*Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer *

Very poor, lethargic, didn't get off blocks, didn't make tackles, busted coverage, didn't cover people, poor on third down. Offensively, we started off the game three three-and-outs. They had three drives over 80 yards for touchdowns. Not a very good day today.

Q: Did you see a lack of effort on defense today?

A: I don't know, we looked lethargic today. I don't know if it was lack of effort or if it was, I don't know, I'll have to look at the tape.  

Q: Did you see anything during the week that would suggest a performance like this was coming?

A: No.   

Q: Any ideas why your defense wasn't competitive today?

A: No.

Q: Do you think all the injuries and adversity finally caught up to the team?

A: No, that didn't have anything to do with it today. That had nothing to do with it.   

Q: Are you scratching your head at some of the penalties?

A: Yeah, I mean, we fall on a guy, they know it's a penalty. It's a 10-yard field goal or something. We jump offsides on third down. The first third down was an easy route we don't cover. Yeah, it was disappointing.   

Q: Any idea why in such a big game they played so poorly?

A: I just said no, I have no idea.  

Q: Do you think Adrian Peterson was 100 percent healthy?

A: No, I think he was 100 percent.    

Q: How do you think he looked out there?

A: He looked fine. Fumbled the ball.  

Q: Do you wish he wouldn't have announced he was going to play on Friday?

A: No.

Q: Did you have a certain message for the team?

A: Yes.    

Q: Would you like to share that message?

A: Basically what I just told you.    

Q: What happened on Sam Bradford's interception at the end of the first half?

A: I don't remember, honestly. I might have been doing something with the defense at that point, I don't remember.  

Q: Why not take a knee and go into halftime?

A: It's still early in the game.

Q: Where do you go from here?

A: Back to work. I want to find out who is going to fight. Because that was not a fighting performance there. They were more physical than us today. Played with more tenacity than we did. That's usually how it goes so, we'll find out.

Q: Did the team do anything well today?

A: Not that I can think of.

Q: Why did you opt to put Joe Berger at guard?

A: Who did you want to play guard? [Reporter: Zac Kerin?] No, I didn't want to do that.  

Q: What is the message now?

A: I just told you that I want to find the guys that are going to fight. So, if they're not going to fight, they're going to get their butt out.

Q: Do you think the players talking about 'winning out' was dangerous?

A: I don't know, players talk a lot about a lot of things. We obviously didn't play good today.

Q: Why weren't you able to get pressure on the quarterback?

A: Well we didn't stop the run. So, we never stopped the run so we never really had the opportunity to rush the quarterback.

Vikings Quarterback Sam Bradford

Q: What did you see on the interception? Was that a similar thing to what happened in Detroit?

A: No, it was a different coverage. You know, I was probably just being greedy. I forced it and I just can't do that especially late in the half. The last thing you want to do is give them the ability to score again. I just can't make that throw.* *

Q: Why do you think the offense had trouble in the first half?

A: We were just bad on third down. When you don't convert third downs and you don't give yourself a chance to stay on the field to get yourself into a rhythm it's hard. I don't how many plays we ran in the first quarter or the first half, but we just didn't give ourselves enough opportunities to be successful.

Q: Given what was at stake, how do you have that performance?

A: It's tough. We knew our playoff situation essentially started last week. We went down to Jacksonville and did what we needed to do. We thought we were moving in the right direction. Then obviously today, we didn't even give ourselves a chance. I think that's what's really tough, knowing that we didn't even give ourselves a chance to win today.

Q: Did you feel an emotional life when Adrian Peterson said he was playing?

A: Yeah, I think it was a huge lift. We felt great and, obviously, with getting Adrian back we were really excited when we found out that he was going to be playing today. We just didn't do enough to get him going and give ourselves an opportunity to get into a rhythm with him in the game.

Q: Why do you think across the board with the team there was such a letdown today?

A: I don't know. If I knew, we would've fixed it before the game started. I think it's just one of those things where it didn't go great early and it kind of snowballed. Then next thing you know, we're down three or four scores and it's about as tough and about as ugly as it gets today.    

Q: In the drive that ended with Adrian Peterson's fumble you had some momentum, did that kind of derail you today?

A: I don't think so. I think we had too many mistakes today. I don't think it was one instance of it slipping away. I think we made too many mistakes and when you do that you're not going to move the ball, you're not going to score points and you're not going to win games. I think that's what happened today.

Q: They didn't have a highly rated defense. Did they do anything differently? Why do you think they played so well defensively?

A: I don't know. Obviously, going into today we felt really good about our gameplan. I thought last week we played pretty well. We had one of better performances of the year on offense. I think we were all excited to get out there and build on that. And like I said earlier, not converting on third downs early in the game, not getting ourselves into a rhythm. We just didn't give ourselves enough opportunities to get into a rhythm and do what we really wanted to, which is run the ball, play action, a good mix of everything. When you get down like that it kind of forces your hand to throw it. It kind of took out a good part of our gameplan.

Q: Did it hurt your rhythm with Adrian Peterson playing and trying to get him going?

A: I don't know exactly what it was today. I think the big thing was third down. Regardless of what happens on first and second down, we can do better on third down to keep ourselves on the field and we just weren't good on third down.

Q: Did they take Stefon Diggs away as an option today or were you just going in different directions?

A: I think they did a good job. There was a couple of plays where we tried to get it to him and we just couldn't. I think especially in the second half when we are in a two-minute mode we just got to find a way to get (Stefon) Diggs the ball. He's too good of a player not to have the opportunities. However that has to happen, I think it would be good to get him involved.

Vikings Running Back Adrian Peterson

Q: I imagine that is not the way you wanted that game to go?

A: Without a doubt, definitely not what we envisioned coming into this game. Just unfortunate it ended the way it did.

Q: Is it disappointment or frustration having to wait that long, what kind of word sums it up?

A: Just disappointment, especially with the fumble at a critical point down 17 at the time and entering into the redzone. To give up that fumble kind of killed the momentum, and it was rough.

Q: Were you 100%, or were you missing anything from your game?

A: I felt good to come out and play, so there are no excuses. Unfortunately the game did not lay out the way we expected, so for me being in there it changed a little bit. We had to drop back and start passing the ball a lot more. For me being out for a sufficient amount of time, it was obviously best for Jerick [McKinnon] and Matt [Asiata] to continue with the hurry up offense.

Q: How did that make you feel?

A: It was tough. You look at the scoreboard, down by a couple touchdowns, and the run game is kind of irrelevant at that point. Of course I don't like being on the sideline, but I have faith in Matt [Asiata] and Jerick [McKinnon], and those guys do a great job. Jerick [McKinnon] can make big plays out on the perimeter with the ball in his hands. I just did not imagine it going this way today.

Q: Now that you are back, are you good to go next week against Green Bay?

A: Yeah, I am planning on going. That is my mindset going forward.

Q: Did you imagine after that hot start to the season, the team not making the playoffs?

A: No, I did not imagine that happening. I know how it can go through the season; it can switch on you.  Unfortunately that is what has happened to us, but we are just going to continue to fight. There is still opportunity that I am holding on to.

Q: What switched?

A: I don't know. We came out flat those first couple series, and could not get anything going. Offensively for them, they were able to run the clock down on us and score points as well, and that really hurt us. I think on both sides of the ball we are very disappointed in how we played today. 

Q: Knowing you basically had to win out to make the playoffs, you want to control what you can do. What do you say to the guys with this loss in hand to keep them going these last couple of games?

A: Just keep fighting. There is a good game tonight that is going to happen, and I will be rooting for the Cowboys. We need to focus on winning these next two games, and we will see how things pan out.

Q: What exactly happened on the fumble?

A: I remember pushing with my left arm, and as I went down the ball got loose. I don't know if someone hit it out, but it was a poor job by me with ball security.

Q: The offense only had the ball for six and a half minutes in the first half, that is probably opposite of what you would anticipate with you coming back.

A: Yeah, offensively you would think that, to create more drives and get things going. Their defense came in and made good plays, and we were struggling early on. They made good plays and before we knew it we were down by 24 points. That happened quick, down by 17 really quick. That changed the game plan. You are no longer (able to) and run the ball and create long drives, and they did that to us.

Q: The first couple of drives, was it difficult to get first downs and getting you into a game?

A: I don't think it's challenging. It is about every guy doing their job and being productive when those opportunities come in the run game. There are a couple things I could have done better, and I am sure the offensive line feels the same and passing the ball as well. So for whatever reason we were not clicking, and it was too late for us to get into that rhythm. Our approach initially was to be mix run with the pass, but we had to get away from it.

Q: What are thoughts on Frank Gore, at 33, gaining 100 yards today?

A: I have to tip my hat to him. He is a guy I have been watching since Miami, and I always loved his running style and the way he has overcome adversity with injuries. He has been playing in this league for a long time. He is in the top 10. He has been playing in the league a long time, so it is not surprising even against our strong defense that he gained 100 yards.

Vikings Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn

I know it sounds like a broken record, but we keep saying that we keep shooting ourselves in the foot, and I don't want to hear that anymore. We have to live and learn from that, and we're not doing that as a team. We didn't play well at all.

Q: Do you think guys started to do too much after getting behind early?

A: Maybe so. We got behind and those guys controlled the game. They did a great job, had a great scheme going and they executed.

Q: Given what was at stake today, how does this even happen?

A: I don't know. I'm lost for words. Like you said, there was a lot at stake, to make the playoffs, to make this push, to get to our ultimate goal, and to go lay an egg like this, I'm lost for words. I don't know.

Q: Did the effort level feel the same as it normally does?

A: No. I felt like we just came out lackadaisical, like we were just going to get this win. Like they were going to read our name or look at the stats and lay down for us, that we have a good football team and a good defense and just lay down. I doesn't work like that. You still have to show up and play football.

Q: You had to win out in order to make the playoffs. How do you keep it going?

A: You definitely have to keep it going. You have to play with some pride and try to get this thing fixed. We can't control anything but what we can do in this locker room, and going out and trying to finish the season strong.

Q: How surprised are you at what happened today?

A: I'm definitely surprised, because I know the work that we put in during the offseason and I know the work that we put in during the week. To come up here like this today was definitely embarrassing. I'm definitely surprised. I really can't put words for how I feel right now. We just didn't play well.

Q: Do you guys still have any hope? You guys aren't technically eliminated yet.

A: If we play like this, I don't know what to say. We just got to try to keep pushing forward and see what happens in Lambeau.

Vikings Defensive Tackle Linval Joseph

Q: Are you surprised at what happened today? You had Adrian Peterson coming back, and had momentum from last week's win.

A: It happened pretty fast. We will have to look at film and figure out what we need to do to win the next two.

Q: What happened with the uncharacteristic penalties on the line today? Just miscues or miscommunication?

A: A little bit of everything, trying to do too much. Penalties lose games, and we had too much today. Next week we have to rally back.

Q: Why do you think you were not able to get the pressure on Andrew Luck as you guys hoped to get?

A: They get paid too, and they had a good game plan. They got the ball out fast, they had a good plan, and you cannot take that away from them.

Q: Knowing that you guys had to win out to keep your playoff hopes alive, how does this make you guys feel?

A: You never want to lose, and right now we have two games left and we have to do the best we can do.

Q: Is it hard to keep your spirits up?

A: Not really, you cannot win them all, but to lose like this, you still have two games to win out. Just for pride, just for ourselves. We'll see how everything rolls out, but then end of the day we have two games left, and we need to win these last two.

Q: What did Coach Zimmer say to you guys after the game?

A: That we have two games, and have to see where we stand. We have to play with heart and finish strong.

Vikings Guard Alex Boone

*Q:  What is the feeling like knowing you had to win out and seeing it all go? *

A:  You can't blame anyone else.  It is not one of those situations where you win out and things don't go your way.  We have to look at ourselves and say we just didn't do it.  From here it is very uphill and it is going to be hard.  We need to be critical and focus on what we need to do and do our own job.

Q:  What did you see from Adrian Peterson in this game?

A: He was just running hard.  That is the one thing you love about him.  We just did not see enough of him because we fell behind early.  It fell on the offense because we were not converting third downs.  Also, when you go three three-and outs to start the game and two turnovers it is not going to be a good day for anyone.  We need to put on our big boy pants and be tough about it. Q: How surprising is it starting off 5-0 and being where you are now?

A: It is almost unbelievable to some point because of the way we started, but at the end of the day we need to take a hard look in the mirror.  It is not on anybody but us and it is frustrating to the point you want to break everything in sight because we have so much talent on this team and we know what we can do.  We have done it for five games to start the season and now we're just stalling out.  Next week were going into a hostile environment where the Packers have something to play for and so do we.

Vikings Safety Andrew Sendejo

Q: What was Coach Zimmer's message after the game?

A: We didn't necessarily talk about all that. We're just disappointed with the performance. We got two left. We got to go into Green Bay next week and we definitely can't play the way we did today.* *

Q: Would you say you guys are putting too much pressure on yourselves?

A: I can't speak for everybody. I know that we've been preaching a lot lately just not to do too much, just to do your job. I think we had that mentality going in. We just didn't do well enough.

Q: How hard is it going against Andrew Luck with two key players in your secondary out?

A: Those guys are definitely a big part of this defense but other guys come in and step up, it's what we've done this whole year. We've got guys banged up all over the place and we've had guys come in and step up all the time. 12 (Andrew Luck) is a great quarterback. They had a good game plan, played well and out-executed us. 

Q: A lot of guys said the performance felt flat. Did you feel that way? If so, when did you get that feeling?

A: It's always flat when you're losing by that much. You just try to stay positive and keep fighting. You never know in a game what can happen. Defensively, we were just in the huddle saying, 'keep fighting, don't lay down for these guys.' Like I said, we didn't perform well today. We've got to correct the mistakes and next week we'll try and go in and get a win.