We noted how the Minnesota Vikings started their 38-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers with Terence Newman covering Jordy Nelson. Newman is the Vikings’ No. 2 corner and he didn’t do a very good job on Nelson, who went off for nine catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
The majority of those catches and yards were piled up in the first half with Newman primarily in coverage. The Vikings switched their No. 1 corner, Xavier Rhodes, exclusively onto Nelson in the second half and Nelson was limited to two catches for nine yards.
Apparently, there was a bit of a mutiny by the Vikings’ defensive backs that allowed Nelson to go off. The game plan called for Rhodes to shadow Nelson all game and he and Newman decided they’d just play a side of the field instead.
“To be honest, I really don’t want to answer that,” Rhodes started, before explaining what happened.
“A matter of fact, forget it. We felt as a team, as players, we came together and we felt like we’d never done that when we played against the Packers. Us as DBs felt like we could handle him. That’s how we felt as DBs that we could stay on our side and cover him. In the beginning, we’d always played against them and played our sides, we never followed, so that’s what we felt as DBs. That’s what we went with.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the game plan.
“That’s what he was supposed to do the whole game,” Zimmer said. “Someone decided they wouldn’t do that.”
That’s the sort of Vikings’ dysfunction we LOVE!
Everyone seems quick to praise Zimmer, but he clearly doesn’t even have the respect of some of his own players.