*Vikings Interim Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur *

Q: What concerns you about the Jacksonville defense?

A: They're an excellent defense. Again, it starts by the way they play team defense. Same style of defense that you see in places like Seattle and Atlanta. They're very fundamental in the way they play. They don't do a lot. When they go into a game, they'll have a little bit of a game plan for you in certain situations. So, we have to be ready for that. But they're really stout against the run, they've got a lot of good, young talent at all levels of the defense. They've got some good pass rushers. They've got active linebackers. They've got good cover people. So, that makes for a defense that can be very productive.

Q: Are those similar defenses transferable?

A: You kind of diverge away a little bit, schematically. The basic fundamentals of it is very similar. Yeah, it translates.  

Q: Do they play a lot of Cover-Three like Seattle?

A: Yeah, [Cover] three – single safety, kind of post-safety, post single safety type of coverage. It's pretty much their base.

Q: Do teams still have to establish the run?

A: You have to be able to run the football. I think, number one, it's important for your offense. It's also important for your team. Because there's a ball control component to it. You can never lose sight of the fact that you need to score points. However you do that, running or throwing. It's important that you establish some form of a balance and that includes running the football, whatever balance that may be.

Q: What did you lose when Joe Berger wasn't able to play?

A: Well, I think when Joe was in there he did a good job of directing us. He's a very veteran guy that has played well for many years. So, when a guy like that leaves, I played center myself so I know the importance of being able to go in there and direct things. I thought Nick [Easton] did a good job by replacing Joe and he'll be one week better this week.

Q: What are your thoughts on Sam getting out of the pocket and using his legs?

A: Well, I think Sam doesn't really get credit for being able to move around much because a lot of time he doesn't. He's got a good set of legs on him and he uses them well in terms of being able to run. We called some nakeds that got him outside of the pocket intentionally. Then you saw the other night when he was able to escape the pocket and make plays. Those are really damaging to the defense. They feel like they've got you and then all of a sudden you're out making plays with your feet. I think Sam has the ability to do that. Sometimes it's designed and sometimes it's forced. We had both scenarios the other night.

Q: Is there a tendency to expand or narrow the playbook when a team is having trouble scoring?

A: I think each team presents different problems. The matchups are different each week and so you try to do what you can to score against the team you're playing. Certainly our only concern is this week against Jacksonville. As you go through and you evaluate our ability to score, you'd like to be able to score on big plays, if you can. When you get in the red zone or when you march it down the field, we've just got to be a little better and be more efficient when we get down there. We can't have the errors that we've had when we're in position to score touchdowns. But in terms of expanding or restricting, I think you just have to do what's best for the team that you're playing.

Q: Where have you seen Stefon Diggs improve the most?

A: I think he improves every day. He's still a very young player. There's some situations that he's going to face throughout this year and maybe next year that he hasn't seen before. So, I think from a situational standpoint I've seen him improve. He's a very competitive guy. He's had to fight through injury this year which you have to do as a pro. But, he's got the ability to make plays. I think that's the thing that we appreciate about him. It's good for us when he touches the ball.

Q: If Nick Easton has to play, where would you like to see him improve?

A: Well, we'll just have to see the final lineup here. I think anytime you do things more than once, especially when you're doing it for the first time, you see great improvements. I think if there were errors made, he'll be able to correct them and move on. They're sometimes magnified at center because you're directing the whole unit. But he's a very competitive guy, he's good in the run game. He did a good job of directing us in terms of the pass protection. Like all players, every once in awhile there's a break down. As you play more, it's important that you become more consistent, do more things right and less things wrong. That's sort of what we'd look for in him.

Q: Have you ever seen this many offensive line injuries in one season?

A: I haven't really taken the time to add them up. We've had quite a few. I think the thing that's important is you can't really dwell on that. That's probably in the offseason, we'll sit down and talk about that. We like the players that we have. We have pro football players on our roster and guys we trust. The challenge is to get whoever's ready to play, ready to play. That's how we're moving forward.

*Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer *

Good afternoon. So, a little homecoming of sorts for me. I was stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville when I was flying helicopters prior to the Jaguars even having a team. So, it was a long time ago. I'm dating myself. My wife and I had our first apartment there after we got married. My oldest daughter, Samantha, was born there back in 1993. So, a lot of good memories, and then my very first NFL job was with Coach [Tom] Coughlin with the Jacksonville Jaguars in, I want to say, 2002. So, a lot of good memories. Hopefully we can keep some more good memories after this Sunday.

Q: What do you remember about joining Tom Coughlin's staff?

A: I learned a lot about how the league worked. I had, really … My dad was coaching in the NFL at the time, and I really didn't know how it all worked, like the game day roster, in terms of the draft and free agency and all that stuff. I just didn't get into it. I was coaching in college. I had more important things to be concerned about, but I know Coach Coughlin was a – he's still a mentor of mine. I learned a lot from [him] and his staff. John Bonamego was my first special teams coordinator that I worked for. I was an assistant special teams coach at the time and just learned about the league, knowing that I thought I knew a little bit an out the game. I didn't know anything about the game when I first got there. So, hopefully I've learned a little bit over the years, but Coach Coughlin was a … I owe him a lot. He kept me in the league, or got me in the league, and then he kept me in the league when he came to New York a couple years later.

Q: Some people are making comparisons to what you're trying to do now and what the team did in 2012 these last four games. What do you remember about the 2012 season?

A: I remember we were 6-6, and I think we played Chicago to start the series off, those four-games set, and we knew what we had to do. I know Adrian [Peterson] was having a great year. We were playing really well on special teams, and it all came together for us. That's really what has to happen here the next four weeks. We have to … I don't care who you play in the league. You can [win] on any given day. Obviously, everybody knows that. It doesn't matter who you play or where you play. It's going to be a dog fight, and special teams-wise, we know we have to show up. I've been talking to our guys this week. We continue to talk about it this week that we have to play well in every phase to help our football team win the field position battle, scoring points on field goal, hopefully limiting their opportunities with our field goal block unit. But, that was a great run. It was a great run, and we can hope to replicate that.* *

Q: Coach Zimmer was talking a little bit yesterday and today about guys knowing what they are and what they're not. Especially in context of returns, was that one of those moments with Adan Thielen's fumble?

A: And I told our guys that. I'm going to take part of the blame there, because I'm a very aggressive coach my nature. I'm a very aggressive person by nature, and that's the way we coach it. Adam [Thielen] may not be Marcus Sherels, and maybe he's not Devin Hester. We all know that, but Adam Thielen is a darn good returner. And we made a mistake. We thought we had that type of mistake corrected. The week before, he had a similar type of [mistake]. He landed similarly against Detroit, and it was just a case of not him not knowing who he is. I think he knows who he is, and he's a very good football player. And he has been great on special teams over the years for us. It was a just a mistake that hopefully he has learned from. We've got to eliminate that. We can't have turnovers. We can't have the two penalties we had on KOR [kickoff return], and we needed to punt better, to be honest with you. And we would have had a chance to win that game the other night, but we've moved on from that game. We're on to the next opponent, and we've got to go get a win.

Q: Jeff Locke has had such a good year. What was it about his day?

A: It started with he had a poor drop on the first one, and then he had a poor leg swing on the next one. It was kind of a perfect storm. Things were going bad, and we thought he had it corrected at halftime. We talked about it at halftime, what needed to be done, shortened his approach and going back to the basics. And he did have two really good punts, and we ended up having three inside the 20-[yard line]. But, like you said, he's having a great year. We had an opportunity to pin them inside the 20, I think, five or six time, which would have been a phenomenal night for Jeff. He has done that for us this year, and that's what we needed him to punt. We need to punt like we did earlier in the year, or most of the year, on Sunday afternoon to beat Jacksonville.

Q: How has Marcus Sherels looked in practice?

A: He has been good. He catches the ball off the Jugs [machine]. Those balls – I think, when Paul Tagliabue was the commissioner, I think we were using footballs from back then. So, those balls are like rock solid, rock hard, but he has done a good job at practice. He's very much involved in the game plan. He has taken several of the reps in practice. So, we hope to have him on Sunday.

Q: You talked about how Jacksonville helped mold you as a coach. Last week, did you learn anything or teach anything to yourself about yourself?

A: I learned a lot. It was a great opportunity. I was honored to represent this football team. It's under difficult circumstances with Coach Zim and his eye. I was just, again, I was honored to be asked to do that, first of all, especially to lead a team – even if it was only for 24 hours – to lead a team like we have. It was a great experience. It's one I'll never forget. One of these days, I hope to have the opportunity to do that again down the road, but I think the key is having a great staff around you. We had a phenomenal – the guys were great. The rest of the coaches were great; I know I said that after the game. The players were phenomenal. I just wish we would have played better on special teams, and I think we would have had a chance to win that game. But, with penalties and different things that happened during the game, you limit yourself and limit the chance to win a game like that when you play a great team like Dallas.

Q: Obviously, Coach Zimmer is not 100 percent back. Do you envision any addition responsibilities beyond special teams this week?

A: For myself? *(Reporter: Yeah.) *No. They haven't talked to me about that. I don't think so. I think he's back. He has been doing his normal head coaching duties and working with defense and getting on me about the penalties from last week, as he should. He's being a head coach. I think he's fine.

Q: Do you expect him to be on the field then?

A: As far as I know, to be honest with you. They haven't told me one way or the other. I'm just going to go business as usual. I've got enough problems of my own.

Q: With all the injuries this team has endured, Zimmer missing a game and Norv Turner resigning, how do you guys as a staff keep the players together and focused throughout all the adversity you have faced?

A: It's one of those things I think is about attitude. We've got a really good locker room, and I think the coaches lead and the players follow. And then the players in the locker room that are leaders, they lead the younger guys, and I think you come to work every day with a smile on your face and enthusiastic and say, 'We've got to get after it. Today's a new day.' We're all very fortunate to coach and play in the NFL, and when they have those opportunities to go out and practice and continue to get better, you've got to make the most of them. And I think that has been the message from the head coach on down: 'Hey, we've got to take advantage of every opportunity we have.' I know Coach Zim has talked this week about our backs are against the wall. We've got to go get a win, and we get a win on Sunday, and then hopefully the sky's the limit. We've just got to keep it rolling from there, but we've got to go get this one first.

Q: It seems like as of late, Kentrell Brothers has shown up in a couple special teams plays. What have you seen from him as a player that has been able to help you guys?

A: Yeah, Kentrell was a young man that came in, and you knew how athletic he was. He's a very good football player, and he obviously had a very good college career at Missouri. He wasn't quite ready at the beginning of the season. That's why he was inactive there for a few weeks, and you kind of saw it on the show team. And I tell these guys all the time on the scout team – we call them the show teams – you need to show up on those and use our techniques and do what you're asked to do and give us a great look, and then you'll get noticed. It was two weeks in a row, he really started … He wasn't being a scout team All-American. He wasn't doing things out of the ordinary, but he was doing his job at a high level, and that's exactly what we ask these young men to do. And I thought he did a really good job, I think – I can't remember what his first game was – it was his first game dressing for us, but we knew once we got a hold of him, once he was going to be on the active 46, then we were going to have somebody special. And I think he has only going to get better, and I think every rep … I know he lost contain on a punt against Arizona, and he knew the mistake that he made; and that should never happen to him again, because he's very intelligent. Football is very important to him, and he's a good football player.

Q: With this offense and the margin for error for this team, does it put more pressure on special teams to create plays?

A: I think since I've been here, I've always had the attitude of we need to go out and make plays, and I tell our team all the time, 'Make a difference on Sunday, and make a difference in a positive way.' If it's a 20-yard return that gives the offense the ball at the 50, we go down and score like we did against Arizona, or we have a kickoff return for a touchdown, like we did in the same game, or we punt then down inside the five-yard line and we get a safety on the next play like against Carolina. Make a difference a positive fashion, and let the chips fall where they may. Again, I don't worry about the offense or defense. I'm just trying to do my job and help our guys do their job and have great complementary football. So, that has been my attitude, to be honest with you, since I've been here.

*Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards *

*Coming off of a tough loss at home we've really moved on to Jacksonville and working on them. Just going through them offensively, good quarterback who can scramble. He can throw it, stay alive in the pocket and he's got the ability to escape down the field and run. He's got a lot of yards rushing. Running back-wise they've actually done pretty good. I know they've been banged up at the position. But, (Chris) Ivory has done a good job for them all year and switching in and out the different backs that they have by committee has been beneficial to them in the run game. I know they've had some injuries at the tight end position, but still we have to be careful with the matchup there. Then outside at receiver they do an excellent job of body positioning on non-stops, non-goes and those type of deals outside. So, we'll have our work cut out for us this week. *

Q: From a scrambling perspective is there anybody that reminds you of Blake Bortles?

A: I don't like to get into comparisons, but he's got the ability to not only be efficient running the ball down the field, but he makes guys miss. He'll escape up inside. He'll come outside. So, we'll have to do an excellent job with our front in the rush lanes because that's the problem when you get a scrambling quarterback. If he can keep it alive and keep moving the sticks on third down, then that'll be critical for us. We've got to do a great job of understanding that as far as our linebackers, as far as our front, as far as their rushing lanes and where we've got to fit complementary off of that. And staying in the coverage down the field for when guys try adjust their route once he does start to scramble because he will scramble and throw it and he can also run with the football.

Q: What have you seen from Anthony Harris?

A: He's played for us. He's had to start games for us. I think schematically he understands what it is we're trying to accomplish and everything we're expecting out of the position. So, right now going through the week of preparation with the different packages that he's involved in just looking for him to keep getting better as we go through the week. We think he'll go out and execute what we're trying to get done.

Q: When you play an offense that turns the ball over like they do, how does it affect your game plan?

A: Well, we've been very fortunate, our guys, one thing they do is run to the football and created turnovers for us throughout the course of the year. So, that's been and big emphasis for us at the start of the year and we've been pretty consistent at it through the year. Really we just have to make sure that you're doing your job and those things is how you finish. Our guys do a good job of finishing at the ball. Hopefully, we'll have the opportunity to create some turnovers this weekend and force them into some bad decisions because of the coverage, because of the rush. It's a combination of everything working together to be able to get those. It's definitely a turning point in the game. It's critical to winning and losing. It's definitely an emphasis going in that we'll try to accomplish.

Q: What kind of loss is it if Harrison Smith can't play?

A: Harrison Smith has been a consistent player that we've had on defense this whole season. What he brings to us defensively, it'll be missed if he's out. But, again we just work with the guys that we've got at practice and preparation. Just getting them ready within the different packages for what we're expecting to do. We expect them to be able to rise up and be able to do the jobs that we ask them to do. And help us to be successful in what we're trying to accomplished. So, yeah, Harrison is going to be missed. But, we're just looking for him to work to get back. There's no doubt about it as tough as he is and the mindset that he has we know he'll be working to get back. But, in the meantime we've got to get the guys here prepared and ready to go.   

Q: How does that change what you can do defensively?

A: Well, from our safety position of course you've seen Harrison (Smith) blitz. You've seen him in the half field. You've seen him in the middle of the field. You've seen him down covering tight ends matchup-wise. We're going to do a lot of those things. We're not going to change some of the criteria. It's just about how much and how the matchups are from what teams are trying to do week-to-week. So, our biggest things is trying to get our guys in the most advantageous position for us all to be successful.

Q: Is Anthony Harris is close to being as versatile as Harrison Smith?

A: I think what you'll see us do with Anthony, I can't tell you exactly what we're going to do. I think you'll see a skill set when he's made a play. He's be down in the box. He's blitzed off the outside edge. We've seen him in the middle of the field. We've seen him matchup and have to cover. So, a lot of similar things and that's what we do from watching those matchups from week-to-week and what we're asking people to do.

Q: What makes Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr such a good duo?

A: I think their familiarity with each other. Their communication because they've done it so much together. Understanding pass-offs because that's critical in underneath coverage. Then their god given talent to be able to matchup underneath with backs, with tight ends and even sometimes with receivers. The whole thing is understanding leverage, understanding what you're trying to get accomplished and what offenses are trying to do to us. When they get caught in those critical matchups they've been able to be successful because they're being able to use their ability and understand what it is we're trying to get accomplished.

Q: Did you tell Coach Zimmer that you'd handle defensive play calling now?

A: (Laughter) No, we're glad he's back. He was great in preparation last week and same thing this week. You know, as far as the preparation and getting ready to go play, that's been our main focus and concentration.