Vikings’ Zimmer on last two weeks: ‘It’s more relieved than it is excited’

In the last two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have not played very well. However, the previous two weeks have ended in wins, including Sunday’s 27-24 home victory over the Jaguars(1-11) in overtime. After starting 1-5, the Vikings have evened their record at 6-6 and now have moved into the NFC’s final wild-card spot(7th seed).

Last week, they were down by 11 points to the Panthers going into the fourth quarter and came back to defeat Carolina 28-27, and this week, they were down by 10 points to the Jaguars in the third quarter. Ultimately, the Vikings got the wins, but their head coach Mike Zimmer knows the team has to play better. 

“Yeah, usually after you win a game, there’s a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ going on in the locker room, “Zimmer said. “The last two weeks, it hasn’t been like that because they know they can play way better than what they’re playing. I think right now they feel fortunate to be where we are, but they understand – I know they understand, and I’m trying to continue to preach it – that we have to stop doing these things that’s going to cost us games down the road.

“If we stop doing those things, and we continue to play with the heart and the fight and the things that we have, then we’ve got a chance to play. But the last two weeks, you come in the locker room, and it’s more relieved than it is excited. And that’s probably a good thing because I think they know where they’re at in this world right now.”

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, who threw for 305 yards with three touchdowns and one interception against the Jaguars on Sunday, is happy to get the win, but like Zimmer, knows the team needs to play better if they want to make the playoffs. 

“We’ll enjoy the win tonight, but you also have to go back and look critically at every play just like you always do, think about how you can be better and how you can improve now as we enter the final four games of the regular season — the fourth quarter, if you will — we have to be at our best in the fourth quarter,” Cousins said. “We have some good teams we have to play, and we’re going to need our best football to have a shot to get into the playoffs. Proud of the fact that after starting 1-5, we’ve been able to get back to .500. As we said at the bye week, where those 10 games would tell the story of the season remaining, I think the remaining four games are really going to tell the story.”

At 6-6, Minnesota is in good position to make the playoffs. However, as Zimmer and Cousins said, the Vikings have to play better the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs, and next week they travel to Tampa Bay to battle Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, which won’t be easy. But for now, if the season ended today, Minnesota would be in the playoffs, which is an accomplishment when you consider how the season started.