Vikings Territory: Mike Zimmer Has Gregg Popovich Feelings On First Preseason Game

Press release from Vikings Territory:

Dustin Baker Dustin Baker

2021-08-15

The Minnesota Vikings second and third-string players were humbled by the Denver Broncos first-teamers on Saturday during the first preseason game of the year for both teams. The Vic Fangio-led Broncos clobbered the Vikings 33-6, connecting on big plays and jumping on Minnesota from the onset.

Unsurprisingly, head coach Mike Zimmer was peeved by the 33-6 beatdown.

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Zimmer is noticeably frustrated, channeling a Gregg Popovician level of snark. The San Antonio Spurs skipper is notorious for curt press conferences, usually intermixing sarcasm and exasperation — sometimes directed at the interviewer. Zimmer falls short of that — sort of — and chides his team for a bad day at the office.

It is unlikely that Zimmer carries this curious approach into the team’s next exhibition. The Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts next weekend, seeking to rebound from the Denver debacle. Worth noting: Vikings games against the Colts have served as ground zero for doldrums in the last half-decade. In 2016, Minnesota clung to teensy December playoffs hopes, but Indianapolis thoroughly eviscerated those aspirations at U.S. Bank Stadium in a Week 15 contest. The meltdown marked Adrian Peterson’s last game with the Vikings and the last time Zimmer and Co. would ever see Andrew Luck.

So, now the Vikings are tasked with righting the preseason ship versus a team that is historically unkind to them. The preseason format should lessen the underwhelming pattern of play, but that is only a theory for now.

Zimmer’s Popovichian moments are entertaining, but fans will take a solid bounceback game against the Colts. And that will be aided by, you know, some starting players actually seeing action next weekend.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory .The views expressed here are the author’s own.