Mike Zimmer talks facing Seahawks, abiding by COVID-19 protocols
Mike Zimmer spoke Wednesday about facing the Seahawks, managing Dalvin Cook's workload and the importance of abiding by COVID-19 guidelines.
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings head west this Sunday to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. The Vikings are facing MVP candidate Russell Wilson, and a 4-0 Seahawks squad that’s one of the best in the NFL right now.
It’s a huge opportunity for the Vikings to build on the momentum of going on the road last week, and beating the Houston Texans 31-23. As he does every week, Mike Zimmer addressed reporters Wednesday on a variety of topics. Here are a few takeaways from what he had to say.
No 12th man at CenturyLink Field Sunday
The Seahawks have one of the greatest home field advantages in the NFL, with the “12th man” at CenturyLink Field making it incredibly difficult for opposing offenses to communicate. That won’t be the case Sunday, due the COVID-19 pandemic. There won’t be any fans in the stands Sunday night. The lack of atmosphere hasn’t been an issue yet. The Seahawks beat the Patriots 35-30 in Week 2, and the Cowboys 38-31 in Week 3. This will be Seattle’s third home game in four weeks.
“They’re a good football team, that’s why they’re hard to play whether it’s in Seattle and the fans, they’ve got great fans there and they’re very loud,” Zimmer said. “Trying to prepare for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, all the guys they have makes it a challenge in itself.”
Is the best defense having the ball?
We’re four weeks into the season, and Russell Wilson is playing at an MVP level. Wilson is third in the NFL with 1,285 yards passing through four games, leads the NFL with 16 touchdowns and in yards per attempt (9.4) with at least 100 passes thrown. He’s also completed 75.2 percent of his throws, and has a 136.7 passer rating through four games.
The Vikings are beat up with injuries on defense, and have a young secondary. So is the best defense for the Vikings dominating the time of possession, keeping Wilson and the Seahawks’ offense on the sideline?
“I want to be whatever it is that we have more points than them. They’re very explosive, obviously we prefer to control the ball and control the time of possession,” Zimmer said. “Seattle’s recipe for success has always been turnover margin, so it’s going to be very important for us that we take care of the football and try to win that battle first.”
How to manage Dalvin Cook’s workload
It’s clear through four weeks: The Vikings’ offense goes as Dalvin Cook goes. Through four games, Cook leads the NFL in rushing with 424 yards, and is fourth in attempts with 75. His six rushing touchdowns also lead the NFL. The Vikings made him a priority before the 2020 season starting, signing him to a 5-year contract extension for about $63 million, with #25 million guaranteed.
But in the first two games, Cook had a combined 26 carries. In the Week 3 loss, Cook had 22 carries for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown. Last week, he had 27 carries for 130 yards and two scores. The more Cook gets the ball, the better the offense looks. But with his injury history, they also have to be careful. They also need him in the game in crunch time.
“We try to spot him throughout the course of a ballgame. But when it gets to the end of the game, we’ve got to get Dalvin in there,” Zimmer said.
‘This whole year has been about adaptation’
There’s been nothing normal about the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A completely virtual off-season, no OTAs, no minicamp, no preseason and a very different training camp. Last week, they had to evacuate TCO Performance Center after the Tennessee Titans, their most recent opponent at the time, had an outbreak.
Vikings players and staff were tested twice daily last week, had one false positive and three other inconclusive tests before being cleared to play the Texans. Things are back to “normal” this week, whatever that means. Zimmer addressed with his team Wednesday morning why it’s so crucial to follow protocols.
The Titans continue to have players test positive, Cam Newton tested positive and games have either had to be postponed or reschedule due to COVID-19 concerns. Even President Donald Trump tested positive.
“I think they understand the significance of all the different things that can happen. You look at the Pentagon, they got it. The White House has got it, NFL has got it. It’s a crazy time. Like I told them today, just trying to keep them safe, their families safe and do the best job we can to fight this virus,” Zimmer said. “This whole year has been about adaptation. Last week was completely different. It’s been difficult, but we’re not going to cry about it.”
Zimmer would love nothing more than to just have to plan for the Seahawks this Sunday, but that’s not the reality of the NFL in 2020.