EAGAN - Mike Zimmer said after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Chicago Bears Sunday that he was going to have some dinner at home, drink some red wine and sit back as the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks played to determine Minnesota’s playoff destination.
For whatever the reason, Zimmer said he was in bed asleep when Russell Wilson and the Seahawks came one inch short of a comeback win over the 49ers. That would’ve sent the Vikings to Seattle, where they already lost 37-30 earlier this season on Monday Night Football. Instead, they’re headed to New Orleans to take on 13-3 Saints.
Zimmer offered a priceless reaction when asked Monday about the 49ers/Seahawks finish.
“I was asleep. Woke up in the middle of the night, got a text saying we’re playing New Orleans on Sunday. Cool, went back to sleep,” Zimmer said.
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Playoff stage set for Minnesota Vikings
With the playoff stage set, the Minnesota Vikings have their eye on the Saints.
Adam Thielen was one of several Vikings starters who had plenty of energy to stay awake for the crazy finish. He was among several players who dressed, but didn’t play in Sunday’s 21-19 loss to the Bears.
Zimmer didn’t want to risk losing a starter or key player to an injury in a game that had no playoff implications for either team. Players want to compete, but keeping starters healthy long-term to give the Vikings the best chance at a playoff run was the top priority.
Thielen, who returned against the Packers after missing the majority of the prior six games with a hamstring injury, called the 49ers/Seahawks finish “pretty wild.”
“This game is crazy, this league is crazy. These games come down to the wire and it’s a game of inches. It came down to that last night, which is fun to watch. Hopefully you’re on the right side of that,” Thielen said.
The Vikings spent Monday watching film, evaluating and turning the page to the Saints.
Zimmer already hears the noise surrounding his team. They have no chance, they’re big underdogs. Odds-makers have the Vikings as eight-point underdogs heading into Sunday’s game in New Orleans, where Drew Brees is 7-1 in his career in the playoffs. Their only playoff loss in the Superdome, to the L.A. Rams, prompted the NFL to allow challening pass interference plays.
There’s even an NFL ad showcasing the playoff teams, with the exception of the Vikings.
“I don’t think anybody believes that we can win this game. So go in there and we slug it out. All I really care about is that 53 guys believe,” Zimmer said.
It appears Vikings players aren’t paying much attention to the outside noise. They know what they’re about to get into, a road game in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL against a Hall-of-Fame quarterback in Brees, who leads an offense that has scored at least 34 points in six of its last seven games. The Saints are third in the NFL in scoring.
The Vikings are currently 14th in total defense (341.6), fifth in scoring defense (18.9) and 15th in passing yards per game allowed (233.6).
Containing the Saints will be a tall task for the Vikings, but they say they’ll be ready.
“You’ve got to be confident in yourself, that’s how you get to this point. Just believing in one another, believing in your individual talent, the coaches and then just going to play football,” said safety Anthony Harris, who leads the Vikings with six interceptions.
The Vikings expect to be mostly healthy Sunday, which was the main reason most starters rested during the Bears’ game. That includes running back Dalvin Cook. He’s missed the last two games and left games against the Lions and the Chargers early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.
He said Monday he feels good and he’ll be ready to play. Cook has 1,654 total yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. When the two teams met two years ago in the divisional playoffs, Cook was rehabbing a torn ACL.
“It’s time to play some football. We got in, which was the ultimate goal. Just to get in, give ourselves a chance. We gave ourselves a chance and now we’ve got to capitalize,” Cook said.
A win Sunday sends the Vikings to San Francisco to face the No. 1-seeded 49ers.