And just like that, it's on to San Francisco.
Following the Vikings upset of the Saints in overtime Sunday, linebacker Anthony Barr allowed himself and the team only a handful of hours to revel in the win.
"We'll enjoy it until we get home and then get back to work," Barr said.
The Vikings are forced to turn the page quickly on a short week, during which they'll prep for Saturday's Divisional round game against the 49ers. Kickoff is set for 3:35 p.m. (CT).
Minnesota knows all too well the pain of falling short after a big win, and the team doesn't intend to take its foot off the gas.
Two years ago, the Vikings defeated the Saints with a walk-off touchdown by Stefon Diggs to advance to the NFC Championship but played poorly at Philadelphia the following week. Head Coach Mike Zimmer did not shy away from the reminder during his postgame locker room speech Sunday afternoon.
"The last time we won in the playoffs in the last second, we didn't play very good the next week," Zimmer told the team. "So, when we come back on Tuesday, we have to be ready to work."
In his session with media members shortly after, Zimmer added, "We've got to get back to work, focus on what we need to do and understand that I might have to be a little grouchy this week."
Monday, rather than the typical Tuesday, is the players' day off, but Zimmer and his coaching staff are hard at work readying for a San Francisco squad that finished the regular season 13-3 and earned a first-round bye.
Saturday will mark 13 days since the 49ers' most-recent game and just six for the Vikings. Defensive end Danielle Hunter emphasized the importance of starting recovery ahead of what promises to be another physical game on the West Coast.
"[We've] gotta get our bodies right and get ready for the game," Hunter said.
Look back at photos over the course of time featuring games between the Vikings and the 49ers.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
An image from September 9, 2018 regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings won 24-16.
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
2019 Divisional Playoff Round
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Vikings receiver Adam Thielen, who made the 43-yard catch from Kirk Cousins to set up Minnesota's final touchdown, assured that he and his teammates are "ready to go" with the quick turnaround. The exhilarating road win bought the Vikings another week, but the No. 1 seed in the conference stands between them and the NFC Championship Game.
Thielen also referenced the January 2018 postseason.
"We've been through this emotional-type of victory before, and we know how we came out that next week, so we've got to make sure that we're dialed in on the plane and looking forward to San Francisco," he said. "The good thing is we know who we're playing, where we're playing and what time we're playing, so now we've got to start preparing against a really good football team."
