Bengals' '09 playoff flop influences Zimmer's late-season rest vs. play philosophy
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer just shared a story that should explain why, as a head coach, he’ll never go with wholesale resting of players late in the season when his team has clinched a playoff spot and is playing what others would call “meaningless” games.
“One lesson I got was when we were in Cincinnati the last game of the year [in 2009],” Zimmer said. “We were already in the playoffs. [The Jets] had to win to get in the playoffs. We didn’t play anybody and we didn’t play very good. We got beat 38-0 [actually 37-0].
“And guess who we played in the first round of the playoffs. The Jets, in Cincinnati. They beat us again [24-14]. So that’s probably not going to be my approach. We didn’t play very well [in the playoff game]. And we played terrible in the last game of the [regular] season. I don’t foresee doing that.”
Obviously, Zimmer will be smart with players returning from injury who are, as he says, “iffy, health-wise.” The Vikings have three key defensive starters — nose tackle Linval Joseph, free safety Harrison Smith and linebacker Anthony Barr — who are returning from injuries and a Pro Bowl running back, Adrian Peterson, who is nursing ankle and shoulder injuries.
Zimmer said he’s unlikely to be influenced by the scenarios that unfold before his team kicks off at 7:30 Sunday night. There are situations in which the Vikings could make the playoff and actually not need to beat the Giants in order to play for the NFC North title the following week in Green Bay.
“If a guy is iffy, health-wise, and we’re already in the playoffs, then I may sit him for another week,” Zimmer said. “But there’s a fine line because I don’t want guys to be rusty going into Green Bay. And I don’t want to have bad momentum if we do get into the playoffs. I won’t know anything about the Green Bay game before I have to turn in inactives on Sunday.
“We’re planning on if guys are ready to play, they’ll play. … I think there’s a risk-reward with the last game, depending on the scenario. But you try to look at the big picture and make the decision based on that. But it’s not going to be wholesale [resting of players]. I will not do that.”
Other Zimmer highlights …
— On Barr being listed with a knee injury this week after being listed with hand/groin the previous two: “It’s a knee-groin kind of thing. He’s fine. He’ll be all right.”
— On whether Peterson will get some work in practice today after missing yesterday’s practice: “I think he’ll get some work in today.”
— On the news that Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. lost the appeal of his one-game suspension and what kind of impact that had on the Vikings’ preparations: “It always alters the approach. We took some things out of the game plan that we had for him. We always try to affect the other team’s best players, however we can do it. And he’s a good player, so we took some things out.”