moniqx4
Starter
Q: Impressive win to open the season with against your division rivals at home. Give us your overall assessment.
Coach: The guys did a tremendous job out their on both sides of the ball. They played the game at the level I knew they were capable of and the hard work they put in really showed on the field today. Very proud of team. It wasn't perfect, we started out slow defensively but we managed to weather the storm, make the necessary adjustments and start playing the game on our terms during the second half.
Q: First half offense started out firing on all cylinders, but defense seemed to not be able to stop anything in the Packers passing game and at one point Green Bay had taken the lead. Second half defense came alive. What issues were you seeing at the half and what adjustments did you make ?
Coach: We had to figure out what they were doing and we weren't getting enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers . He'll eat you alive if you let him sit back there too long. So our focus the second half was to get more pressure on Rodgers and if we did that we'd be able to control their passing game.
Q: There was a play in which Green Bay fumbled in the endzone, and it appeared you guys recovered and the Packers were awarded a touchdown. You were clearly upset by the call and quite verbal with the refs. Your coaching staff had to calm you down. What was that about?
Coach: Well you tell me. We looked at it, they showed it on the screen, I saw fumble and saw my guy come up with it, yet they called it a touchdown for the Packers. It wasn't reviewed and I couldn't challenge it. I'll go back and review the tape and maybe I was mistaken. However, at the time I felt they made a mistake and the game at that time was close , so it was a big deal. Fortunately, in the end it didn't affect the outcome.
Q: The defense was incredible, stopping their run game for a total of 8 yards. Offense turned up the heat in the passing game, running game wasn't as aggressive as expected. Is this what we can expect for the rest of the season.
Coach: We like to keep things balanced, but we are working hard to get a passing game that does not rely on the running game, meaning if its there great, if not then we still have a passing game. We did not have that last year and it was one of the main reasons we had a losing record, with a lot of games close, we couldn't get over that offensive hump. We added a few key players to help us in that area, and so far it seems to have made a difference.
Q: This week who did you give the game ball to ?
Coach: That was a tough choice this week. I wanted to give the whole team game balls. Offense, I gave it to Bridgewater. He has a near perfect pass rating this week and no interceptions. He stayed patient and was able to deliver the ball and get those 3rd down conversations and keep the ball moving down the field. On Defense, gave it to Griffen, he had the two sacks, but he was getting that pressure we needed on Rodgers throughout the second half and it really was a game changer for us defensively.
Q: Their is speculation that this might be Peterson's last season with the Vikings. What are your thoughts on that ?
Coach: At this point that is Peterson's choice. I think he is happy where he is at, we are happy with his performance and really too early to speculate anything.
Q: What about this being his last year on his contract, and that fact he is 32 well past what is considered a running backs prime, you guys looking to renew it?
Coach: Peterson plays like he is ageless, you've seen him. Its too early to talk about contracts. He has to decide what works best for him, and if we can agree on it as mutually beneficially then we'd love to make this his last stop before retiring.
Good Luck for the rest of the season. Fans want to see more wins like this and hopefully you guys can deliver.
Coach: Thank-you.
Coach: The guys did a tremendous job out their on both sides of the ball. They played the game at the level I knew they were capable of and the hard work they put in really showed on the field today. Very proud of team. It wasn't perfect, we started out slow defensively but we managed to weather the storm, make the necessary adjustments and start playing the game on our terms during the second half.
Q: First half offense started out firing on all cylinders, but defense seemed to not be able to stop anything in the Packers passing game and at one point Green Bay had taken the lead. Second half defense came alive. What issues were you seeing at the half and what adjustments did you make ?
Coach: We had to figure out what they were doing and we weren't getting enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers . He'll eat you alive if you let him sit back there too long. So our focus the second half was to get more pressure on Rodgers and if we did that we'd be able to control their passing game.
Q: There was a play in which Green Bay fumbled in the endzone, and it appeared you guys recovered and the Packers were awarded a touchdown. You were clearly upset by the call and quite verbal with the refs. Your coaching staff had to calm you down. What was that about?
Coach: Well you tell me. We looked at it, they showed it on the screen, I saw fumble and saw my guy come up with it, yet they called it a touchdown for the Packers. It wasn't reviewed and I couldn't challenge it. I'll go back and review the tape and maybe I was mistaken. However, at the time I felt they made a mistake and the game at that time was close , so it was a big deal. Fortunately, in the end it didn't affect the outcome.
Q: The defense was incredible, stopping their run game for a total of 8 yards. Offense turned up the heat in the passing game, running game wasn't as aggressive as expected. Is this what we can expect for the rest of the season.
Coach: We like to keep things balanced, but we are working hard to get a passing game that does not rely on the running game, meaning if its there great, if not then we still have a passing game. We did not have that last year and it was one of the main reasons we had a losing record, with a lot of games close, we couldn't get over that offensive hump. We added a few key players to help us in that area, and so far it seems to have made a difference.
Q: This week who did you give the game ball to ?
Coach: That was a tough choice this week. I wanted to give the whole team game balls. Offense, I gave it to Bridgewater. He has a near perfect pass rating this week and no interceptions. He stayed patient and was able to deliver the ball and get those 3rd down conversations and keep the ball moving down the field. On Defense, gave it to Griffen, he had the two sacks, but he was getting that pressure we needed on Rodgers throughout the second half and it really was a game changer for us defensively.
Q: Their is speculation that this might be Peterson's last season with the Vikings. What are your thoughts on that ?
Coach: At this point that is Peterson's choice. I think he is happy where he is at, we are happy with his performance and really too early to speculate anything.
Q: What about this being his last year on his contract, and that fact he is 32 well past what is considered a running backs prime, you guys looking to renew it?
Coach: Peterson plays like he is ageless, you've seen him. Its too early to talk about contracts. He has to decide what works best for him, and if we can agree on it as mutually beneficially then we'd love to make this his last stop before retiring.
Good Luck for the rest of the season. Fans want to see more wins like this and hopefully you guys can deliver.
Coach: Thank-you.