But calling out the coaching staff, to whatever degree he has in two of the last three weeks, shows Peterson is still naive to the bigger picture. “We know how important this game is”.
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Like the 20-3 defeat at San Francisco in the nationally televised opener.
Perhaps it comes against the Vikings (8-4), who are tied with Green Bay atop the North but now hold the conference’s fifth seed based on their 30-13 loss to the Packers on November 22. He said that again after Sunday’s debacle. “I just worry about what I think”, Zimmer said. “Especially if we don’t play the way we’re capable of playing, we’re definitely not as good as what we think we are”.
He also knows he has to do more with the carries he does get as the Vikings enter the crucial final stretch of the season.
Against three other teams that now have a winning record (Seattle, Green Bay and Denver), the Vikings were outscored by a combined total of 91-40. Thomas Rawls overcame an early fumble to rush for 101 yards and a touchdown on a day when the Seahawks’ defense looked as close to the dominant unit that headlined two straight trips to the Super Bowl as it has all year.
Defensive end Brian Robison chose another body part. “For me, it means that we’ve still got a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be”. The Vikings defeated the Chiefs at home, went on the road to beat the Raiders and Bears, and they nearly stole a win in Denver.
NOTES: Vikings LB Anthony Barr (groin) and S Harrison Smith (hamstring) left the game in the first quarter with injuries and did not return….
On offense, things get a bit more complicated.
There were no injury issues on offense.
Minnesota’s defense and running back Adrian Peterson with his MVP-caliber season have been carrying the team all year, but Peterson was held to just 18 yards on only eight carries Sunday and the Minnesota defense got routed.
Vikings star Adrian Peterson also summarized after the game that his team was outcoached and the players were “outplayed”. “That wasn’t very good for any phase of our football team”.
-SPECIAL TEAMS: B. The only points allowed to Minnesota came on special teams on Cordarrelle Patterson’s 101-yard kickoff return touchdown late in the third quarter.
For the Seahawks, it was business as usual.
Steven Hauschka added a 23-yard field goal to wrap up the scoring in the fourth and make it five wins in six games for the Seahawks (7-5), who are looking to secure an NFC wildcard place with the Arizona Cardinals looking likely division winners.
It was never a game after that.
“We are collectively playing better”, said Wilson, who completed 21 of 27 passes, “I think it is one of those things (where) you just stay the course”.
There are only two possible outcomes when you see Tarvaris Jackson under center in a Seahawks game: either something went tremendously well or tragically wrong. It appears that the Cardinals won’t miss a beat in the running game.
They don’t have to wait long for another one.
Peterson can only hope that Zimmer is thinking about how he can increase the back’s workload this Thursday, when the Vikings play the Cardinals.
“If it wasn’t a challenge half of us wouldn’t even be here right now”, Floyd said.
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“Those guys were talking all game and those guys are a pretty confident group”.
