Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer
Okay, after watching the tape from yesterday afternoon, I thought really the same things. Defensively, we did much better in the second portion of the game. We had to get up on the receivers a little bit tighter. We were giving too many easy completions there. Offensively, I don't feel like we matched the intensity of their defense and we need to do a better job there. But, saying all that, this team won't be judged in September. In the NFC, the leading team has three wins, so we'll just keep fighting and keep going.
Q: What did you evaluate watching the tape in terms of Kirk Cousins being sacked six times?
A: Well, they overpowered us a few times. Some of them were max protection things and some were others. We need to do a better job. We didn't do a good enough job on our sets. They had some real wide 12-techniques out there and we kind of turned and went out to them, turned too soon, so we need to just clean up some techniques there.
Q: Where did you feel like the offense didn't match the intensity of their defense?
A: They were flying round pretty good, and we could have done a better job of getting after them I think.
Q: In the pass protection, can you pinpoint anything as to why Kirk Cousins has been under more pressure this year through the first four games as far as with the new scheme?
A: No, I wouldn't say there's anything different. Last night, it was this guy got beat, that guy got beat. It was just a different guy every time.
Q: Were there some chances for him to take some more shots down the field when pressure wasn't on?
A: I think he was, what 27 out of 36, so he completed a lot of balls. I think there was times that he might have got rid of it a little too soon. When you're getting pounded a few times, sometimes you've got to take the quick throw.
Q: Was Dalvin Cook not being able to bounce much outside a product him not seeing things or outside runs not being called?
A: No, we had some outside runs called. Like one time, the tight end was coming back and he tripped Riley (Reiff) and Riley fell and the backside cut wasn't there and several things like that. One time on the front side of the play, the guard got knocked back, so it was just a combination of things.
Q: Is there something limiting the amount of explosive plays that could come off play action?
A: I don't know about this year. I know that we had an opportunity early in the game and we didn't hit it. That was off of play action. We had another one the receiver came open a little late, so that was a chance.
Q: How do you evaluate how the offensive line is coming together? You've had success running the ball but it seems like pass protection has been an issue.
A: Yeah, we have to work on it.
Q: How did you feel Mackensie Alexander played in his return?
A: I think there's a couple times he needed to be tighter on the coverage. I think for the most part he did okay.
Q: How is Anthony Harris?
A: I don't know. He's got a little bruise.
Q: Would you like to see Kirk Cousins be more aggressive in the passing game? How can you make a quarterback more perceptive to that when he's getting hit?
A: There's times where you just have to pull the trigger and believe you're going to make the throw. There was times that he got the ball out really good, the one behind Adam (Thielen), just a little bit behind him, he got that ball out good. There was some other ones. We just have to keep working on it.
