MINNEAPOLIS — After a week of critical comments from head coach Mike Zimmer about his offensive attack, the Minnesota Vikings responded by putting up 342 yards passing and adding 91 yards on the ground in a 24-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.
“We moved the ball well,” Zimmer said. “I thought we kept them off balance. We ran a rocket sweep for a first down. There was a bunch of times — I felt we were keeping them off balance, they blitzed us and we had extra protection in there one time. Just the flow of the game I felt like it was a good mixture.”
Following last Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, Zimmer said during the week that he was concerned about miscommunications that led to turnovers and criticized the “volume” of offensive plays the Vikings were using and lack of effective rushing attack.
Zimmer also said on Wednesday his team needed to improve on screen passes. And they did, hitting on a 26-yard screen to Dalvin Cook for a touchdown in the first quarter.
“It helps slow down the rush,” Zimmer said of the screen attack. “They had a couple of screens on us and we have to continue to be good at the screen game. The screen to Dalvin was big. Elflein did a great job getting out and blocking whoever it was on the perimeter and Dalvin made a great run.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins also got Zimmer’s message that he cannot turn the ball over. The Vikings’ quarterback did not throw an interception or fumble — marking the third game this season he’s gone without a giveaway.
”It’s become very clear to me that turnovers really tell the story in this league,” Cousins said.
He added that offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, “did emphasize that when you hold the football in your hands, you hold the livihoods of a lot of people in that building and their families.”
When the Vikings’ offense is at its best, both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs tend to excel. That was the case on Sunday night with both receivers racking up eight catches.
Diggs said the team has “faith” in Cousins, who put together his best game of the year.
“Tonight he focused on doing his job the best way that he can,” Diggs said. “It’s guys like Adam Thielen and Aldrich Robinson coming off what happened last week, just being there for him, supporting him throughout the game and just trying to make plays for him.”
Cousins spread the ball around more than in previous weeks, finding tight end Kyle Rudolph for seven receptions on seven targets.
“Finding balance is what makes the position challenging,” Cousins said. “But the longer I play the longer I can store away experiences and use them for the next challenge that’s up ahead.”
That challenge is the New England Patriots, next Sunday.
The post Mike Zimmer praises offensive gameplan vs. Packers appeared first on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Source:: 1500 ESPN Sportswire
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