Zimmer admits he didn't have his team prepared.

great post. seriously well done

That's honest, embarrassing and sad. Seriously? I mean you take ownership, that's good. You have had the time to get the job done but it didn't happen. Also if you can't get it done, get help to get it done. On the other hand, putting that out there in public instead of keeping it in house might not be helpful either. JDF was absolutely disappointing and frustrating to watch. People keep saying he is learning on the job but it is apparent that he has so much more to learn. Of course we know that the OL is putrid but still there are other issues. I can't stand that they wait so long to make adjustments. It feels like one step forward and two steps back. Also the defense gets a turnover and the offense can't capitalize but turn it over. Ugh.

It was worse when you have two weeks to prepare for the Bears.

Really hard to make-up for one of the bottom feeder OL's in the NFL week after week. But there is plenty of blame to go around that locker room AND coaching staff this season.  

There's still 4 games left? That's 25% of the season, so a lot. But I just don't sense anything special this year. 

Outcoached, outplayed.  Not surprising from a very average, albeit highly paid team.

After tonight, seeing how a top-tier team still can cut us up like a Christmas cheese-log... Plus our injuries always decimate one single crucial section of our O or D... the best I can hope for is a miracle gelling so we can at least remain Kings of the North if not make a playoff run.  Likely? No. But still wanna be Kings of the North. The Bears have the horseshoe this year, but as we learned with Case, you can't count on that. We may still at least pull off the division.

I think he's just covering for the team.  Or maybe he's covering for Flip.  Or both.  Either way, I'm not sure I put too much stock into any coach's post-game comments.  Except for Frazier's; when he said he had to go look at the tape before commenting, I really believed that he didn't know what had happened.

To be honest, I fully expected a lose today.  Tom Brady is something like 110 wins and 17 losses all time at home!!!  He is 56-10 in the month of December.  Just a machine.  

What I was hoping for was a good showing by all units and we didn't get one from any of them.  Once again, Special Teams is not good.  I would replace Pfieffer after this year. 

Of course we all know what the problem is on Offense.  They can't run block, pass block or run a screen - the trifecta of a poor OL.  The interior is just awful.  Elflein has not rebounded well off the injuries from late last year.  If we lose to the Seahawks next week I want to see what Isadora and Jones can do at Guard.  I think we have our answers on Compton and Remmers.  

Defense, keep us in the game until late 3rd and then Brady toyed with our 4th and 5th CB's (Hill and Sherels).  Barr has to go.  Again, if we lose to Seattle I would like to see more of Wilson.  What did the Defense give up 450 yards?  That is not good enough.  

Some small glimmers - Cook looks like he is getting into form.  Holten Hill is not lost.  I thought both our Tackles were decent.  I did say glimmers.  Oh and Brady did not challenge us deep so I am assuming that means our Safeties played well.  I know Harry did!

Have to beat Seattle!

@"Vikergirl" said: That's honest, embarrassing and sad. Seriously? I mean you take ownership, that's good. You have had the time to get the job done but it didn't happen. Also if you can't get it done, get help to get it done. On the other hand, putting that out there in public instead of keeping it in house might not be helpful either. JDF was absolutely disappointing and frustrating to watch. People keep saying he is learning on the job but it is apparent that he has so much more to learn. Of course we know that the OL is putrid but still there are other issues. I can't stand that they wait so long to make adjustments. It feels like one step forward and two steps back. Also the defense gets a turnover and the offense can't capitalize but turn it over. Ugh.

I think that they have been taking two steps back before they take one forward. By the time they start adjusting they are already too far behind for it to matter

Is the not winning a game against a team with a winning record, really that surprising?

Kirk Cousins is now 4-23 in his career against teams with a winning record

OL is bad. CBs are injured. Cousins not seeing the field, accuracy is off and no internal clock. Coaches game plan OK but don't adjust during the game while our opponents do. That's all.

@"minny65" said: To be honest, I fully expected a lose today

@"1VikesFan" said: Outcoached, outplayed.  Not surprising from a very average, albeit highly paid team.

Yeah, we've handed out a lot of 10 mil a year type deals lately.  The team looks like a Ferrari but sputters around like a Yugo at times.  I'd put that squarely on Zimmer.

@"pumpf" said: I think he's just covering for the team.  Or maybe he's covering for Flip.  Or both.  Either way, I'm not sure I put too much stock into any coach's post-game comments.  

I thought the same Pumpf. 

@"MarkSP18" said: It was worse when you have two weeks to prepare for the Bears.

That's exactly what I thought.  2 weeks to prepare for a rival you play twice a year, watch tons of game film on them due to common opponents, and then you go out and $hit the bed in terms of a gameplan.  

I can understand getting schooled by the Pats at home, they make everybody look bad and Belichik's as good as it gets.  But to get schooled by Nagy and the damn Bears coming off a bye with 2 weeks to prepare?   That's far more concerning to me, and I'm a big fan of Zimmer.

Also, Erin Andrews (I think, might have been the other sideliner) said after halftime that she talked to Zimmer and he said his team "had to get over their jitters".
Seriously? Are the Vikings still playing some kind of, "Wow, we're so young and we can't believe we're on same the field with Tom Brady" BS?? The core of this team is all vets with 4+ years of experience, 11 of our starters have been to a Pro Bowl, and they still don't know how to prepare - in the 12th game of a season?? Our HC has been in the NFL since Brady was born but doesn't know how to mentally prepare his team?

@"Al (The Lochstar) Heurung" said: After tonight, seeing how a top-tier team still can cut us up like a Christmas cheese-log... Plus our injuries always decimate one single crucial section of our O or D... the best I can hope for is a miracle gelling so we can at least remain Kings of the North if not make a playoff run.  Likely? No. But still wanna be Kings of the North. The Bears have the horseshoe this year, but as we learned with Case, you can't count on that. We may still at least pull off the division.

Oh, forget the division. When you're trailing by 2 games with 5 to go, you MUST win when the team you're chasing (Chicago) gets upset by a 3-win team.
I get it, the Patriots are really tough, anywhere, and at home, and in December. But at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, the Vikings were tied and had been playing them evenly. At that point, the game was winnable and they seemed to be past their "jitters". But our vaunted defense collapsed.
Zimmer can beat teams with losing records (usually, though not always). He doesn't beat winning teams, so maybe we should hope for a collapse the rest of the way so he can have a nice easy schedule next year.

Zimmer's act will wear thin if the Vikes tank the rest of the season. If Minnesota is again mediocre in 2019, I can see Zimmer getting canned. He'll definitely get another year no matter how this year ends up and deserves to. But all bets are off if the team underperforms again next season. 

@"StickyBun" said: Zimmer's act will wear thin if the Vikes tank the rest of the season. If Minnesota is again mediocre in 2019, I can see Zimmer getting canned. He'll definitely get another year no matter how this year ends up and deserves to. But all bets are off if the team underperforms again next season. 

But they will win 11 games in 2019 with a 3rd-place schedule, and get Zimmer another year. Not sure we can get GB or Detroit to catch us now, though. (For the record, because some people have been POed when I said in the past they may as well tank - it's sarcasm.)

@"pumpf" said: I think he's just covering for the team.  Or maybe he's covering for Flip.  Or both.  Either way, I'm not sure I put too much stock into any coach's post-game comments.  Except for Frazier's; when he said he had to go look at the tape before commenting, I really believed that he didn't know what had happened.

Actually, I agree with him 100%. Tough to beat the Pats at home in December. That combined with injuries that forced us to trot out 4th and 5th string corners against Brady. Still, we should've played much better than we did on both sides of the ball.