ball, he continues to work. I think Teddy [Bridgewater] has got a lot of confidence in him. He's got a chance to be really good. 

Q: Is the third down you wanted back that 42-yard touchdown pass?

A: Yeah, well they only got one, right? So whatever touchdown that was, that's one.

Q: Do your guys have an opportunity to check out of a call like that?

A: I'm not going to discuss that. I'm not going to discuss that. 

Q: What's your thinking then?

A: I think it was go hit the quarterback. They had us on the ropes and if I'm going to die, I'm going to die with my guns.

Q: What did you think of the defense's response to force the fumble and then four straight incompletions to end the game?

A: It was big. I really thought the defense played well all day. We made a lot of good plays; they had 51 yards at halftime or something like that. We gave up a couple of plays early in the third quarter, but I thought we did a good job on third downs all day. I don't remember what the stats were, but I thought we did a good job there. They're trying to do things the right way. I thought [Eric] Kendricks, he showed up a lot today.

Q: Did the Chiefs make some adjustments that allowed you guys to be less successful in throwing the football after a successful third quarter?

A: In the early stage of the ballgame, I think they were playing pretty soft with their outside people. And then they started jumping on the routes a little bit more and that's why we threw a couple deep ones because we thought they would jump. But I guess that's it.

Q: What did you see on Teddy Bridgewater's second interception?

A: I don't want to get too technical, but the slot guy had [Mike] Wallace running over the top and Wallace had him beat pretty good. Teddy might have been a little late with the ball and the corner came off this guy. They were playing man-to-man but he came off his guy and fell back into man.

Q: What did the Chiefs do to slow down Adrian Peterson?

A: Well, I don't think we blocked very good to be honest with you. I don't think we blocked good enough, we didn't create enough seams; it wasn't good enough.

Q: Do you need to make any changes in the running game to generate more rushing yards?

A: We're going to have to because that's not really what I want to look like. I don't want a net minus 1 there, minus 2 there, 3 there. Yeah, trust me, we're going to work on that.

Q: What was your thought process in getting Trae Waynes more plays?

A: I just wanted to get him some plays. I talked to Terence [Newman] during the week and said I want to get Trae [Waynes] in there some. Terence is 37 and he got hurt for a minute too, but just get him some more playing time. He's earned it, he's doing a good job.

Q: Was Adrian Peterson unavailable after being taped up?

A: He came out for a minute but it's nothing serious.

Q: What did you think of Blair Walsh making a couple longer field goals including the field goal to extend the lead late in the fourth quarter?

A: Big. He went 3-3 and it's good to see it. He's worked really hard, we've changed up some of the things we do at practice now to maybe put a little more pressure on him just to make sure it's more game-like. Hopefully that's working out; we'll keep doing it though.

Q: What do you think of starting so many rookies this early in the season?

A: Doesn't mean anything to me. Rookie, 10-year guy, I don't care; let's just go play. I don't really care. In my eyes, they're football players, not rookies.

Q: Is the next step this team has to take is put an opposing team away instead of letting them hang around?

A: I think we've kind of done that on some other occasions. Today obviously we didn't do it. The next step is to hit on all phases, all of running the football, stopping the run, completing passes, contesting catches, those things. We haven't put it all together yet. If we ever put it together, we have a chance to be a good football team. We have a lot of things. It's miss here, miss there. When you go back to Denver, we didn't play good in some of the situations but then we come out and when we're playing, we're pretty darn good. That's what I keep hoping for, that's what I keep grinding these guys for. I told them all week, this is going to be a nail- biter the entire time, but I might have already said that.

Q: How do you think T.J. Clemmings did against Justin Houston?

A: I don't really honestly know. We were helping him some, so I don't know how many sacks [Justin] Houston got. One? It's really hard for me to say. I would be lying if I told you. I have a hard enough time seeing the down-markers.

Q: How do you think the defensive line played?

A: I thought they did a really good job. We controlled the line of scrimmage, we didn't allow them to run the football really. That's a big key when you go into the ballgame when you say, "Hey, we can play the game in coverage." It makes it so much easier on me. I didn't blitz much today. It's not as fun, but that's part of it. But because they were able to control the game, that was important.

Q: That holding call right outside the endzone in the first quarter was not challengeable?

A: No, you can't challenge the penalties. I asked all about that stuff, but no.

Q: Can you give any more specifics towards Everson Griffen's illness?

A: No. 

Q: Do you think he will be back at practice this week?

A: I do.

Q: How do you evaluate Diggs' route running at the early stages of his career?

A: Excellent. Excellent, he's fast in the breaks, fast out of the breaks, doesn't slow down when he cuts. I don't know if he's always right on the routes that he's running but he's pretty darn close most of the time.

Q: Was he that good when he came into rookie minicamp?

A: He was pretty good, he was pretty good. Our scouts did a great job of finding him. Scott Turner knew about him because he recruited him when he was at Pittsburgh. But yeah, he's been pretty good. 

Q: How do you think Andrew Sendejo did?

A: I wish he would have looked for the ball on the one throw, the one deep one down the field because he had the guy covered. He just didn't look for the ball. I think the tight end ran away on the inside breaking route, he had outside leverage on the play. But other than that, I don't remember. I can tell the mistakes pretty good.

Q: How do you think Teddy Bridgewater performed?

A: I think we missed the pass on 3rd – and - 2, the little boot coming out of there. The two interceptions were not good, but I thought he made some really good plays too. The 3rd – and - 15 was a big-time play in this ballgame. He made some really good throws earlier in the game and they had a couple late hits on him – I won't say, kind of low. I don't know but I don't think that affected him.

Q: Do you foresee the changes in the running game as Adrian Peterson getting less touches in the run game?

A: No, we were in nickel a couple times and he got dinged for a minute, but no, not at all.

Vikings Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater

It was a great team win today. Could have been much prettier, but that's why this game is four quarters. We knew coming into this game that it was going to take a full-out effort and our defense did a great job of just sealing the deal for us today, it felt good to end the game in the victory formation.

Q: Why do you think you were able to get off to such a fast start in the passing game?

A: All year long we've been talking about getting off to a fast start, coming into this game, we put together a game plan that just allowed us to take advantage of some of the things that they were doing. We knew that they were physical up front and fast up front, so we did a great job today in just executing what was asked of us.

Q: Did you get frustrated that were able to hang around in the game and you weren't able to put it away?

A: Definitely, and I think we're the cause of that. We could have converted better on 3rd downs, took better care of the football. Those are some things that we'll watch the tape tomorrow and make corrections and just get ready for these next two divisional games. 

Q: How did you identify and what did you think when you saw Stefon Diggs open on the late 3rd-and-15 conversion?

A: Kansas City had only rushed three defenders, so I knew that I would have a little time back there. Stefon did a great job of just staying alive and understanding down and distance, the offensive line did a great job of protecting on that play and allowing me to move throughout the pocket. Like I say, Stefon was in the right place at the right time. 

Q: How were you able to establish such good chemistry with Stefon Diggs so quickly?

A: I actually have good chemistry with all of those guys. We just know that in this offense, each week a different guy is going to have some success. That's one of the first things we talk about when we get together as a unit, each week it's going to be a different guy that steps up and makes plays for us. This week, Stefon did a great job for us when things were going slow. We're going to continue to expect some big things from him and that entire wide receiver unit. We know that this league waits for no one, with all the young guys stepping up making big plays in this league, I'm happy to see Stefon contribute for the Vikings

Q: Looking back on the first interception would you throw that ball away or what would you do differently?

A: Yeah, I'd probably just throw it away, especially being in the red zone, you don't want to take points away from us. Throw the ball away, kick a field goal, we could have ended that with three points in that situation.

Q: How were they able to stop the run game so much and did that open up the passing game?

A: Coming into this game, we knew that the defense runs through that front-seven. Those guys are big, physical and they're fast and they're strong. We knew it was going to be a challenge for us. It was still good to see those guys up front still continuing to be physical with that group and open holes for Adrian [Peterson] to make some big plays for us. You never know how the game will play out each week, one week you may throw for 400 yards and only rush for 20 yards or one week we may rush for 200 yards and only throw for 100 yards. Each week it plays out differently. Today was just good to get things going in the passing game. 

Q: On the second interception, was that just a great defensive play by Marcus Peters?

A: It was one of those plays where he understood who was our flanker on that play, we had a tight end out there, I guess he was confident that we weren't going to throw it deep to a tight end or something like that. It was a great play by him. Like I said, if I could take it back, I'd love to. It happened, it made the game closer. We're going to watch the tape tomorrow and make some corrections.

Q: On Peters' interception were you expecting him to stay on the man who ran the deep route?

A: Yeah, definitely. They were in man coverage, so he just came off of his guy and I guess he expected the ball to be thrown, or he had a timer in his head. Like I said, it was one those plays that you see a lot of veterans make, so to see him make that play, it speaks volumes to the kind of player he is.

Q: Your first two wins were by double digits, does it feel good to grind out a close win?

A: Coach Zimmer said something in the locker room, 'No win in this league is going to come easy.' If you happen to get an easy win, then you're a lucky team. We know that these games come down to the final two minutes of a 4th quarter drive, or with them, having to go down and score a touchdown to win the game or kick a field goal to win the game or send it into overtime. We don't want to be in these kind of games, but like you said, it happened.

Q: It seemed like you were stretching the field vertically more this game, what was the mindset behind that?

A: We knew we could take advantage of those guys on the back end, the foundation of that defense was with that front seven. We knew that they have a great secondary, but we know that coming into any game we like our matchups with our wide receivers. We wanted to take advantage of some of those matchups, we studied film on those guys and we knew some of their weaknesses and we had some tendencies on those guys and we just wanted to exploit different matchups.

Q: What were you thinking after the 3rd-and-2 incompletion intended for Rhett Ellison?

A: That's the play that I'm most upset about today. Easy completion. I had [Justin] Houston in my face, I just tried to just throw it over Houston to lay it out there for Rhett to make a play. That's one of those throws where I've made tons of times and it's a catch that Rhett has made tons of times, also. I wish I could have thrown a better ball, kept the drive alive and possible got points.

Q: After that play what were you thinking when you went back to the sideline giving them the ball back with a chance to win the game?

A: It was frustrating because you know that you could have stayed on the field if we had converted that 3rd down, but I had total confidence in our defense. We knew that they were going to go out there and make a stop. Those guys answered today, hats off to those guys, those guys played some great football for us. 

Q: Could you have done anything to change the offense to get more rushing yards?

A: We put together a game plan that we were confident in heading into this game. Kansas City is a great defense. You're talking about a team who is one of the top defenses in the league last year, a team that was trying to get things turned around this year, we knew that it was going to be a challenge for us, but it's a team sport and it was good to see guys on the outside make plays.

Vikings Running Back Adrian Peterson

Q: So you had some tough sledding out there today?

A: Yeah, it was.  We knew that coming into the game. We were playing with a physical group. It was going to be a good challenge for us, and we just wanted to be out there and try to establish the run game. Those one, two, and three yard gains help us keep some drives alive. Teddy played a good game today; he was able to come out with the victory, so I'll take it.

Q: Is there a silver lining then, even though the running game is frustrated a little bit, that we can open up the passing game and see young guys like Stepon Diggs get a shot to really show what they can do?

A: Yes, and that's what it's all about, forcing the team to pick their poison. You're either going to stop the run or the pass, and they chose the run today. It opened it up for us in the passing game, and we were able to be productive and get some points on the board. You know, there's a lot of things we didn't do well that we wish we could have back, but it's better to talk about those things with a W. We'll clean things up and get ready for Detroit.

Q: Did something happen to your finger?

A: Yeah, I think I jammed it up earlier in the game. It'll be good.

Q: Is that why you weren't out there on that last drive?

A: Actually, I could have ran back out there, but Matt Asiata did a great job. He came in and made some big runs, converted a first down, and that's what we're going to have to do. Especially in the running back group, we take it serious. When I'm down, Jerick or Matt, those guys have a job to do, and he did that today.

Q: It seemed like on half of your runs, by the time you got the ball guys were already in the backfield and there was nowhere to go. Was that what you were seeing too, just not a whole lot of room?

A: Yeah, on a couple of plays it was like that. Sometimes you're just going to get beat. I'll tell you this, 97 grabbed me one time and swung me down, and I was able to feel the force that he had. That guy is extremely strong, and I'm sure there's not too many guys that can keep him from getting to the quarterback or keep him from the backfield on every play. So I was just telling those guys to keep fighting. If you get knocked down, you get back up and hit them in the face and knock them down. They did that today. We'll take the W for what it is.

Q: There's not a lot of years that you've had defenses that have been able to put games away. This is a game where that defense looked really confident.

A: Yeah,that felt good! We talked about earlier how just having each other's back. There was a couple of drives there at the end, a couple possessions where offensively we should have ended it, and we weren't able to do it. For whatever reason we weren't able to do it but the defense had our back and played extremely well today, and they got the job done for us. That's why it's called a team, and it was a good team win today.

Q: So what did you think about that fourth and one call? At that point you had only got 5 yards on 10 carries, but they go right back to you on that fourth and one. What does that say?

A: We got faith in what you do. It was a critical point in the game, and we needed it. It's funny because I looked at the replay and I could have got more out of it if I would have pressed it all the way to the right and bounced it outside, but my mind was just like get the first down, get the one yard. So we know what we have in our arsenal, we know when it's that type of situation that we can come through.

Q: Adrian what was your impression of the way Stefon was able to play today and make big plays?

A: He's a game changer to me. He's a talented young guy; he plays hard, extremely hard, and you're going to get his best effort. He's not that big of a guy, but he has big hands. His hands are almost as big as mine, or maybe bigger. But I love the fire that he has. Walk through is not a walk through for him. He's out there sweating. It goes to show when he gets out here and he plays. It's good to have him in the lineup.

Q: Does it feel good to be back above .500?

A: Yeah, it does. Coming off a bye, and just in the fashion that we won this game, it feels good to be over .500 and kind of get a streak going.

Q: How fresh were you feeling today? You seemed to have a little extra burst when you got around the defensive back on the 20 yard run.

A: I felt good man; I felt really good. I guess having that week off was excellent for everyone. Just taking care of the body. I felt good. This is the best I've felt and I'm excited about it. You look at the yards and you wouldn't think he's satisfied and he's happy with how things played out today, but I am, because ultimately we had a job to do, pound the rock and be able to make plays in the pass game, score points and come out with a W. That's ultimately what happened.

Q: This team has been looking for a big play receiver ever since you got here. Is it possible that Diggs might be that guy?

A: He's been doing well for us. He's a game changer to me. We have other guys that are game changers as well, and it's just all about having an opportunity. If we keep doing the things that we're doing, we know that Coach Turner is going to put us in the best position to try and win.

Vikings Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs

Q: Over 129 yards and seven receptions, kind of like the game of your life?

A: You can't complain about today, but my main focus was getting the win and we got the win, so I was happy about that. As far as the 129 yards I can't complain about that. I'm happy to be in my situation.

Q: You and Teddy seem to have a good feel for each other and that seems to be getting better every week.

A: Yeah, being out there practicing together and working on extra reps, all the little things matter when working on a quarterback and receiver relationship. We're going to keep at it. I'm going to do everything I can to be that reliable guy.

Q: You're the first Vikings rookie since Randy Moss to put back-to-back games like that, what's it like to be compared to a guy like that already?

A: It's a blessing to be compared to him, but at the same time you want to work hard. That's what you look forward to and you want to work until there is no comparison, so that's my goal.

Q: Was it in the game plan for you to have a key role?

A: It evolved as the game went on. In practice you don't know what you're going to get. You know what you're going to get as far as what you see on film, but you don't know if they're going to switch things up, so really I was on the fly and I was trying to be there for my team. 

Q: Mike Wallace says he doesn't have to worry about you making mistakes or staying humble, how is that getting praise from him?

A: He's an older guy and I look up to all my older guys, especially because they've been around the league for a while and they can still teach me some things. I'm a reserved person, so I take my time and I do what I have to do.

Q: Was this kind of a coming out for the you, Vikings rookies, Kendricks and Hunter?

A: Yeah, there was a lot of young guys making plays and you can't ask for more, especially [Eric] Kendricks on the other side, especially when he got that sack. I get so excited seeing people do well and it's a good feeling.

Q: Is this the most fun you've had playing the game?

A: Yeah, it's the most fun I've had in a while. I'm mad about a couple things and I won't bring it up, but one thing you saw was I had a lot of space to run and Eric Berry made a great tackle, so things like that really get at me when no one is around.

Vikings Defensive Tackle Sharrif Floyd

Q: Stopping the 4th down run…

A: We have to set a new line of scrimmage. They have a yard to go; we have to stay low, charge, and set a new line of scrimmage. So those linebackers come free or we come free. 

Q: There's usually a lot of contact in those front lines, but you got through so fast, what were you thinking when you didn't have contact?

A: There is normally a lot of contact, but that is the beauty of it. When there is not contact, I know I am free, and I keep going. The contact part is no different than coming free. We just have to fight to get free.

on it.

Q: Your speed, obviously you are a lot quicker than guards and tackles, is it coming through for you? There have been injuries before, but now it seems like your speed and your quickness is coming through.

A: It is a mix of speed and power. I love that I can play on that side of the ball with speed. It is more so reading the ball and understanding the game play and knowing where speed can come in and where it can't. Understanding what is going on so that I am not, or anybody else is not, outplaying their team, or running faster or outdoing their job. You have to lock in, do your job, and stay together as a unit coming off the ball.

Vikings DE Brian Robison

Q: The defense has a pretty good identity right now.

A: I think if we keep progressing like we are we have the chance to be pretty good. I think we are putting that on the table. We have to keep going out and working hard every single day. Coach Zimmer pushes us every day to be better, so if we keep doing that, we will be pretty good at the end of the season.

Q: You've got rookie man linebacker, Kendricks, you are helping him as much as you can. What do you see from him? He is running around a lot making plays.

A: He is making a lot of plays. He is a good instinctual player. He can run, so he brings a lot to the table and we are glad to have him here.

Q: When the next man up in the NFL, Everson, is not playing, what does that do, just ramp it up a little bit?

A: You just have to be next man up. Danielle Hunter did a great job coming in for us today. We had a good rotation of guys that we were able to rotate and do some things out there. At the end of the day, you want all of your guys out there, but when one can't be out there people have to step up and we were able to do that today.

Vikings Defensive End Danielle Hunter

Q: When did you find out that you were going to be starting?

A: It was pre-game. We practiced all week and we always have to be ready for the game. Coach preaches to us about always being ready to be the next man up.* *

Q: You shared a sack today, too, how was that?

A: It was a good deal, it was something we were practicing, using our hands and going inside. Sharrif (Floyd) was there to help me out with the sack.

Q: What has he Sharrif Floyd taught you?

A: To use my hands to get off the block, stuff like that. He's a good teammate.

Q: Did you have that forced fumble or did Linval Joseph have it?

A: I had the forced fumble.

Q: Tell us about the forced fumble. Were you going for the ball or were you going for the tackle?

A: I was going in and saw him coming, saw the ball, so I reached for the ball and tried to make the tackle at the same time.

Q: That was one of the biggest plays in the game, how does it feel to have made that play?

A: It was exciting. They were driving down the field, and we had to make a play to stop them.

Q: When they first told you that you were going to make the start, were you nervous? What was going through your mind?

A: My position coaches came up to me and said, "This is what you've been practicing for. Anytime can be your time." When it came time for me to go out there, I was ready for it.

Vikings Safety Harrison Smith

Q: Was that a good play on the screen pass from the Chiefs?

A: Every play we have is a sound defense. We just have to make our plays and sometimes we don't. We have to go over it and see what we can do better.

Q: Sounds like you guys are not too surprised what you have seen from Stefon Diggs the past two games as he has done this in practice?

A: Yeah, we have been seeing that since he got here. You never know how it's going to go on Sunday's but day in and day out it has been the same Diggs. He has been doing that since he got here.

Q: What's the most impressive aspect of Stefon Diggs' game?

A: He is obviously an explosive player. He has great hands. In my opinion he already has a great understanding of the game as a rookie wide receiver. He knows how to get that good separation. He's just a ball player. He goes up and makes plays. He is incredibly well-rounded for being such a young guy.

Vikings Cornerback Trae Waynes

Q: What did you think of Stefon Diggs performance today?

A: Diggs had a heck of a game and you expect it because of how hard he practices.

Q: What did you think of the other rookies today such as Danielle Hunter and Eric Kendricks?

A: Everybody played well today and it's just a testament to how hard we practice.

Q: How good does that make you feel with a young class to contribute like it did today, especially late in the game?

A: It feels great. It shows the dedication and hard work. Everyone is willing to do whatever it takes for this team.

Q: You mentioned quarterbacks like to go after rookies, do you feel like you proved again that you can handle the competition?

A: Yeah. I think I did pretty well. Obviously there is always things I can work on but I was pretty happy with how today went.

Q: How much do you go against Stefon Diggs in practice and what have you seen from him in practice?

A: Diggs and I compete all the time. That is something that helps us. It makes us better and you saw today that it pays off.

Q: Captain Munnerlyn was saying he saw Stefon Diggs play like this in practice for quite a while?

A: Oh yeah. Diggs is one of those guys it can be half speed and he still will be going 100%. You always have to be on your toes with him. He's a great player and I am excited to see what else he has.

Vikings Wide Receiver Mike Wallace

Q: Talking about Diggs, he had to wait his turn till about two weeks ago and now all of a sudden he's coming out and making big plays at big times.

A: Yeah, I mean we all knew he could ball the whole time. It was never a question of that, but it was just a matter of opportunity. Every time I do an interview I say I think we have guys that can play on any roster in the NFL. So I think he's a great player. Humble kid, and he's going to keep working, I know it.

Q: Stefon is the kind of player that gets mad about the stuff that he doesn't do well, and when he does do well he kind of takes it in stride. How have you seen him grow the past two games?

A: It's kind of hard to tell. I honestly felt like he was a great player from day one. I felt like he has the routes, hands, speed. It's just about consistency and I think he's doing a really good job of that so far these first two games. He just has to stay humble, which I know he will. Just keep grinding, keep doing the same things that has had him having these two good games that he's had. Keep pushing, we need him down the stretch.

Q: Pretty impressive rookie class even on the defensive side too. You have Stefon doing well today, then you have Eric Kendricks and you had Danielle Hunter.

A: Yeah, I mean the coaches did a great job and the GM did a great job of going out there and finding those guys. Every guy we have, you could see in OTAs and training camp that they can play football and that they were going to make some contributions to this team early. Like you said, Kendricks, I kind of knew from OTAs that he can play football. He was in the right spots a lot of times. He's a rookie, so he was going to mix up, but just the way he flies around and his instincts are great. It's the same with Diggs, and Danielle finally got his chance out there, I saw him create a couple of pressures. We have a good rookie class, and hopefully they can continue to contribute.

Vikings Linebacker Eric Kendricks

Q: How did you feel about your overall performance today?

A: I feel like I am seeing a lot more things. The game is starting to slow down for me. Starting to read things before it's happening. Starting to key on what the offense is doing and I am playing a lot more patient for the most part.

Q: This is your second game starting, how does it feel knowing this could be your position for years to come?

A: I don't think about that. I just take it one game at a time. I love playing football so I am going to work at it in practice. I am going to work on what I have to correct to get back to play games.

Q: When Gerald Hodges was traded, what went through your mind?

A: I didn't think of it much. I tried to downplay it and I have a job to do with the same mindset every day.

Q: What do you still need to work on you think?

A: Everything. I am a rookie. This is the NFL and there is a lot of great players. I left a lot on that and I have a lot to correct.

Q: Did you kind of get the feeling early on that this was going to be a defensive style kind of game?

A: I take that mindset into every game we play. I got the feeling towards the end those last couple of series were crucial for us and we did pretty well. We got a turnover late and that's what good defenses do.

Q: How much help has Anthony Barr been to you?

A: He has been a great help. He went through the same process a year prior to me so he gives me little keys here and there. The whole linebacker group as a whole, we learn from each other.

Q:  Were you worried the Chiefs would come back at all in the game?

A: Not at all. I don't have that kind of mindset and I don't think our defense does either.

Vikings Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn

Q: The wide receiver screen the Chiefs scored on, how did that shake out?

A: I really can't tell you. I was so focused on my guy. I was playing my guy so I really don't know what happened.

Q: During the play, did you look up and see a bunch of Chiefs jerseys?

A: Yeah, I saw all the lineman and it was a great play call. It beat the defense. Credit to them.* *

Q: Did you think you guys had it under wraps going into the fourth quarter?

A: Yeah, I felt we were dominating. We were dominating the game. That is something we have to keep building on. We have to learn how to finish. I don't like finishing like that. They had the ball in their hand at the end of the game and still had a chance to win the game. I'm already going bald and that stressed me out a little bit more. 

Q: How do you think Trae Waynes performed today?

A: Trae is coming along great. Like I said he has some veterans in front of him. He has some guys that have been in the league a long time with Terrance (Newman). We are just going to bring him along real slowly. He is getting his feet wet each and every week. I am proud of him. He keeps working every day in practice. He doesn't get frustrated at all. He is a great kid and he just has to keep on working hard.

Vikings Linebacker Anthony Barr

Q: Was there a miscommunication by the official at the end?

A: He thought I was taunting the bench, but I really was just going to celebrate with Xavier(Rhodes) for making a good play on 4th down. 

Q: It didn't look like you were taunting.

A: I did not taunt. The ref actually said "My bad, I didn't see you celebrating," and he still called it. That's just how it goes, the game was over at that point.

Q: When you were celebrating, did the ref call that penalty because you almost hit him? Is that what he got upset about?

A: He told me I was taunting and then he apologized and still called the penalty. It is what it is.

Q: Kansas City did a lot more offensively in the second half. What did they do differently?

A: They hit us with two big plays. Those things hadn't been happening throughout the course of the game. I think we responded pretty well. I do not think they did anything different. They schemed us on a couple plays but that's the NFL. 

Q:  In your opinion, did the defense do a pretty good job today?

A: The defense did a great job today. We had a few mistakes and miscues but we will get those cleaned up and ready for next week.