Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Patterson on approach to Week 17
Minnesota's final game of the 2020 season doesn't hold much weight, as the Vikings and Lions are eliminated from the postseason. But the team nonetheless hopes to end a challenging campaign with a positive, and the defense has an opportunity to bounce back from an abysmal outing at New Orleans.
Patterson said it's not hard to motivate players in the absence of playoffs. Rather, he focuses on coaching them the same this week as any other week and is very "matter-of-fact" about what went wrong against the Saints.
"I think when you're honest with them and they're able to see what the issues were and why they happened, then it's easier for them to rally back and start to focus on the next opponent and then make sure those things don't occur again," Patterson said. "I haven't felt this week in practice that it's been any different. The last two days, they've ran around, they've had high energy. It's not like it's the last practice and we're just trying to get through. I haven't felt that at all. I think it just comes from going in there and telling them the truth and letting them see where the issues occurred and what we have to do to make sure those things don't happen."
Zimmer on the progress of Dantzler and Gladney
The Vikings drafted cornerbacks Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler in the first and third rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the pair of rookies were almost immediately looked to as major contributors on defense.
They both experienced growing pains, but (especially considering the drastically altered offseason and cancelation of the preseason), Zimmer is pleased with their progress over 15 games.
"I think if you look back to Week 1 or the beginning of training camp, those guys have grown a lot," Zimmer said. "They've gotten a lot of opportunities. I think I heard the other day Gladney has played as much as any rookie DB in the league, or close to it. You see the growth of him and the more confidence in the scheme and the communication and just the better feel for playing the nickel position.
"The same thing with Cam. He's come in and played with more confidence over the last few weeks, and I think those guys can hopefully continue to get better and continue to improve in all areas," Zimmer added. "They're not anywhere where they need to be yet, and they shouldn't be – they're still rookies. But I like their progress, I like the direction they're heading, and hopefully we can continue to develop that as we move forward."