*Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer *

Q: Is there anything besides a victory that you're looking to see from the team this week?

A: No.  

Q: How much will the relationship between Sam Bradford and Pat Shurmur play into the decision to bring Pat back or not?

A: I don't know. My plan is, what I'm going to do is sit down, take a few days. I'm going to work but I'm going to sit down, take a few days and kind of refresh everything in my mind. Then I'll make all kinds of decisions and evaluate a lot of different things. But I'm not going to worry about it right now. I don't want to make any rash decisions on anything. I don't want to linger from whatever happens Sunday or the past Sunday or the season. I want to take a fresh, new look at everything.

Q: What do you like about what you've seen from the offense under Pat?

A: Well that the statistics since he's taken over are a lot better, number one. I keep a list of statistics from when he started and prior to that. Most every area has improved. If that's what you're asking. I don't know.

Q: How much of that is his influence versus matchups and players executing better?

A: Right now, I don't really look at it. I'm going to go back through every game, everything. There's so many things at the end of the season. I've got a long laundry list, I guess it is.

Q: Does it make it harder to assess given the amount of injuries to the offense?

A: Everybody has injuries, I get it. Does it make it a little more difficult? Maybe. My feeling is that part of coaching is finding ways to do things and finding ways to overcome your deficiencies. That kind of thing.   

Q: What has been the biggest disappointment since the 5-0 start?

A: Our record. There's a lot of things I have to look at from there. After the bye week, what happened? Thursday night games, Sunday night games, Saturday games, the week after those games. There's a lot of different things. I'm going to look at a lot of stuff. I'm not looking for excuses but a year ago, we were 4-2 in games decided by six points or less and this year we're 2-4. It's things like that. We're ahead in ball games at the end and we didn't win. Fourth quarter we're ahead in games whereas a year ago that's what we did. Really that's the difference in all the teams. Sug [Eric Sugarman] and I were talking, you look at the teams that were in the Super Bowl last year or NFC Championship game or whoever and they've had disappointing years as well. But the teams that maintain and sustain the things that they've done, those are the teams that I have to look at even more and find out why they're sustaining good things as opposed to what we did this year.

Q: Was there concern after the Chicago game that things could be turning the wrong direction?

A: No, I didn't, no. There's always going to be, during the season, highs and lows and things like that. Did I think we'd be 2-8 or whatever it is after the Chicago game? No. I really don't think the team lost confidence, I didn't lose confidence. Our penalties were up this year, our pre-snap penalties were up especially. Offensive penalties were up this year. There's a lot of things to evaluate and try and figure out why. Home penalties were up this year, although we had more penalties at home the last two years than we did on the road. So, I don't know. Those are all things after the season that I'll evaluate.

Q: Is the home field advantage what you had hoped it would be?

A: I think our fans are great and I think the stadium is unbelievable. But we haven't won enough games. To make it a home field advantage, you have to win.  

Q: Are you pleased with the way Sam Bradford has performed this season?

A: Yeah, I think, honestly, if you sat back and looked at all the things – being traded, trying to learn a new system, having a new coach, having to learn teammates – all these things that he's had to deal with. Injuries on offense. I thought he's done an unbelievable job. He's got a chance to break a NFL record for completion percentage. His quarterback rating is the highest it's been in his career. Maybe this is the best year he's ever had. If you put all those together and look at the things he's had to deal with, I think he's been amazing. 

Q: Do you think a player can improve in his second season with the team?

A: I think, and I'm not specifically talking about him, I think when you bring in a free agent, which basically that's what he was, he was brought in very late, obviously. But when you bring a free agent in, typically, they're a lot better their second year than their first year. You can go through a lot of the guys that we have on this team that were free agents and in their second year they played much, much better than they did the first year. Because they get more comfortable in the system, they understand things more, they understand how we do things. I think in his case, yes.* *

Q: How has he done becoming the voice players hear in the huddle and becoming a leader after coming in so late?

A: Yeah, I don't think he has pushed it at all. I think Sam just tries to be himself, which is fine with me, and you can be a 'raw raw' guy and not perform or guys don't listen to you. Being a leader, there's a lot of different ways to be a leader, and I'm fine with the way he does it.

Q: What stood out to you about the receiving corps this year?

A: I don't know. That'll be another evaluation thing at the end of the year.

Q: You've got a couple guys that have a chance to get 1,000 receiving yards. Is that something you might push for in this game?

A: I'm not into individual awards. That's not … I was talking to somebody today. They were asking me about Danielle Hunter, and everything we do is about the team. So, his sacks, a lot of them are based because Everson Griffen had good rushes and allowed him to make plays, or Tom Johnson or B-Rob [Brian Robison]. Everson's sack total is down a little bit. Last year, it was up a little bit. I know everybody wants to get individual sacks, individual awards, because they get more recognition and all that kind of thing, but that's not what we're about there. Honestly, we're about the team. If they get 1,000 yard, pat them on the back. 'Yay, great.' You should thank the quarterback or the offensive line or somebody, the tight end for helping you, or whatever.

Q: Are you surprised by what Adam Thielen has been able to do this year?

A: I don't know. I guess that's another evaluation thing. Adam's a good player, and he plays hard and makes plays. He's very competitive. I have high expectation for everybody.

Q: This might be another evaluation, but what do you think has enabled Kyle Rudolph to have the season he has had, arguably his best season?

A: Well, he has stayed healthy. So, I think that's part of it. I think, Kyle, when he has stayed healthy throughout his career, has had good seasons.

Q: You didn't plan to use this game as an opportunity to see younger players. Is that still your thinking?

A: What'd he just ask me? (Reporter: At the start? You said you just want to win.) *Bingo. *(Reporter: OK.)

*Vikings Quarterback Sam Bradford *

Q: Is it too early for you to start to reflect on how the season has gone for you with the new team and being thrown into the fire so quickly?

A: Kind of like I have said all year, until the season is over, there is just not much time to sit around and think about that. Our focus, my focus, is on Chicago this week. So, I would say it's probably is a little early to get into that stuff.

Q: In terms of losing eight of the last 10 after the 5-0 start, what do you look at? What's the biggest disappointment over what's transpired over the last two months?

A: Obviously, there has been a lot of disappointments when you go through a stretch like that. I still think, like I said after the Green Bay game, when you look at a lot of those games, I think there were too many self-inflicted wounds. I think we made too many mistakes and kind of put ourselves behind the eight ball, and we just weren't able to overcome. You look at what we were able to do in those first five games, when we started 5-0, we weren't making those mistakes. They started to show up, and they started to compound, and we just weren't able to get over the hump when we did make those mistakes. And I think that's a big reason we are where we are right now.

Q: Before the season, you talked about how you were looking for stability with your career, being in the same place with the same coordinator. Do you feel settled in here?

A: Yeah, honestly I really haven't even thought about that. Obviously, I think for me, the past I don't know how many weeks it has been, just being with Pat [Shurmur] I think has been great just because we have worked together before. Like I've said, I think we have a really good relationship and feel for each other. So, just the fact that we've been able to get back together and play in that offense, I think that has been enjoyable. I have really enjoyed my time with him.

Q: Would you like to see Pat Shurmur come back next year as the full-time offensive coordinator and get that interim tag removed?

A: Yeah. I'm all for it. Obviously, me and Pat have been together. We were together my rookie year. We were together in Philadelphia. Like I said, I just really enjoy working with him. I think he has a great mind. I've learned a lot from him. I owe a lot to Pat, and it has been really fun getting back and having him call the plays

Q: What do you think you've proven this season?

A: I don't know. Like I said, I really haven't thought about it. I think right now, obviously, we're trying to move on to Chicago, trying to finish this year strong, finish on a good note, because obviously, the past eight to 10 weeks just haven't gone as we would've liked.

Q: Are you aware of how close Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are to 1,000 yards, and if so, would that give you a little motivation to see them to get that?

A: Yeah, obviously that's a great milestone for any receiver to hit. So, those guys have been productive all year which is the nice thing. I don't think we have to go into this game plan and try to force them the ball or try to get them their touches, just because that's what they've done all year. But, it would be nice to see those guys get to that 1,000-yard mark.* *

Q: That process for a quarterback of becoming the leader of a team and having your voice be the one everyone listens to, how has that process gone for you as you've gotten to know these guys and gotten into that role?

A: Yeah, it has been great. I've said it from day one, that locker room has embraced me, which I think made my transition so much easier, because I think it was tough for me to, obviously, come into a new locker room and not really know anyone. Obviously, it's tough for them to have a guy come in the week of the regular season and play quarterback. It's just a different dynamic, but they've been great. They welcomed me with open arms from the beginning, and I feel like each week that I have been here, I've gotten more comfortable around the guys, gotten more comfortable in the locker room and can kind of be myself, which I think that has been, really, a fun process to be a part of.* *

Q: If you could pick on thing in the offense that you wish would have gone better this year, what would it be?

A: That we scored more points. I think that's pretty obvious.

Q: You mentioned starting to feel more comfortable locker room. Is there a point when that really changed, or was that a gradual process?

A: I'm not sure if there was one moment where I was like, 'Man, I finally feel like myself and feel comfortable.' I think it just kind of happened over time. I think any relationships, all relationships, they take time to develop. You have to spend time with each other. You have to communicate. And so, I think just being around the building, being in the huddle, going out there and playing on Sundays with those guys, that's when you learn a lot about each other, and I think each week, it just kind of continued to grow.