October 15, 2020 • 21 mins
On this edition of X's and O's with Mike Zimmer, Zimmer and Paul Allen break down the loss to Seattle and look ahead to Sunday's game against Atlanta.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Vote it. Now it's time for xs and os with
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network.
Now from the TCO Studios in Egan, Here is the
voice of the Vikings, Paul Ellen. Xs and os on
the kfa N Minnesota Vikings Radio Network is underway and
(00:22):
Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Vikings, joins us into
a home game against the Atlanta Falcons back to last
Sunday for a second century link with no fans. I mean,
how weird was it? Yeah? It was pretty weird. Uh.
You know, there's we were able to hard count them
on the road, which you know would never happen there.
(00:43):
So but yeah, once you get into the game, it's
it's it's kind of business as usual. Now. Did the
rain and or missed impact or mess with your shield
at all? Yeah, it was. It was. It was a
tough day with that. Yeah. Yeah, well I didn't realize
there really was a problem. I was just trying to
(01:04):
mess around. So, I mean, you got like seventeen on
the play clock, shield gets all foggy and everything. What
do you do? Yeah, I actually took it off to
start the game, put it back on and took it
back off and said, let's just wear the mask. I
think post head coaching career, outside of your ever developing
(01:24):
horse racing career, there could be a business opportunity here
for like shield cleaners for coaches. You make a little
bit of money. Yeah, I can try that might make
some if the pandemic doesn't go away, I might make
some shields. Not a bad idea shields at well. Whatever.
Now from Afar, it seemed the most fired up and
(01:47):
excited that we've seen the sideline this season during that game,
did you feel that. I think we had good energy
throughout the course of the ballgame. You know, there was
there was a lot of good things that happened in
the game. Uh, we just weren't able to finish. Now
Here comes the Atlanta Falcons, new coach Matt Ryan, so
(02:09):
probably a new vibe. I mean, i'd expect you're going
to get a big shot from these Falcons, right, Yeah,
they'll they'll give them the best shot. Yeah. Usually that's
how it goes after after you lose a coach. When
when when it comes to somebody like Julio Jones dealing
with what he's dealing with, didn't play last game at
this stage of the week, like how do you plan
for him or is it planning for scheme? No, you
(02:32):
have to plan for him as well. You have to
prepare like he's going to play. And then uh, you
know they got Ridley on the other side. This this
kid is really really good. I mean he's explosive in
and out of the cuts. And then you know, you
put Julio's got great size and speed and catches a bow. Well, uh,
they've got outstanding receivers. Now. Now Atlanta's oh in five season.
(02:54):
Outside of maybe some obvious things that people follow, like
like what's their season been, Like what is led to
that ohen five? Well, they had a like a fourteen
or sixteen point lead against Dallas in the fourth quarter
and lost. Uh, Dallas got an inside kick. They had
a ten point lead against somebody else with ten minutes
(03:16):
left in the fourth quarter and got beat. So they've
been up in a lot of ball games. They scored
a lot of points in all the games. So it'll
it'll be a you know, they'd take a lot of
shots down the field, and defensively they may very very hard.
They've you know, I've got a great inside rusher and
you know, uh, Keana Neil is a really good uh safety,
(03:37):
so uh it'll it'll be a really good game. Yeah,
that that defensive jackal you're referencing, Grady Jarrett, I mean,
he's a handful. Is he still as good as he
was like within the last couple of years. Yeah, he's terrific,
very quick, very powerful, one of the the top three techniques
in the league. And you know, in a season twenty
twenty where you get asked every week about high scores
(03:58):
and stuff like that, they're just so many different things
this year with no preseason and that virtual off season
that than we've ever seen. And for instance, Atlanta zo
and five and plus one in the take give me
that's unbelievable. Yeah, that really is. They've been They've been
doing a good job of getting getting to football and
not giving it away much. So if I tell you
(04:20):
into that Sunday game in Seattle, you're gonna run for
two hundred and they're gonna go for seven on third down,
you're gonna win, right, you would hope. I mean, it's
just it's again, just another crazy facet of the twenty
twenty XS and OS. Mike zimmer Head, coach of the
Minnesota Vikings. Now, you guys are one in four and
that's what matters most to you overall. But where are
(04:41):
you seeing legitimate improvement with all facets of the team
that maybe is not super obvious. Well, I think the
biggest thing, Paul is in the last few ball games,
we're starting to get an identity of who we are.
You know, we're we seem to be running the football
much better. You know, we're hitting some big plays on
the play actions offensively, defensively, we continue to get better
(05:04):
each and every week. Uh, We've we've you know, we've
gone through with each play wins and losses. In each game.
We we tend to get a little bit better. Um.
You know, obviously third downs have been good defensively and
both sides of all, we've been pretty good in the
red zone. So we're just going to continue to keep
trying to get a little bit better each week. Um.
You know, as we were watching our Atlanta game from
(05:27):
last year, and uh, we had um seven new defensive
starters at this point. That's not including guys like Stephen
Weatherly and Ben Gideon and all the guys that were
missing you know on the curse and Mackenzie Alexander and
you know, so on and so forth, Sunday ho or whatever.
(05:47):
So you know you're talking. We're talking like there's fourteen
guys that have never been here, that haven't had OTAs,
haven't had uh, you know, really much training camp. So
uh they're starting to get a little bit better though
each each and every week. See that road you went
down where you were mentioning all the players who were
here last year compared to like who's here now. You know,
(06:07):
I know you don't blame stuff on that because you
may think it's a loser's lament going into that one
and four, but I mean it is reality specifically with
that off season where you and other teams probably you
have to be patient, you know, with with with these
new players getting better week by week, right, But it's tough. Yeah,
And Paul, you think about this. We've lost We've played
(06:30):
three undefeated teams. We've played another team that's lost one
game out of the five games. We've lost two undefeated
teams by one point at the end of the ball game.
So we just keep getting better and I see the
sink turnaround pretty quick. What do you think a linebacker
Eric Wilson, so far, I mean Bar's out for the season. Eric,
(06:50):
he just you can tell from Afar he cares so
much and he's flying all over the plays doing the
best he can. Yeah. No, Eric's done a good job.
You know, he had he had a lot of productivity
the other night. Um, you know, there's a couple of
poor plays in there as well, but you know, I
think he can continues to be more familiar, you know,
like all these guys are with with how how things
(07:12):
are working out and his role that he has to
play now. Um, you know it's he filled in for
Gideon last year when he got hurt, and so you
know it's a different position for him, but a lot
of similarities with this as far as job description. Coach,
When when running back Alexander Madison didn't get it on
that fourth and two feet, like after the game, flight
(07:33):
home whatever Monday, did you have to pick a spirit's
up a little bit. No, he's a good back and
you know I don't question backs, you know, they you know,
he probably should have bounced the ball, but at the
end of the day, those guys are the ones out
there making decisions. He had some great runs in the
ball game. Um, you know, unfortunately we didn't get that one,
and you know that's that's part of life. And with Alexander,
(07:56):
in my opinion, a fantastic back. Excellent compliment for Dalvin.
What what is smoother with his game year two compared
to last year? Well, I think just everything as far
as the understanding. You know, the biggest thing for these
guys is concepts in the passing game, whether it be
routes or whether it be um protections, and so I
(08:18):
think he just has a much better feel for all
those things. He's able to see the different exact blitzes
and pick up those guys extremely. Well, this is our
last chat for a couple of weeks. I know that
greatly saddens you. M. Will you be able to get
some rest during during the bye week or is it
all like tear down the first six games and make
it better? Well, we're definitely going to have to look
(08:40):
at everything that we've done. Kind of big self scout
there for a while. Um, you know where where we
were at week one to where we are at week six,
Take a look at those see and again look at
you know. Now our personnel is different in a lot
of a lot of different ways. So okay, how are
we adapting to these personnel and where do we go
from there? And then you know, so we'll try and
(09:01):
get some of that. You know, obviously we all got
to get a little bit of rest. The players need
to get some time off and get away from from
myself and the rest of the coaches. So and I'm
getting ready to come back. You know, I got a
text today that when I was in Dallas in nineteen
ninety five, Barry Switzer went for fourth and one in
(09:23):
Philadelphia and didn't get it. We end up winning the
Super Bowl. O, Holy COLC. And I think the Vikings
in ninety nine might have started like two and four,
finished ten and six, ended up going to the postseason
time for two more. The way these guys are fighting
for you from the Tennessee Game on all season, but
specifically those three is are you sensing that the identity
(09:48):
of like this group is defining itself. You talked about identity.
Offense is really good, defense is getting better game by game.
But this individual group, what do you think? Yeah, they're
starting to get a lot better feel for one another.
You know, we've got a lot of young guys playing
right now and for them to feel comfortable around you know,
(10:10):
Roun a bunch of veterans not having Virtual, only having Virtual.
I think they're starting to get a better feel for it,
and I think the veterans are starting to push these
guys a little bit harder now, which they need to do,
and I think it's starting to show now. These Falcons
rolled the dice in the off season with Todd Gurley,
and he's making all the games. Seems like it's working. Okay,
(10:31):
Why it seems like they grow seventy percent of the
time and run like thirty. I mean, it's just they
have an imbalanced there if you notice that. Yeah, but
they run the ball very, very effectively. You know, they'll
run the ball and third down. They'll run the ball
on first and second down with some of their things.
Their offensive line has five first round draft picks that
start for him that can be physical downhill players as
(10:52):
well as the wide zones that they're similar to our offense. Hey, coach,
best of luck, thanks for the time, and to enjoy
the off week. Okay, okay, Paul, thank you, Yes, sir,
Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. We celebrate
sixty seasons of Vikings football and we are selecting fans
for our sixty Greatest Fans team, And like this radio show,
(11:16):
it's presented by US Bank. We want you honor the
most passionate Vikings fans throughout history. Nominate yourself for somebody
else today at Vikings dot com Slash six zero fans,
you're listening to x'es and o's on the kfa N
Minnesota Vikings radio network driven by Polar Minnesota Vikings tight
(11:49):
Ends coach Brian Periani joins us shortly. But it's game
day any day, so play that new Vikings scratch game
from the Minnesota Lottery Top Prize one Hunter Graham, Are
you game? Just say I'm in Get details at mn
Olottery dot com. Brian Perryan, He's in his second year
coaching Minnesota Vikings tight Ends, Dob Bryan, was it anyway
(12:10):
outside of the outcome? You know, you lost a very
emotional game Sunday. Was it a nuisance in any way?
With that wind, in that rain and like being on
the sideline, how do you handle that? No? I think,
you know, we prepared for that all the time. We
practice outside. We've practicing the wind, you know, we've practicing
the rain here. So I think the conditions of what
(12:31):
you played in the NFL, and whatever day or whatever
time it is, you gotta go play. You go play.
When when Kyle Rudolph scores his next touchdown or touch downs,
I'm wondering if he's capable of making two handrewd catches anymore.
Is that a fair question? That is a fair question.
He's had some amazing catches just since I've been here
in two years, and it seems like everything's a miraculous catch.
(12:55):
He has some unbelievable hands and so obviously has a
great feat. Yeah, well, I gotta get your credit. I mean,
you're you're arguably the first tight ends coach in the
history of the NFL teaching your guys to make one
hand it catches all the time. I don't know if
that's teaching. I think I think they're teaching me how
to do some special things too, you know. But uh,
they're fun to work with, and uh it's special to
(13:15):
have him making those plays because obviously that those those
plays that they're making are important for the team to
try to come out Victoria's Brian. I mean, you you've
worked in the NFL for well over a quarter century.
You've come across a lot of different players. Rudolph's hands,
the size of his hands and the strength. I mean, seriously,
if you can do it, just do it. I know,
(13:37):
you know, it's funny. I tell him every day. I mean,
he he is the biggest tight end that I've ever coached.
He's a big person and uh, you know, catching, run, blocking, cutting,
doing things that uh, you know, maybe you didn't think
he could do. All the time he's been doing those
things that it's it's been Uh, it's been fun to see,
you know. And I think it's been fun for him
because he's gotten involved in a lot a lot of
(13:59):
different ways in the office, and it's fun to see
him block, you know. And he loves blocking for the
two backs, you know, and making things happen for this offense.
You know, Brian, when you were down in Houston, say
you had Kyle Rudolph then and you put him next
to Andrey Johnson. I mean, it's like the Houston Rockets
would call you and say, hey, we got a new
twin Towers. Can we use them exactly? Exactly both Duncan
(14:21):
both big time rebounders. This is Brian Perianni tight ends
coach for the Minnesota Viking. Speaking of Kyle to put
a rap on him. In my opinion, the last two
years has been the best run blocking protecting run of
his career. When it comes to getting tight ends to
buying into all facets of it is that how do
(14:42):
you do that? Well? I think it's you know, the
system has been going for so long, and I think
that once they see guys over the years that have
bought in and been successful in that, they know they
can already run and catch and do those things. But
once they understand that they can use their leverage and
pass pro and run block and guys they looked up
to did that, Shannon Sharp, Owen Daniels just to name
(15:04):
a few, they go, you know, okay, I got you,
and things come off the run game, so they understand
that's the way that they're going to get open and
get the ball in the system. Also, you know, in
a in a fantasy football world with a lot of
people listening decks and ohs Now or watching Bikings game
plan or Vikings dot Com, you know they wonder zero
TDS for IRF Smith Junior. But from your standpoint, his
(15:27):
overall game, I mean, I can go back to that
Dalvin Cook thirty nine yard touchdown run at home against Tennessee.
He got the last key block there. Shoot, let's go
to Madison's first TD last year up the middle against
the Raiders. There's IRV Smith Junior. So that's a non
obvious with the second round Alabama tight end. But he's
coming through for you, isn't he. Yeah, he is. You
(15:48):
know you saw a lot of that when he when
he was at Alabama. You saw the production and the hips,
the quick feet, you know, and you saw it. You
saw the willingness to get on people in block them.
You know, people always talk about side, but I think
it's the heart and the desire to do those kind
of things. And this system fits them perfectly because, uh,
you know, he can pull, he can play inside, outside,
(16:09):
he can take on ants and linebackers. And sure there's
gonna be a size match match, but there's things that
we create and that's what the offense is all about.
And you know, to put him in positions where he
has doesn't just have to keep doing the same thing
for sixty plays. Now, you were a scout for the
San Francisco forty nine ers for one year in nineteen
ninety but obviously to do what you do, you talk
(16:31):
to and or work with scouts. The I've always been
fascinated by the life of a scout. I mean, it
can it can be tough, right yeah, you know, I
was fortunate that it was. It was really my first job,
so I was in in the office doing a lot
of scouting for John McVeagh. But uh, just knowing a
lot of scouts and knowing the avenue that those people take. Yes,
(16:52):
it is and you're away from home, you're in hotels,
you're driving in your car. You know, you got to
remember what you did in a from a school, right reports.
It's a it's a hard, hard life and it's rewarding
because you get to see a lot of players and
a lot of players are successful in the league. But
I take my hat off to those people because they're
(17:12):
very you know, if we didn't have their work, we
couldn't be doing the things that we're doing in this league.
The Vikings offense through five has has become really really
good and the running games dominating. It's one of the
best in the NFL. So as tight ends coach with
Rick Dennison, the offensive line coach and run game coordinator
and you guys have worked together forever, but specifically with
(17:32):
this team. How do you guys mesh your tight ends,
his offensive line and the running game? You you know,
first of all, I take you just continue to continue
to be repetitious and on things that you're doing day
in and day out. Your steps, your techniques, what the
tackles doing, what you're doing, the communication, whether whether it's
(17:53):
a new scheme, a scheme we're carrying over, or whatever,
it is a motion and those are things that have
to look the same and be the same day the
day out and until until people understand that that's what
it needs to look like all the time. Then you
continue to do it and continue to do it and
hopefully when it when it you know, when it does happen, right,
those things happen in a football game. Like you said,
(18:14):
the things is, you don't think you see people. People
are aware of when a big play happens. Coach Perrani
a four time Super Bowl champion. What what do you
do with the rings that are in my safe at home? Yeah?
Anything else value in that safe? Anything else you'll have
to share on and ears pretty much just the rings,
(18:35):
but no, I uh uh, you know the kids will
take him out and look at them now and then
or my parents come by. How old are the kids?
My daughters are twenty twenty two and twenty okay, so
you don't have to worry about them taking them to
middle school. And hey, everybody want to wear Dad's rings? No,
not at all. Oh, that'd be good. Last one? You um,
(18:55):
you had worked with Gary Kubiak for a quarter century.
What stands out about Gary's offensive mind? He is able
to adjust on a fly. He knows he will carry
a lot of plays and knows that, hey, if we
(19:15):
have to change up, people will have run those plays
or walk through those plays, or have been through those
plays at least one time before he's actually going to
call him in a game. So he is detailed to
his standard, and he's always has his players on par
and detailed and ready to play in a football game.
I'm predicting a Tyler Conklin touchdown against Atlanta and here's why,
(19:38):
because I'm out of time and I failed to mention
the young man's name. So there he goes number one
for Tyler Conklin, I hope. So we'll see, We'll see
how the week goes. Brian great work man, you do
really really good work. Thanks for joining the show. Best
to luck against Atlanta. Okay, I appreciate it. Thanks very much,
Paul yep see you buddy. Brian Perryani's second year tight
ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings that puts a rap
(20:01):
on x's and oh's. This week, Vikings fans purchase any
twenty ounce Pepsi branded product from Quick Trip with your
rewards card and enter the Vikings Opening Drive Sweepstakes. No
purchase necessary see store for details. We thank Brian Perianni
and Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer for joining us into
(20:21):
the final game before the bye week. The Vikings play
Atlanta and own five operation with a new coach. Their coach,
Dan Quinn and Thomas Demitrof, their general manager, both fired
by owner Arthur Blank this week, so Raheem Morris in
elite defensive mind he takes over his head coach. Will
(20:41):
be at us Max Stadium this weekend, then the bye week,
then after that at lambeau Field, and an opportunity to
beat Atlanta and then start a little winning streak against
those Green Day Packers and maybe try to get this
record on the winning side of the Ledger. I'm Paul Allen.
Thank you very much or listening to exes and os.
(21:02):
We would like to thank Nate Vaughan and Jesse Marquette
with the Vikings Entertainment Network and Eric Nordquist and Brett
Blakemore with KFAM. Thanks for listening to the KFA and
Minnesota Vikings Radio Network driven by Polaris
Vote it. Now it's time for xs and os with
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network.
Now from the TCO Studios in Egan, Here is the
voice of the Vikings, Paul Ellen. Xs and os on
the kfa N Minnesota Vikings Radio Network is underway and
(00:22):
Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Vikings, joins us into
a home game against the Atlanta Falcons back to last
Sunday for a second century link with no fans. I mean,
how weird was it? Yeah? It was pretty weird. Uh.
You know, there's we were able to hard count them
on the road, which you know would never happen there.
(00:43):
So but yeah, once you get into the game, it's
it's it's kind of business as usual. Now. Did the
rain and or missed impact or mess with your shield
at all? Yeah, it was. It was. It was a
tough day with that. Yeah. Yeah, well I didn't realize
there really was a problem. I was just trying to
(01:04):
mess around. So, I mean, you got like seventeen on
the play clock, shield gets all foggy and everything. What
do you do? Yeah, I actually took it off to
start the game, put it back on and took it
back off and said, let's just wear the mask. I
think post head coaching career, outside of your ever developing
(01:24):
horse racing career, there could be a business opportunity here
for like shield cleaners for coaches. You make a little
bit of money. Yeah, I can try that might make
some if the pandemic doesn't go away, I might make
some shields. Not a bad idea shields at well. Whatever.
Now from Afar, it seemed the most fired up and
(01:47):
excited that we've seen the sideline this season during that game,
did you feel that. I think we had good energy
throughout the course of the ballgame. You know, there was
there was a lot of good things that happened in
the game. Uh, we just weren't able to finish. Now
Here comes the Atlanta Falcons, new coach Matt Ryan, so
(02:09):
probably a new vibe. I mean, i'd expect you're going
to get a big shot from these Falcons, right, Yeah,
they'll they'll give them the best shot. Yeah. Usually that's
how it goes after after you lose a coach. When
when when it comes to somebody like Julio Jones dealing
with what he's dealing with, didn't play last game at
this stage of the week, like how do you plan
for him or is it planning for scheme? No, you
(02:32):
have to plan for him as well. You have to
prepare like he's going to play. And then uh, you
know they got Ridley on the other side. This this
kid is really really good. I mean he's explosive in
and out of the cuts. And then you know, you
put Julio's got great size and speed and catches a bow. Well, uh,
they've got outstanding receivers. Now. Now Atlanta's oh in five season.
(02:54):
Outside of maybe some obvious things that people follow, like
like what's their season been, Like what is led to
that ohen five? Well, they had a like a fourteen
or sixteen point lead against Dallas in the fourth quarter
and lost. Uh, Dallas got an inside kick. They had
a ten point lead against somebody else with ten minutes
(03:16):
left in the fourth quarter and got beat. So they've
been up in a lot of ball games. They scored
a lot of points in all the games. So it'll
it'll be a you know, they'd take a lot of
shots down the field, and defensively they may very very hard.
They've you know, I've got a great inside rusher and
you know, uh, Keana Neil is a really good uh safety,
(03:37):
so uh it'll it'll be a really good game. Yeah,
that that defensive jackal you're referencing, Grady Jarrett, I mean,
he's a handful. Is he still as good as he
was like within the last couple of years. Yeah, he's terrific,
very quick, very powerful, one of the the top three techniques
in the league. And you know, in a season twenty
twenty where you get asked every week about high scores
(03:58):
and stuff like that, they're just so many different things
this year with no preseason and that virtual off season
that than we've ever seen. And for instance, Atlanta zo
and five and plus one in the take give me
that's unbelievable. Yeah, that really is. They've been They've been
doing a good job of getting getting to football and
not giving it away much. So if I tell you
(04:20):
into that Sunday game in Seattle, you're gonna run for
two hundred and they're gonna go for seven on third down,
you're gonna win, right, you would hope. I mean, it's
just it's again, just another crazy facet of the twenty
twenty XS and OS. Mike zimmer Head, coach of the
Minnesota Vikings. Now, you guys are one in four and
that's what matters most to you overall. But where are
(04:41):
you seeing legitimate improvement with all facets of the team
that maybe is not super obvious. Well, I think the
biggest thing, Paul is in the last few ball games,
we're starting to get an identity of who we are.
You know, we're we seem to be running the football
much better. You know, we're hitting some big plays on
the play actions offensively, defensively, we continue to get better
(05:04):
each and every week. Uh, We've we've you know, we've
gone through with each play wins and losses. In each game.
We we tend to get a little bit better. Um.
You know, obviously third downs have been good defensively and
both sides of all, we've been pretty good in the
red zone. So we're just going to continue to keep
trying to get a little bit better each week. Um.
You know, as we were watching our Atlanta game from
(05:27):
last year, and uh, we had um seven new defensive
starters at this point. That's not including guys like Stephen
Weatherly and Ben Gideon and all the guys that were
missing you know on the curse and Mackenzie Alexander and
you know, so on and so forth, Sunday ho or whatever.
(05:47):
So you know you're talking. We're talking like there's fourteen
guys that have never been here, that haven't had OTAs,
haven't had uh, you know, really much training camp. So
uh they're starting to get a little bit better though
each each and every week. See that road you went
down where you were mentioning all the players who were
here last year compared to like who's here now. You know,
(06:07):
I know you don't blame stuff on that because you
may think it's a loser's lament going into that one
and four, but I mean it is reality specifically with
that off season where you and other teams probably you
have to be patient, you know, with with with these
new players getting better week by week, right, But it's tough. Yeah,
And Paul, you think about this. We've lost We've played
(06:30):
three undefeated teams. We've played another team that's lost one
game out of the five games. We've lost two undefeated
teams by one point at the end of the ball game.
So we just keep getting better and I see the
sink turnaround pretty quick. What do you think a linebacker
Eric Wilson, so far, I mean Bar's out for the season. Eric,
(06:50):
he just you can tell from Afar he cares so
much and he's flying all over the plays doing the
best he can. Yeah. No, Eric's done a good job.
You know, he had he had a lot of productivity
the other night. Um, you know, there's a couple of
poor plays in there as well, but you know, I
think he can continues to be more familiar, you know,
like all these guys are with with how how things
(07:12):
are working out and his role that he has to
play now. Um, you know it's he filled in for
Gideon last year when he got hurt, and so you
know it's a different position for him, but a lot
of similarities with this as far as job description. Coach,
When when running back Alexander Madison didn't get it on
that fourth and two feet, like after the game, flight
(07:33):
home whatever Monday, did you have to pick a spirit's
up a little bit. No, he's a good back and
you know I don't question backs, you know, they you know,
he probably should have bounced the ball, but at the
end of the day, those guys are the ones out
there making decisions. He had some great runs in the
ball game. Um, you know, unfortunately we didn't get that one,
and you know that's that's part of life. And with Alexander,
(07:56):
in my opinion, a fantastic back. Excellent compliment for Dalvin.
What what is smoother with his game year two compared
to last year? Well, I think just everything as far
as the understanding. You know, the biggest thing for these
guys is concepts in the passing game, whether it be
routes or whether it be um protections, and so I
(08:18):
think he just has a much better feel for all
those things. He's able to see the different exact blitzes
and pick up those guys extremely. Well, this is our
last chat for a couple of weeks. I know that
greatly saddens you. M. Will you be able to get
some rest during during the bye week or is it
all like tear down the first six games and make
it better? Well, we're definitely going to have to look
(08:40):
at everything that we've done. Kind of big self scout
there for a while. Um, you know where where we
were at week one to where we are at week six,
Take a look at those see and again look at
you know. Now our personnel is different in a lot
of a lot of different ways. So okay, how are
we adapting to these personnel and where do we go
from there? And then you know, so we'll try and
(09:01):
get some of that. You know, obviously we all got
to get a little bit of rest. The players need
to get some time off and get away from from
myself and the rest of the coaches. So and I'm
getting ready to come back. You know, I got a
text today that when I was in Dallas in nineteen
ninety five, Barry Switzer went for fourth and one in
(09:23):
Philadelphia and didn't get it. We end up winning the
Super Bowl. O, Holy COLC. And I think the Vikings
in ninety nine might have started like two and four,
finished ten and six, ended up going to the postseason
time for two more. The way these guys are fighting
for you from the Tennessee Game on all season, but
specifically those three is are you sensing that the identity
(09:48):
of like this group is defining itself. You talked about identity.
Offense is really good, defense is getting better game by game.
But this individual group, what do you think? Yeah, they're
starting to get a lot better feel for one another.
You know, we've got a lot of young guys playing
right now and for them to feel comfortable around you know,
(10:10):
Roun a bunch of veterans not having Virtual, only having Virtual.
I think they're starting to get a better feel for it,
and I think the veterans are starting to push these
guys a little bit harder now, which they need to do,
and I think it's starting to show now. These Falcons
rolled the dice in the off season with Todd Gurley,
and he's making all the games. Seems like it's working. Okay,
(10:31):
Why it seems like they grow seventy percent of the
time and run like thirty. I mean, it's just they
have an imbalanced there if you notice that. Yeah, but
they run the ball very, very effectively. You know, they'll
run the ball and third down. They'll run the ball
on first and second down with some of their things.
Their offensive line has five first round draft picks that
start for him that can be physical downhill players as
(10:52):
well as the wide zones that they're similar to our offense. Hey, coach,
best of luck, thanks for the time, and to enjoy
the off week. Okay, okay, Paul, thank you, Yes, sir,
Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. We celebrate
sixty seasons of Vikings football and we are selecting fans
for our sixty Greatest Fans team, And like this radio show,
(11:16):
it's presented by US Bank. We want you honor the
most passionate Vikings fans throughout history. Nominate yourself for somebody
else today at Vikings dot com Slash six zero fans,
you're listening to x'es and o's on the kfa N
Minnesota Vikings radio network driven by Polar Minnesota Vikings tight
(11:49):
Ends coach Brian Periani joins us shortly. But it's game
day any day, so play that new Vikings scratch game
from the Minnesota Lottery Top Prize one Hunter Graham, Are
you game? Just say I'm in Get details at mn
Olottery dot com. Brian Perryan, He's in his second year
coaching Minnesota Vikings tight Ends, Dob Bryan, was it anyway
(12:10):
outside of the outcome? You know, you lost a very
emotional game Sunday. Was it a nuisance in any way?
With that wind, in that rain and like being on
the sideline, how do you handle that? No? I think,
you know, we prepared for that all the time. We
practice outside. We've practicing the wind, you know, we've practicing
the rain here. So I think the conditions of what
(12:31):
you played in the NFL, and whatever day or whatever
time it is, you gotta go play. You go play.
When when Kyle Rudolph scores his next touchdown or touch downs,
I'm wondering if he's capable of making two handrewd catches anymore.
Is that a fair question? That is a fair question.
He's had some amazing catches just since I've been here
in two years, and it seems like everything's a miraculous catch.
(12:55):
He has some unbelievable hands and so obviously has a
great feat. Yeah, well, I gotta get your credit. I mean,
you're you're arguably the first tight ends coach in the
history of the NFL teaching your guys to make one
hand it catches all the time. I don't know if
that's teaching. I think I think they're teaching me how
to do some special things too, you know. But uh,
they're fun to work with, and uh it's special to
(13:15):
have him making those plays because obviously that those those
plays that they're making are important for the team to
try to come out Victoria's Brian. I mean, you you've
worked in the NFL for well over a quarter century.
You've come across a lot of different players. Rudolph's hands,
the size of his hands and the strength. I mean, seriously,
if you can do it, just do it. I know,
(13:37):
you know, it's funny. I tell him every day. I mean,
he he is the biggest tight end that I've ever coached.
He's a big person and uh, you know, catching, run, blocking, cutting,
doing things that uh, you know, maybe you didn't think
he could do. All the time he's been doing those
things that it's it's been Uh, it's been fun to see,
you know. And I think it's been fun for him
because he's gotten involved in a lot a lot of
(13:59):
different ways in the office, and it's fun to see
him block, you know. And he loves blocking for the
two backs, you know, and making things happen for this offense.
You know, Brian, when you were down in Houston, say
you had Kyle Rudolph then and you put him next
to Andrey Johnson. I mean, it's like the Houston Rockets
would call you and say, hey, we got a new
twin Towers. Can we use them exactly? Exactly both Duncan
(14:21):
both big time rebounders. This is Brian Perianni tight ends
coach for the Minnesota Viking. Speaking of Kyle to put
a rap on him. In my opinion, the last two
years has been the best run blocking protecting run of
his career. When it comes to getting tight ends to
buying into all facets of it is that how do
(14:42):
you do that? Well? I think it's you know, the
system has been going for so long, and I think
that once they see guys over the years that have
bought in and been successful in that, they know they
can already run and catch and do those things. But
once they understand that they can use their leverage and
pass pro and run block and guys they looked up
to did that, Shannon Sharp, Owen Daniels just to name
(15:04):
a few, they go, you know, okay, I got you,
and things come off the run game, so they understand
that's the way that they're going to get open and
get the ball in the system. Also, you know, in
a in a fantasy football world with a lot of
people listening decks and ohs Now or watching Bikings game
plan or Vikings dot Com, you know they wonder zero
TDS for IRF Smith Junior. But from your standpoint, his
(15:27):
overall game, I mean, I can go back to that
Dalvin Cook thirty nine yard touchdown run at home against Tennessee.
He got the last key block there. Shoot, let's go
to Madison's first TD last year up the middle against
the Raiders. There's IRV Smith Junior. So that's a non
obvious with the second round Alabama tight end. But he's
coming through for you, isn't he. Yeah, he is. You
(15:48):
know you saw a lot of that when he when
he was at Alabama. You saw the production and the hips,
the quick feet, you know, and you saw it. You
saw the willingness to get on people in block them.
You know, people always talk about side, but I think
it's the heart and the desire to do those kind
of things. And this system fits them perfectly because, uh,
you know, he can pull, he can play inside, outside,
(16:09):
he can take on ants and linebackers. And sure there's
gonna be a size match match, but there's things that
we create and that's what the offense is all about.
And you know, to put him in positions where he
has doesn't just have to keep doing the same thing
for sixty plays. Now, you were a scout for the
San Francisco forty nine ers for one year in nineteen
ninety but obviously to do what you do, you talk
(16:31):
to and or work with scouts. The I've always been
fascinated by the life of a scout. I mean, it
can it can be tough, right yeah, you know, I
was fortunate that it was. It was really my first job,
so I was in in the office doing a lot
of scouting for John McVeagh. But uh, just knowing a
lot of scouts and knowing the avenue that those people take. Yes,
(16:52):
it is and you're away from home, you're in hotels,
you're driving in your car. You know, you got to
remember what you did in a from a school, right reports.
It's a it's a hard, hard life and it's rewarding
because you get to see a lot of players and
a lot of players are successful in the league. But
I take my hat off to those people because they're
(17:12):
very you know, if we didn't have their work, we
couldn't be doing the things that we're doing in this league.
The Vikings offense through five has has become really really
good and the running games dominating. It's one of the
best in the NFL. So as tight ends coach with
Rick Dennison, the offensive line coach and run game coordinator
and you guys have worked together forever, but specifically with
(17:32):
this team. How do you guys mesh your tight ends,
his offensive line and the running game? You you know,
first of all, I take you just continue to continue
to be repetitious and on things that you're doing day
in and day out. Your steps, your techniques, what the
tackles doing, what you're doing, the communication, whether whether it's
(17:53):
a new scheme, a scheme we're carrying over, or whatever,
it is a motion and those are things that have
to look the same and be the same day the
day out and until until people understand that that's what
it needs to look like all the time. Then you
continue to do it and continue to do it and
hopefully when it when it you know, when it does happen, right,
those things happen in a football game. Like you said,
(18:14):
the things is, you don't think you see people. People
are aware of when a big play happens. Coach Perrani
a four time Super Bowl champion. What what do you
do with the rings that are in my safe at home? Yeah?
Anything else value in that safe? Anything else you'll have
to share on and ears pretty much just the rings,
(18:35):
but no, I uh uh, you know the kids will
take him out and look at them now and then
or my parents come by. How old are the kids?
My daughters are twenty twenty two and twenty okay, so
you don't have to worry about them taking them to
middle school. And hey, everybody want to wear Dad's rings? No,
not at all. Oh, that'd be good. Last one? You um,
(18:55):
you had worked with Gary Kubiak for a quarter century.
What stands out about Gary's offensive mind? He is able
to adjust on a fly. He knows he will carry
a lot of plays and knows that, hey, if we
(19:15):
have to change up, people will have run those plays
or walk through those plays, or have been through those
plays at least one time before he's actually going to
call him in a game. So he is detailed to
his standard, and he's always has his players on par
and detailed and ready to play in a football game.
I'm predicting a Tyler Conklin touchdown against Atlanta and here's why,
(19:38):
because I'm out of time and I failed to mention
the young man's name. So there he goes number one
for Tyler Conklin, I hope. So we'll see, We'll see
how the week goes. Brian great work man, you do
really really good work. Thanks for joining the show. Best
to luck against Atlanta. Okay, I appreciate it. Thanks very much,
Paul yep see you buddy. Brian Perryani's second year tight
ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings that puts a rap
(20:01):
on x's and oh's. This week, Vikings fans purchase any
twenty ounce Pepsi branded product from Quick Trip with your
rewards card and enter the Vikings Opening Drive Sweepstakes. No
purchase necessary see store for details. We thank Brian Perianni
and Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer for joining us into
(20:21):
the final game before the bye week. The Vikings play
Atlanta and own five operation with a new coach. Their coach,
Dan Quinn and Thomas Demitrof, their general manager, both fired
by owner Arthur Blank this week, so Raheem Morris in
elite defensive mind he takes over his head coach. Will
(20:41):
be at us Max Stadium this weekend, then the bye week,
then after that at lambeau Field, and an opportunity to
beat Atlanta and then start a little winning streak against
those Green Day Packers and maybe try to get this
record on the winning side of the Ledger. I'm Paul Allen.
Thank you very much or listening to exes and os.
(21:02):
We would like to thank Nate Vaughan and Jesse Marquette
with the Vikings Entertainment Network and Eric Nordquist and Brett
Blakemore with KFAM. Thanks for listening to the KFA and
Minnesota Vikings Radio Network driven by Polaris
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