Vikings 34, Packers 31
A. Great to get a win at home against a good football team. Great to see our team make plays and finish. I thought that Coach Kubiak did a great job all game long with the way he kept us in a really positive situations. I thought we were able to spread productive runs in there, whether it was a drop-back game, the play-action game. There were a lot of productive plays, and I think we were able to show some of the skilled players we have and what they're capable of, and I think that was important, too.
It's a razor's edge between winning and losing. We've been on the wrong side of a few of these, as well, but today we were able to get a win. You all know how close it is to not going that way. We're aware of that, too. That's why you come away from this one and you feel like there's a lot of football left and a lot of work to be done.
Q. With all the long balls, especially to Justin, you got in a groove last week and showed how important he is. Today you were feeling it early. What has impressed you the most that you can not only throw him open, tight window but he come down with these contested catches that are just incredible?
A. He's a good football player and he's a good receiver. He's shown that again and again going back to last season. He's been for us what we need him to be. Love getting a chance to play with him. He takes a lot of pressure off of Adam having a player of Justin's caliber that really attracts attention.
Q. Was that play designed with him lined up in the backfield, was that something you were sitting on for a while or was that a new wrinkle?
A. I don't think we sat on it for a while, just a way to try to present a different look to the defense.
Q. Describe the play where the interception was overturned and what happened there, and how about your level of relief when that was in fact overturned.
A. Yeah, you know, try to give him an opportunity down the field, like I had in other times during the game. I think when I talk about going back and watching the film and being hard on yourself, I think the lesson I'll take from it is to throw a ball higher, maybe even farther, that would make it more difficult for the defensive back to track it and then give more time for Justin to be able to high point it. I think the ball I threw was a little bit of a driven ball but that maybe not have given Justin that opportunity to high point it. That's kind of where I would take from it. I think the read wasn't necessarily a bad read but maybe obviously the throw didn't give him that chance.
Certainly thought that now Packers are getting the ball back and they have good field position, and it wasn't a good feeling walking on the sideline, but Coach Janocko told me he may have dropped it and just waiting for the answer.
Q. Just before that play what is that quick change like when you have a long drive, take the lead and all of a sudden they go one play and you're back on the field in a tie game?
A. It's just kind of the NFL. When you play long enough and you've been in these situations so many times, you realize this is life in the NFL and you've got to react and play through it all.
Q. Did today sort of check all the boxes you've been working on, 3rd downs, red zone, very few penalties, explosive plays? Is that kind of everything coming together today?
A. I think a lack of penalties stands out. We've had some games with some tough down and distances, first and 2nd and 20s, which aren't a lot of fun. I think we avoided those for the most part today. Not only that but I think we just stayed very manageable 2nd downs and 3rd downs. That makes a big difference. It makes a big difference for our play caller, makes a big difference for me and for our offense.
Q. Going into the game did you think you'd be more comfortable taking on risk? In the past you've said you just want to take what the defense gives you and you've thrown short of the sticks a couple times, and this time throwing deep down field on 3rd and 1. Did you want to take on more risk or was this something you saw the defense giving you?
A. Yeah, more what the defense was doing. A lot quarter shells, lower safeties, had chances to get behind them. I think we got some other looks where people were keeping things in front of them and that's a very different thought process.
Q. With the young guys they had at outside linebacker today, did they play more of a coverage and contain game against your guys and come after the backfield?
A. I think they were pretty multiple. On Justin's final touchdown. It was an all-out blitz. Got some interior pressures throughout the game. They rushed five at times. Got a good variety of coverages in the back end. I think it was a mix of fronts and coverages all throughout the game.
Q. It seems like almost every game it's come right down to the wire for you guys this year. Obviously you want to win more of those, but just having those experiences time and again, has that built this offense, this team to be able to be ready for these moments when they come around now?
A. You know, I think you've got to be ready for them week one. I mean, these are -- you can't wait until week 11 to be ready. Certainly when we're in the moment today, we obviously recognize we've been here before during the season, with the need to drive down at the end and win it. It's certainly not a foreign concept. But it's a razor's edge, the difference between winning and losing.
Q. How wild were the last couple minutes going up and down the field?
A. You know, it's just life in the NFL. It's exciting. I certainly understand why people want to follow it and watch it, because it does come down so much to the final play. Today was no different.
Q. Dalvin had some pretty good runs in there, but do you feel like at this point in the season the offensive identity is shifting to a pass-first?
A. I think it's week to week, maybe even quarter to quarter, series to series, but certainly we've been fairly aggressive the last couple weeks, and we'll have to see week to week and game to game, moment to moment how we choose to attack, but certainly we feel good about the people we get to throw the ball to. That goes far beyond Justin and Adam, K.J. and Tyler Conklin and Dalvin and Alex. There's a lot of production to be had there, total football.
Q. After some of your other losses you've always said, there's plenty of football left, but to finally get to .500 and to do so against the Packers, I know it's not relief but how are you feeling that you've battled back that way?
A. Yeah, home game, division game against a good football team, so it's a step in the right direction. 5-5 keeps you in the hunt, but you know it's going to take more to be in the playoffs at the end. We've got a lot of work up ahead to get done.
Q. On that last drive, you throw left to Thielen, you had pressure coming in, Thielen looked like he was covered. Is that the kind of play that you were talking about letting your receivers make a play?
A. Yeah, I could pinpoint a half dozen throws today that were too aggressive and I could argue that's one of them. I don't think you want to live doing it. I think we got away with it a couple times, and I keep saying word "razor's edge," but that's a play where it's an example of it, the difference between him catching that and making the play he did and going the other way is very small.
Tyler Conklin did a great job on his route winning on that play, so I've got to go back and look at it, say how can we give Adam a better chance to create separation, maybe a different route concept for me to give to him, and then even what took me there, should I work Tyler instead.
You work hard on yourself working through all that because you don't want to live in a world throwing the ball into a covered player and crossing your fingers. You don't want to live in that world. There's a time and place for it, but you also want to be a smart football player.
Q. You said caught in between wanting Adam to score there and wanting to not score and run the clock out?
A. I think more just stay inbounds, that's the big thing. He did a great job after the catch staying inbounds, but then as you push down the field, cut back inside, keep the clock running or make them use a time-out. I think -- and that's where Dalvin, he ran the football but just a really aware play by him to cut it up and stay inbounds. It takes really smart football players to win in this league, and both those guys are smart players.
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