Vikings 28, Lions 24
A. Play a lot better up ahead, but these are the kind of games where you have to find the inches and we were able to find them today.
We'll have a lot to talk about and coach and take coaching tomorrow, but it's a lot more enjoyable to do that after a win.
So it was just so fun to hear how loud the stadium was at the end of the game and to live that and be a part of that.
So take any questions you have.
Q. You think based on the play design, did you think Osborn would be open there?
A. No, no. Expected him to be covered and was thinking maybe Adam would rip out open and then kind of go from there, but he popped.
Q. Was it hard to time some passes? They seemed to be pretty physical, especially on like Theilen?
A. Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was. They were doing a good job in coverage and timing was a little off.
Q. Kevin said at the end of the game he had to go with some things that weren't probably at the top of the call sheet. What changed the approach from your perspective or made it more aggressive at the end of the game there?
A. Good question. You know, I think they were doubling Justin a fair amount, not all game, but a fair amount. So there were times you had to be aware of that.
And then I think that's what allowed Adam and K.J. to get a few more opportunities. Also our running game. I was pleased with the way he ran the football. I felt like it's one thing to have a 20-yard and then a bunch of no-yard runs, and then the stat sheet it shows you ran for 20 yards.
You want to see all the churn runs. I felt like we were do that so much of the game, was getting positive run after positive run, and that was encouraging to see.
That also helped. Not being good enough on third down I think was a problem today. Got to be able to convert a few more third downs. Them being three for three in the red zone makes a big difference.
Q. How do you think Jefferson handled a game like this?
A. Yeah, no, he's great. You just stay the course. This league is -- you can't really size it up until the dust settles and we're in February. That's when you look back and say, okay, what all transpired?
Week to week if you try to get and create a narrative you can be all over the map, so you just stay the course, keep playing, and he's got a lot of great games up ahead.
Q. Fourth quarter you guys were backs against the wall and came up clutch. Did you learn anything about yourself or as a team with that comeback win?
A. I think it's just encouraging to find those inches at the end and find a way. So, you know, you want to be a team that's been there before and done that, and has done it consistently.
So today is a step in that direction for sure.
Q. Do you like the aggressiveness at the end of halfs? (Indiscernible.)
A. Yeah, Kevin stayed aggressive at the end of the half against Green Bay and also today, and had a good plan of how to get us down the field. So I think it's good. The key for me, whenever we do it, it is protect the football, avoid anything that could give them a chance to get points.
So you got to be aggressive. Also got to avoid the critical errors, so you're aware of that as you are aggressive.
Q. When you get ball around the 40 on the last possession, does that sort of enhance your ability to think touchdown there instead of just settling for a field goal?
A. I'm just thinking about the next play. I think where you get in trouble is when you think touchdown and you're on the minus 40. I'm thinking the about next play and executing it. We have no timeouts, so talking to guys about, hey, we got to get out of bounds if we can, be ready to clock it if we need to.
We've got to be aware of where field goal range as we move forward. I'm thinking when we got down there because of K.J.'s first catch, I can't take a sack, because a sack would take us out of the field goal range. So you're aware of all these scenarios as you go through it.
Q. This summer when you were talking about K.J., I think you said he started showing up to you in the two-minute drills last year.
A. Yeah.
Q. Is there something he does in those situations that's really good, or is it just that that's where his opportunities came?
A. So much of a game plan you devise to try to get certain people opportunities, so you move people around to create that. In the two-minute you sort of have guys in their spots and you don't really move people around. It ends up being a more organic way of getting people the football if that makes sense.
It just kind of happens, whoever is open. That's what happened last year and K.J. a lot in two-minute, was he was now in primary spots, where during the normal game was in secondary, tertiary spots, if you will.
So the plays he was making in two-minute last year I realized there is a lot more to this guy than we're giving him the ops to do. When you have Adam, Justin, Dalvin, Alex, Mattison, Irv Smith, you know, you don't feel the pressing need maybe to give him those ops.
And in two-minute again today he takes advantage of them and shows up. Certainly on the first catch he had I believe Justin was doubled, so you also realize that, Hey, Justin here is allowing what's happening to happen.
Q. On the touchdown you said you didn't expect to be open.
A. No.
Q. What are you thinking when you see them flash that open and let it go?
A. Yeah, you just -- I mean, you feel the rush so you know you got to release it quick. A lot of thoughts going through your head. You're just seeing grass and putting the ball out there and making sure I threw it far enough.
It's funny, when I overthrew him on the third down earlier in the game I thought I under-threw it, because I got hit and was releasing the ball and fell down and I'm like, please be far enough.
Then it landed past him. I got to watch the film, because I'm like, how in the world that was too far? The same with that one. I was like, please be far enough. I don't know if I got enough on that. Then it was there.
So I got to go back and figure out my distances a little bit, but yeah, so anyway.
Q. I don't know if you've been asked this, has is felt like this offense has become I guess more comfortable as the weeks have passed?
A. Yeah, we're still getting there. We're still getting there. I think you can see today it's not where I want it to be. You know, it's a good plan. It's just time on task. Every game we're learning something, getting better. We just don't have time.
We have to get it locked in. I was waiting for you to show up. Here you are. I was thinking I was going to walk out of here and not even get to talk to you.
Q. Did I miss anything good?
A. Nah. We won, so...
Q. What did you see looking back at the touchdown runs by Dalvin, Alex and the pass to Thielen, being?
A. Yeah, Alex's run for a touchdown, that's a man's run. Eventually there was an unblocked player and he makes that guy miss, runs through an arm tackle, and just a big time run. It's so important there that you're on the 4, 5 yard line. When you call that run you're expecting to be third and goal from the two.
And just touchdown. I mean, that just takes so much pressure off our third down offense, our red zone offense, of off us. So big time run by him.
And Dalvin just all game long, just extending plays, making plays, making people miss, running hard. It's great have to both of them. When Dalvin goes down to have a guys who can do what Alex does is just a huge benefit to our offense.
Q. Kirk, it sounds like maybe you guys knew from film that these guys were a grabby secondary.
A. I just have a lot of respect are Aaron Glenn, Aubrey Pleasant their DB coach, and for those DBs. Going back last year I thought they had a good job and did a good job executing their plan. I think they are well coached and smart, and so I think that shows in the way they cover and play.
Q. It's a business trip to go to London obviously. What are your thoughts about the whole environment, getting ready for that kind of game and turning your head into a time difference and playing in that environment?
A. Yeah, it's a unique opportunity. Wednesday is pretty similar I think. Thursday it's just when you would normally be heading home you're heading to the airport Thursday night.
And so Friday you get off the plane Friday morning in the UK and you're a zombie and go to your Friday practice and fight through that. It takes maturity, toughness to say I don't care how I feel. I got to dial in on in the red zone plan and dial in on this game plan and get something out of this practice.
Then you go back to the hotel and you kind of go from there, and by Saturday you feel like you're starting to get settled and you go play.
Then you come back and do that all over again feeling like a zombie on Monday. Without a bye after the game you have a short time to adjust. So we are getting you ahead of ourselves, but we have to have a great meeting tomorrow and really clean up what happened today. There is so much that wasn't good enough. And then go from there.
Q. Just in London how do you feel about your last game there?
A. Yeah, we played at Wembley; playing a different stadium this time. It's just a unique opportunity to go over there and play. Just like any other NFL game just want to go out there and execute and play at a high level and find a way to get a win and enjoy that plane ride home.
Q. It's not every game that you get to throw a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to get you guys the lead. For as a competitor, as a player, how good did that feel?
A. Yeah, it's awesome to be able to make those plays down the stretch. It's fun to see someone like K.J. make that play, too. It's fun to see the linemen, the way they're grinding, and to see them celebrate and know we got the job done there. It's just a joy. Kevin said in the locker room, that feeling is addictive when you win like that. You want to chase it, so we're going to keep doing that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports