Vikings 36, Steelers 24
Would've loved to have won that game a little earlier, if you will, but a win is a win. Proud of the way our team played, our defense played, special teams played, our offense, run game.
Proud of Dalvin, his toughness. You know, I felt scoring 36 points and having 450 yards offense, there is a lot to be excited about there, but there is also a lot we can do better. We'll keep working here, and take any questions you have.
Q. What's it like handing out to Cook knowing that on any play he could go off?
A. Yeah, it was just a -- you know, you don't have that a lot in the NFL where you can run the ball that successfully, that consistently, so it was a great boost for our offense and was really the reason the score was what it was at halftime, in addition to the way the defense was playing.
I just felt our special teams also gave us really good field position all game long. We kept getting ball near or past mid-field, especially in the third quarter, and that again goes back to the defense forcing a quick drive, and then our punt return unit just did a great job.
So field position helped.
Q. That touchdown pass to K.J. ended up being important. What did you see on that play?
A. The safety just cut the crossing route with Justine and was one-on-one with K.J., and felt I should put the ball to him, and he did a tremendous job outrunning the corner, but making a play with the ball in the air.
So really proud of the way he made that play. Shows a lot about his ability.
Q. Last week there was a slant to Justin that maybe there was some miscommunication, and then tonight the interception looked like K.J. maybe got tripped up. Was there anything you can do differently there, or just because of that route you have to let it rip and trust the receiver?
A. There is a lot of options. I could take a sack. I could try to run. I felt like we might get a pass interference call. You know, at worst if he just runs a slant I just felt as worst it's a break up and incomplete. We might get a completion, but obviously that wasn't the outcome.
Q. I mean, 36 points obviously a great offense, but your completion rate was below 50%. How do you assess your performance in the game?
A. Have to watch the film. Some good out there and some bad out there, and have to go back and watch it and see what it really was.
Q. What can you say about your O-line tonight? I know Dalvin was just saying they played lights out, gained some huge gaps, and they did awesome. The second half wasn't exactly what you wanted, but they showed up tonight.
A. Yeah, those runs were really well blocked. There were gaps to run through certainly. I thought our coaches did a good job too trying to create runs that would work well against that front, and offensive line did a tremendous job blocking to create the run game that we had.
Q. Earlier Mike was asked were you thinking at all today, Here we go again. Does that go through your mind? How do you handle it when you see a game going back to the ones you already played this year?
A. I think you just focus on what's important now, what's next, where are we headed. You just focus on what do we got to do now. You're aware of the clock, aware of the situation, you're aware of the next thing you got to do.
But it's just tough to let them get back in the game, but we'll learn from it, and like you said, try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Q. I guess when Dalvin says he's ready to go obviously 11 days after being carted off the field, is that something where you sort of feel like in your head you'll test it out and see how it goes, or do you just expect him to be 100%?
A. You never know. You never know because he isn't subject to contact until he goes, but you obviously know how tough he is. He's been in this league a while so he knows his limitations, what he can do and when he can help the team and when he can't help the team.
So be prepared for if he can't go, but also understand how tough he is and he showed that tonight.
Q. Is he one of the toughest guys you've played with?
A. He certainly get banged up in my years playing with him, and he's always came back and tried to fight through things. I have to say he's a very tough football player. There are so many tough guys in the NFL locker room, but he's certainly an extremely tough football player.
Q. With Adam Thielen out was there a concerted effort to funnel Justin Jefferson the ball or is it take what the defense gives you?
A. I think that's what it is every week. I mean, of Justin is one of our best players, so of course you're going to try it get him the football. I think what's challenging is teams want to take him away, which they started to do. They took him way on KJ's touchdown. They doubled him. They doubled in a couple other situations, went to Dalvin over the middle on a third down late in the game.
So we just had to be aware of when are they going to play him honest, which they were early, and then when are they going to try to take him out of the game, and react accordingly.
Certainly your best football players, you want get him the football until this they take him away.
Q. There were a few passes to him that seemed were just kind of off. Did it feel like too close for a big game and just a little bit off today?
A. You know what? So many of those throws I didn't even get to see. I was walking off the field saying to Shaun, What happened? I don't know. So I'll have to watch the film and be able to tell you what happened.
Q. On that fourth and one scramble that you did, obviously it wasn't turned over, but take us through that, what you saw there.
A. The quarterback sneak or the third down?
Q. I think it was the sneak.
A. Yeah, just quarterback sneak. Just trying to get the yard, and, again, that's probably less me and more the offensive line creating push.
And then the third down scramble was just a two man and pocket opened up, and I was able to get out and get that first down. Garrett did a great job following the football.
Q. The season for you guys has been such a roller coaster, but you have played so well at times. How close do you think you are to maybe putting that all together?
A. I think we have shown potential, but you got to do it for not only for four quarters, but for really four more games.
You know, we've got to just keep getting to work and not really talk about it but just be about it.
You know, go make plays and manage the game well and see where we are at the end of it all.
Q. What's your initial assessment of the offensive line in this game versus Sunday?
A. You know, I just kind of have to look at the big picture right now because I haven't watched it yet. I think when you run the ball as well as we did, when you have 450 yards offense, it's hard to complain. I think our offensive line did a tremendous job, and proud of the way they played against a front with a lot of big names.
They're a tough team, and was proud of the way we ran the football.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports