Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer
We are excited to get back to U.S. Bank Stadium and end the season on a good note against a good Bears team. Get our crowd into it and play good football this Sunday at noon.
Q. How tough was it for Mike Hughes to not have a training camp and how far has he come since returning?
A. That is a long term question. I have to think back. He is a very conscientious kid. For him to miss that time, obviously, was big. OTAs as well. He is very conscientious, he asks a lot of questions. He wants to be really detailed about his work and he continues to be that way each and every day. I feel like he is feeling much better with it. I think he is still asking a lot of questions about what he should be doing and how he should be doing and things like that.
Q. What are some of the traits that make Cordarrelle Patterson a great kickoff returner?
A. He's got great speed. He has great size. He runs real hard, really physical runner. Can really accelerate through creases.
Q. What has impressed you about Eric Wilson and his play in his third year?
A. Eric has done a great job. He is a smart guy. He can do a lot of things. He is pretty good at blitzing. He is pretty good in coverage. I think he's done a nice job of playing the run. He continually every year to take a bigger step.
Q. Will Sean Mannion start at quarterback Sunday?
A. I don't know.
Q. Has this week been unique at this point in your career to consider some things that maybe you haven't in years past?
A. Yeah. It is always a catch-22 because you always want to go out and you always want to play well. These guys like to play. You don't want to get anybody hurt. You want to start focusing on the new season that is coming up here in a week. There has been a lot of consternation, I guess, on trying to figure everything out.
Q. Have you listened to Alex Boone's local radio show in town?
A. No.
Q. What maybe didn't work out as well as you hoped with Alex Boone?
A. I'm not going to talk about Alex Boone or anybody else. I am going to talk about this game and these players.
Q. When you are trying to figure out how much to play backups when you don't have that many reserves to fall on?
A. Yeah, it makes it difficult because, again, you are trying to be smart with them and you don't have the full complement. When the score is up on the board, it matters. So all of those things are considerations.
Q. Is there a minimum number of players that you realistically can play in a regular season game if you sit some guys out?
A. I guess 22. 11 and 11.
