September 16, 2021 • 21 mins
On this edition of X's and O's with Mike Zimmer, Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen talks with the head coach to preview Week 2's matchup in Arizona. Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken joins the show to talk about the success of his unit in Week 1.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's time for x ands with Vikings head coach Mike
Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Now from the
TCO studios at Egan, here is Don't Voice of the Vikings,
Paul Allen XS and os KFAM Minnesota Vikings Radio Network
and Vikings dot Com. Indeed, underway, I have good news
(00:22):
for you. Would you like some good news? Technically, technically
you coach a first place team in the NFC North
Because the three who lost outside of the Minnesota Vikings
all lost NFC teams. You lost to an AFC team,
So technically rule four as the playoff tiebreakers go, you
(00:44):
have a five hundred record in the division, which means
you're coaching a first place operation into this Arizona game.
How does that make you feel? Not any better? Not
linger at what happened to the twenty four hour rule
from Cincinnati? I mean from just wins and law. Yeah,
we gotta get back to work. Yeah, and Arizona is
the bill of fare this weekend. It's another road game,
(01:06):
three o'clock on KFA and of the Vikings Radio Network.
Now back to Cincinnati, just for a second. Overall, looking
back at it, what do you think of their offense. Uh,
you know, like I said before, they had some good,
good skill players and the quarterback was was good and
then you know, I thought the running back ran hard.
Were you in any way shocked during the course of
(01:28):
the game when they went for a fourth and one
from the minus thirty at that stage of the game.
I don't think shocked? Was was the right? You know,
I've seen him do that several times. You know, I
was happy he did was well, obviously because you got
stopped stop mixing. But did that that turned the whole
thing around, didn't it? I mean, what was the bench like? Yeah?
(01:50):
It was good, I mean, you know, and then we
went down and scored a touchdown and got back really
got back into the game. Did you say anything to
their safety or get into him a little yelling from
the sideline when he was talking to your kicker as
he was walking up for the fifty three yarder to
tie it. I was talking to the official to try
and get down sports my conduct penalty. Oh so that's
(02:10):
what I was doing at the time. Okay, So so
that really that's that's like an unridden rule. You just
don't do things like that. Yeah, up to that moment, unsportsmanlike. Yeah,
how about Greg Joseph fifty three yards? Hit it pretty good. Yeah,
it's a good kick. That certainly was one of the
highlights of the game. Kirk Cousins, I felt came up
cold blood at the end of the game with Conklin
and kJ and theolin and obviously you had to have it. Overall,
(02:35):
What did you think of Kirk's game? I thought he
did well. You know, there was obviously some some different
looks and some pressures that he didn't have a lot
of time in some of some of the situations. But
you know, it was nice seeing in a two minute
drill run down, kJ made a great catch on fourth
and four. I believe it was in order for us
to get down there and kick the field goal. So um, yeah,
(02:58):
it was good. Did you see this coming with kJ?
I mean seven catches seventy six yards. I think he
was in for sixty seven snaps. I know you liked
him in the off season or he wouldn't have made
the team and subsequently played by the whole man. I
thought he looked really good. Yeah, he's had a good offseason,
you know, I think that you know, he's improved a
tremendous amount, and he keeps continues to work hard. The
(03:19):
Jefferson to Osbourne pass was right in front of Does
Justin Justin throw a catch a ball? Ball? I mean
was it a dime? Yeah? He throws he try was
a pretty good ball. We're trying to we're trying to
throw the feeling, but he was covered. Yeah. Do you
I mean potentially a dumb question here, but like when
he knows that's coming and then it's actually called, does
(03:40):
he like you have to make sure he doesn't get
too excited and overthrow the guy or something. No, he
throws it pretty well. Yeah, because all those athletes they
think they can do anything, run, throw, kick the whole thing.
Mike Zimmer Xes and Os Vikings Radio Network, the special teams.
What did you like about that from the Cincinnati game? Well,
(04:00):
I thought we flipped the field position pretty well. We
had a chance for a couple returns. I thought the
guys went down there hard and ran hard. We did
a thought in the coverage phases, you know, I thought guys,
guys showed up, We protected well, had a couple of good,
good punts. Connolly got through there. Did did he did
he tip that? I think he might have just tipped
(04:21):
it a little bit. You know, we wish that he'd
have got the whole thing and you know, could have
won the game for us there too. Wow, that's right.
And um and with Connolly, like obviously with Ryan Ficken
and Special teams, they scheme something they see and it works,
I would imagine. But I mean, it all just has
to come together right for a guy to get through
that past. Yeah, and um, you know they missed messed
(04:44):
up the blocking a little bit, and we had a
great opportunity and we just didn't quite get it done.
Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken follows the Mike Zimmer interview
after a short pause. When when you're running offense and
and Dalvin Cook is the identity of the offense and
you're seeing five man fronts and okay, so it's two
three six two and then you want to throw. But
(05:07):
then say the protection gets leaky, how do you handle
that double edged sword? Well, I think one of the
things that you got to do is, uh, you got
to bring more people into protect obviously, and you got
to take your shots one on one on the outside.
You know that they were daring us throw the football
at times the other day, and we need to take
advantage of it with with Kyler Murray this weekend. I mean,
(05:29):
you're gonna spend the entire practice week getting ready for
the plays and everything, and you're as good as the
NFL is seen at doing that. But what about the
off schedule improvisation fran Tarkington all over the play stuff.
I mean that that's I don't want to say it's
a concern, but like, how do you coach that? No,
that is a concern. You know, you have to try
to make sure you get your get your edges said.
You have to be very very diligent about when you
(05:53):
come up to him. You know, if you are a
free runner, you got to make sure that you're on
the upfield Schiller because you'll spin and get out. He's
faster than most guys on the field, and so you know,
we've got to do a good job there. Plus, they've
got a lot of quarterback draws in for him. They've
got quarterback zone reads. Uh, you know, speed option, a
lot of different a lot of different things. Well, moving forward, Mike,
(06:14):
if you mix the three four and the four three
like you did in that Cincinnati game, what if you
do what advantages should that give you moving forward in
the season, Well, it changes rules for offenses. They it
changes rules to get get into uh. You know, when
you're in a three down package, you know who who
are the edge edge players and who who the backs
have to block? It changes the line movement, um uh.
(06:38):
And same thing with a four down but um you
know on some of the wide zone plays, on some
of the um uh flash plays with the tight end
coming back, it stops it from expanding as far as
it normally does. And when you have an off season
with with four three defensive ends and you can stand
them up and do what you would do, what you're
doing or what you did. Is there a learning curve
(07:01):
with that when you get into regular season games. Well,
we played a little bit in the preseason just to
get a feel for it, just to make sure that
we can, you know, so those guys get a little
taste of it. But yeah, I'm sure you know, there's
more of a learning curve as you're installing it than
(07:21):
typically during the games. But you know, obviously you see
some different things. Cliff Kingsbury, coach of the Arizona Cardinals,
his offense, like what's his identity because I noticed when
Kyler Murray ran his touchdown and he had a couple
of defensive ends in the backfields left to Kyler or
went right, including J. J. Watt. That was different. Yeah,
there's a lot of different things. You know, they'll have
(07:43):
two backs on the same side, they'll have two tight
ends on the same side in the backfield, three backs
in the backfield at times, so you know it's it's
it's going to be a lot of studying this week. Technically,
if the season ended today, you'd be hosting Arizona in
the wildcard round. But you're you're early done with that bit,
and that's fine. Time for two more. How often do
(08:04):
you FaceTime your grandkids and does it bring you calm?
I have not FaceTime them because for some reason, my
FaceTime is not working. Whoa when they try, so we'll
use Higgen's phone. You won't let you get into his facetimes.
That might just cause a complete Pandora's box. Do do
do you? And last one, do do you? And other
(08:27):
coaches sleep well or get rest this time of the year,
specifically early in the week. I'm not trying to be
mister sleep number or like granddaddy here, but early in
the week, you guys just mash and grind and sleep
so important. Yeah, it was pretty rough this week so far.
You know, I was in here about four thirty this morning,
(08:48):
study till after nine o'clock, so you know, that's kind
of that's kind of the week. Now, the mugging of
the A gap is not invented by rolling in at
eight am. It's a fair way to look at it.
Possibly best for luck this week. Thanks for the chat,
all right, Thanks Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings,
and I'm Paul Allen. The Minnesota Lottery brings us x's
and OS and Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken is next
(09:11):
on the KFA N Minnesota Vikings or XES and OS
continues on the KFAN and Minnesota Vikings radio network. It
is courtesy of the Minnesota Lottery. Get pumped and say
I'm in to the new Vikings scratch game from the
Minnesota Lottery. Must be eighteen or older to play. Speaking
of saying I'm in, when general manager Rick Spielman and
(09:35):
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer approached Ryan Ficken and said,
would you like to be our Special teams Coordinator? He
said I'm in. And Ryan has been with the team
a decade and a half, working with the Special Team
since A twenty thirteen and Ryan Ficken joins us. Now, Ryan, sorry,
sorry about the loss. I saw your right after the game,
(09:55):
and you know you were emotional, like a lot of
coaches and players will get very tightly contested game. But um,
I'd like to begin with m Ryan Connolly and sneaking
through tipping a punt. I mean, he was so close
to blocking that punt when you watched it back, like
just how close was he? Uh? It was, you know,
(10:17):
it's not always how you draw it up, but I
mean he got free at the at the line of scrimmage,
and in that kind of situation, you know we need
to go ahead and make those plays. But you know,
I mean he was able to get a hand on it,
but uh, you know he left his feet and swattered
at if he just goes in runs right through it.
We got a great opportunity. But the great thing is,
I mean it's important to these guys, and we got
an opporunity to go ahead and then move forward to
(10:38):
you know, into this week to try and hopefully affect
the game and to help our team win a game.
Probably the dumbest question you'll get all week, but I'll
give it a try. Like, you know, when we watch
defense and Zimmer's mugging the the A gaps with Kendricks,
Barr or whomever, and and and we see defensive blitzes
and stuff. You know, people see that a lot. Offensively,
(10:58):
they'll see an offensive line and poll get to the
second level smash a linebacker. There goes Dalvin with special
teams plays like putting Connolly in a position or whomever
to do that. How hard is it crafting special teams plays? Yeah,
it's it's always trying to find that, you know, how
you can exploit their tendencies and what they do and
(11:20):
don't do well, and then what their tendencies are and
how we can take advantage of those situations. And and
we found it was a good opportunity to go ahead
and uh, you know, have Ryan and some of the
other players in there to go ahead and fall up
at that play and it's just utter now, just attitude,
and um, you know, we'll get another shot at it.
And I know Ryan, you know, present with that opportunity
again and he's gonna be able to come through and
(11:41):
get one those sometimes, So I mean, yeah, oh go ahead, No,
you got no like defense or offense. I mean, you
are designing plays, You're finding weaknesses, you're finding tendencies, hoping
they don't know that you've uncovered it and they haven't
fixed it. And that really is the nuance along with
motivating man, that's the nuance of attacking a punt team
(12:03):
or or or kick block or stuff like that, right exactly.
I mean we found out, you know, we thought we
could take advantage of a situation in their punts protection scheam,
and we try to exploited in the in the right time.
And then now it's just up to the Gays, you know,
exqun in and um you know, so you know, you know,
moving forward, I know that they're going to have a
great opportunity to go ahead and you know, connect with
(12:24):
one of those and it's going to be a good
thing for our football team. You having been with the
Vikings for fifteen years, um, I mean you've been up
and down with the kicker situations and everything. It's been up,
it's been down, and now you have Greg Joseph and
holy Cow cold Blooded from fifty three descended into overtime.
What what do you think about Greg Joseph, the new
(12:44):
Vikings kicker. You know, I'm excited for him right now,
and you know he's taking advantage of his fall opportunities
right now. Um. You know, but the way we talked
every you know Noledge, just with Greg, but with all
the special teams players is that we got to make sure,
you know, after that kick, I mean, there's a designing,
you know, And I was happy former I was happy
for our football team more more importantly, But after that kick,
we just try to decompress and we're like, all right,
(13:05):
we're on the next one, and we're moving on to
you know, to the next kickoff and overtime, and there's
there's great opportunity for us to go ahead and extend
that game. Unfortunately the looks of one at the end,
but you know, it's a long season. We got another
opportunity here coming up against the Cardinals and we're getting
that situation and getting have full commerents. That's gonna happen again,
and he's going to connect on those now the battery
Andrew Depaula got here, he got here last year and
(13:27):
he's done a wonderful job. But you're punter, is new,
which means you're holder is new. So in a short
amount of time, Ryan getting the battery squared away with
with with the new punter, Barry holding it the way
the new kicker wants it. Yeah, I mean we had
to go ahead, and I mean right when you know
Jordan came in on Monday. We had a longer week
last week. We were straight on the jugs working with
(13:49):
those guys you know holds. Greg was working with them,
talking to how he wants it specifically held and then
getting many reps week, live reps in practice on Monday
and Wednesday, and you know when today's were kicking, and
it's mainly it's just them developing a report one another
and then seeing how each other works. But the great
thing about these three guys that they're all three professionals
and their veterans, and that their craft is very important
(14:10):
to them, and they work really hard at what they do,
and that there's no h you know, there's no easy
recipe of why they're here. I mean, it's because they
work hard and a great at what they do. Eight
punts at Cincinnati for Jordan Berry, the Aussie punter, did
he have to ice his leg after the game, Holy gal.
And you know he did a good job of helping
us put the field. You know, there's always some things
(14:32):
that we can always improve on in terms of that
with the kicking. But when his number is called, we're
able to go ahead and uh, you know, trot him
out there and then you know, fuit the field and
I give that long that long field for a defense.
But um, there's always things that we continue to improve
on and we're working on now and you know, to
prepare for our Arizona. This is Minnesota Vikings Special teams
(14:53):
coordinator Ryan Ficken been working with the special team since
twenty thirteen and does the coordinator now twent d twenty
one and off that, Ryan, what what in your in
your early times of starting with special teams? What did
you learn from Mike Preefer that is helping you now? No,
I was very fortunate, bless to go ahead and work
(15:14):
with such a great coach and coach Preefer, and uh,
just learning about special teams and how affects the outcome
of the game and just the situations and making sure
you're you're accounting for you know, um, being sound and
with your linement in all phases. Uh, you know, and
just getting these guys to play hard and fast and
making it more simplistic of an approach. And that's kind
(15:37):
of what we're trying to carry over here. And uh,
you know, Coach zimmer And and his leadership, it's been
you know really um I would say, uh, an easy transition,
but it's it's smooth and it's been great and it's uh,
you know, really looking forward to our teamers. Uh, you know,
playing hard and uh, you know throughout the rest of
this year. Ryan, what's more stressful, uh two thousand and
four running with the balls in Pamplona, which you did,
(16:01):
or organizing special teams and the sideline during preseason games.
Oh well, I'll say this, Uh, I mean, dude, very similar,
would say, types of emotions. I mean, you got a
lot of journaline going, but I would say probably running
with the bulls in Pamplona would probably be easier. I
mean on the sideline and even preseason, regular season game
(16:22):
doesn't matter. I mean, just just the height of the
emotion of each play and how much it carries and
the value it carries for you know, the team, and
how it affects the game is you know, just so
so important. But I'll say that at the end of
the day. I mean, you're not looking to where you're
coming off the field, where's gonna be a big old horn,
you know, going up through the end. When you ran
with the balls in Pamplona, were you ever concerned that
(16:45):
you would be in peril that one of those horns
was going to gouge you. That was always a concern,
especially when they hit that horrid term uh and that
that very narrow street that they that you're running down
the corridor. But the big thing is as long as
you don't get in front of him and you just
run on the side. They don't have that peripheral vision,
so you can stay at harms way. It's more of
(17:06):
the people that were the more dangerous part of them
falling on the ground and then you getting tripped up
on them. What what do you like about D. D.
Westbrooks punt returning because from afar, I'm watching it through
my binoculars calling the game, And what an art to
be able to look at the guys running down at you,
then track the ball, then look back at the guys,
then track the ball. That's an arch Uh, yeah, it is.
(17:26):
I mean he's That's why I takes a special guy
to be able to do it. One. It's he's got
to be composed and he's got to uh, cartible and
confident in those situations because he's got guys coming down
running at him. He's got to make a split second decision.
You know, either I'm gonna fair catch it, I'm gonna
go ahead and return it. If I'm catching it, I
gotta go and make this guy miss. And it's got
to happen quickly. That's what's the difference between that and
(17:47):
kickoff kickoff returns. But you know, he does a great job.
He's very calm and collected and you know, work cited
for him and the production that you know, we're expecting
to get out of him this year, and and I
think some big things are going to happen, you know
with him. But I mean he gets going so quickly.
He's got the long speed to go ahead and take
of the distance and uh, you know, knock on what
he's doing a great job cuts from the balls and
(18:08):
tracking him with the Arizona unless something changes. What challenges
does rookie Rondale more pos kicks and return kicks and punts. Yeah,
he's he's a dynamic returner, as we say, and that
guy he's busted with the ball in his hands. So
we got to make sure we get around him, get
at his feet, and don't allow him get started. And
like on punt we always talked about, we got to
(18:29):
make sure we know where we punt and that's means
high quality punts and we can go ahead and force
those fair catches with great coverage, but we got to
protect first. But he is a dynamic returner. We got
to do a great job of coverage rolling him. And
we've been talking about with these guys and uh knowing
just as a punt return of the kickoff returner, he's shifted,
he's quick, he's got the speed to take of the distance,
and we got to make sure we don't allow him
to get going with Given you've been here a decade
(18:52):
and a half, whether it's the adversary or the Minnesota Vikings,
think for a second just how many great punting kick
returners you've seen, I mean all the way back to
Devin Hester in two thousand and seven, Dante Hall, Marcus
Sheryl's returning punts here, Cord Darryl Patterson. Maybe maybe the
greatest kick returner in the history of the game. Wow, man,
(19:13):
that's that's been a lot, yeah, a lot of special
guys and um and those are like you just listened
to some of the top ones. I mean from you
know Hester to Marcus Sherrell's to you know Patterson, but
then you know the Percy Harvins of the world. I means,
six folks from miss and it's a it's a rare talent.
You know that these guys have them, but they can
really impact a game on just one play. And that's
(19:35):
where we're trying to go ahead and create here. Lastly,
Amer Smith Marsett brought one out. He was deep in
the end zone. I think it was a twenty two
yard return. God bless the kid trying to make something happen.
But I mean he's one of the most accomplished kick returners.
Of course you know this and the history of the
Big Ten with that average in like twenty eight seven.
Ameer Abdullah's like fourth when he played with Nebraska. Lastly,
(19:57):
Amer Smith Marsett when he settles in, gets everything squared away.
What do you like about him? One? I love his
confidence and just how aggressive he wants to be and now,
I know there's a time and place when we want
him to be aggressive in those situations, and he needs
to understand those when that is. And that's just us
continue to work with him and make sure we over
(20:17):
communicate clarity with him about you know, when to bring
it out when not to be. But you know, it's
time's gonna come, and and we're excited for it, you know.
I mean, he's he's right there, and we've got to
continue to press forward and you know, um, you know
he's going to get that opportunity and why he hits
to see him and it's gonna be fun and exciting
to watch. But we've got to continue to develop him,
continue to have and grow and then he's learned on
every situation and every opportunity and and that's all he
(20:38):
wants to do. He just wants to continue to get better.
And and I love how professional he is, and he's
you know, he's eager to go ahead and say, hey,
I can take this to the distance. And I feel
that the ore guy's blocking for him. They sent the
energy and they've filled that confidence and so they loved
blocking for him too, and so they can't wait to
go ahead. And now Hopefully we get him to the
end on one of these and your time has arrived
(21:01):
very well deserved, great start. Best to luck this weekend
and I'll see you soon. Okay, appreciate pa, See you, buddy.
Ryan Ficken, special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, kickoff
the Viking season with country music star Dustin Lynch live
at the Commons at US Bank Stadium that is September
twenty sixth, leading up to the home opener against Seattle.
(21:23):
It's a free event open to the public and begins
at ten am, presented by Miller Litte in partnership with
K one O two. Visit Vikings dot com Slash Kickoff
Concert for details. I'm Paul Allen. That's XS and OS
on the KFA in Minnesota Vikings radio network.
It's time for x ands with Vikings head coach Mike
Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Now from the
TCO studios at Egan, here is Don't Voice of the Vikings,
Paul Allen XS and os KFAM Minnesota Vikings Radio Network
and Vikings dot Com. Indeed, underway, I have good news
(00:22):
for you. Would you like some good news? Technically, technically
you coach a first place team in the NFC North
Because the three who lost outside of the Minnesota Vikings
all lost NFC teams. You lost to an AFC team,
So technically rule four as the playoff tiebreakers go, you
(00:44):
have a five hundred record in the division, which means
you're coaching a first place operation into this Arizona game.
How does that make you feel? Not any better? Not
linger at what happened to the twenty four hour rule
from Cincinnati? I mean from just wins and law. Yeah,
we gotta get back to work. Yeah, and Arizona is
the bill of fare this weekend. It's another road game,
(01:06):
three o'clock on KFA and of the Vikings Radio Network.
Now back to Cincinnati, just for a second. Overall, looking
back at it, what do you think of their offense. Uh,
you know, like I said before, they had some good,
good skill players and the quarterback was was good and
then you know, I thought the running back ran hard.
Were you in any way shocked during the course of
(01:28):
the game when they went for a fourth and one
from the minus thirty at that stage of the game.
I don't think shocked? Was was the right? You know,
I've seen him do that several times. You know, I
was happy he did was well, obviously because you got
stopped stop mixing. But did that that turned the whole
thing around, didn't it? I mean, what was the bench like? Yeah?
(01:50):
It was good, I mean, you know, and then we
went down and scored a touchdown and got back really
got back into the game. Did you say anything to
their safety or get into him a little yelling from
the sideline when he was talking to your kicker as
he was walking up for the fifty three yarder to
tie it. I was talking to the official to try
and get down sports my conduct penalty. Oh so that's
(02:10):
what I was doing at the time. Okay, So so
that really that's that's like an unridden rule. You just
don't do things like that. Yeah, up to that moment, unsportsmanlike. Yeah,
how about Greg Joseph fifty three yards? Hit it pretty good. Yeah,
it's a good kick. That certainly was one of the
highlights of the game. Kirk Cousins, I felt came up
cold blood at the end of the game with Conklin
and kJ and theolin and obviously you had to have it. Overall,
(02:35):
What did you think of Kirk's game? I thought he
did well. You know, there was obviously some some different
looks and some pressures that he didn't have a lot
of time in some of some of the situations. But
you know, it was nice seeing in a two minute
drill run down, kJ made a great catch on fourth
and four. I believe it was in order for us
to get down there and kick the field goal. So um, yeah,
(02:58):
it was good. Did you see this coming with kJ?
I mean seven catches seventy six yards. I think he
was in for sixty seven snaps. I know you liked
him in the off season or he wouldn't have made
the team and subsequently played by the whole man. I
thought he looked really good. Yeah, he's had a good offseason,
you know, I think that you know, he's improved a
tremendous amount, and he keeps continues to work hard. The
(03:19):
Jefferson to Osbourne pass was right in front of Does
Justin Justin throw a catch a ball? Ball? I mean
was it a dime? Yeah? He throws he try was
a pretty good ball. We're trying to we're trying to
throw the feeling, but he was covered. Yeah. Do you
I mean potentially a dumb question here, but like when
he knows that's coming and then it's actually called, does
(03:40):
he like you have to make sure he doesn't get
too excited and overthrow the guy or something. No, he
throws it pretty well. Yeah, because all those athletes they
think they can do anything, run, throw, kick the whole thing.
Mike Zimmer Xes and Os Vikings Radio Network, the special teams.
What did you like about that from the Cincinnati game? Well,
(04:00):
I thought we flipped the field position pretty well. We
had a chance for a couple returns. I thought the
guys went down there hard and ran hard. We did
a thought in the coverage phases, you know, I thought guys,
guys showed up, We protected well, had a couple of good,
good punts. Connolly got through there. Did did he did
he tip that? I think he might have just tipped
(04:21):
it a little bit. You know, we wish that he'd
have got the whole thing and you know, could have
won the game for us there too. Wow, that's right.
And um and with Connolly, like obviously with Ryan Ficken
and Special teams, they scheme something they see and it works,
I would imagine. But I mean, it all just has
to come together right for a guy to get through
that past. Yeah, and um, you know they missed messed
(04:44):
up the blocking a little bit, and we had a
great opportunity and we just didn't quite get it done.
Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken follows the Mike Zimmer interview
after a short pause. When when you're running offense and
and Dalvin Cook is the identity of the offense and
you're seeing five man fronts and okay, so it's two
three six two and then you want to throw. But
(05:07):
then say the protection gets leaky, how do you handle
that double edged sword? Well, I think one of the
things that you got to do is, uh, you got
to bring more people into protect obviously, and you got
to take your shots one on one on the outside.
You know that they were daring us throw the football
at times the other day, and we need to take
advantage of it with with Kyler Murray this weekend. I mean,
(05:29):
you're gonna spend the entire practice week getting ready for
the plays and everything, and you're as good as the
NFL is seen at doing that. But what about the
off schedule improvisation fran Tarkington all over the play stuff.
I mean that that's I don't want to say it's
a concern, but like, how do you coach that? No,
that is a concern. You know, you have to try
to make sure you get your get your edges said.
You have to be very very diligent about when you
(05:53):
come up to him. You know, if you are a
free runner, you got to make sure that you're on
the upfield Schiller because you'll spin and get out. He's
faster than most guys on the field, and so you know,
we've got to do a good job there. Plus, they've
got a lot of quarterback draws in for him. They've
got quarterback zone reads. Uh, you know, speed option, a
lot of different a lot of different things. Well, moving forward, Mike,
(06:14):
if you mix the three four and the four three
like you did in that Cincinnati game, what if you
do what advantages should that give you moving forward in
the season, Well, it changes rules for offenses. They it
changes rules to get get into uh. You know, when
you're in a three down package, you know who who
are the edge edge players and who who the backs
have to block? It changes the line movement, um uh.
(06:38):
And same thing with a four down but um you
know on some of the wide zone plays, on some
of the um uh flash plays with the tight end
coming back, it stops it from expanding as far as
it normally does. And when you have an off season
with with four three defensive ends and you can stand
them up and do what you would do, what you're
doing or what you did. Is there a learning curve
(07:01):
with that when you get into regular season games. Well,
we played a little bit in the preseason just to
get a feel for it, just to make sure that
we can, you know, so those guys get a little
taste of it. But yeah, I'm sure you know, there's
more of a learning curve as you're installing it than
(07:21):
typically during the games. But you know, obviously you see
some different things. Cliff Kingsbury, coach of the Arizona Cardinals,
his offense, like what's his identity because I noticed when
Kyler Murray ran his touchdown and he had a couple
of defensive ends in the backfields left to Kyler or
went right, including J. J. Watt. That was different. Yeah,
there's a lot of different things. You know, they'll have
(07:43):
two backs on the same side, they'll have two tight
ends on the same side in the backfield, three backs
in the backfield at times, so you know it's it's
it's going to be a lot of studying this week. Technically,
if the season ended today, you'd be hosting Arizona in
the wildcard round. But you're you're early done with that bit,
and that's fine. Time for two more. How often do
(08:04):
you FaceTime your grandkids and does it bring you calm?
I have not FaceTime them because for some reason, my
FaceTime is not working. Whoa when they try, so we'll
use Higgen's phone. You won't let you get into his facetimes.
That might just cause a complete Pandora's box. Do do
do you? And last one, do do you? And other
(08:27):
coaches sleep well or get rest this time of the year,
specifically early in the week. I'm not trying to be
mister sleep number or like granddaddy here, but early in
the week, you guys just mash and grind and sleep
so important. Yeah, it was pretty rough this week so far.
You know, I was in here about four thirty this morning,
(08:48):
study till after nine o'clock, so you know, that's kind
of that's kind of the week. Now, the mugging of
the A gap is not invented by rolling in at
eight am. It's a fair way to look at it.
Possibly best for luck this week. Thanks for the chat,
all right, Thanks Mike Zimmer, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings,
and I'm Paul Allen. The Minnesota Lottery brings us x's
and OS and Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken is next
(09:11):
on the KFA N Minnesota Vikings or XES and OS
continues on the KFAN and Minnesota Vikings radio network. It
is courtesy of the Minnesota Lottery. Get pumped and say
I'm in to the new Vikings scratch game from the
Minnesota Lottery. Must be eighteen or older to play. Speaking
of saying I'm in, when general manager Rick Spielman and
(09:35):
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer approached Ryan Ficken and said,
would you like to be our Special teams Coordinator? He
said I'm in. And Ryan has been with the team
a decade and a half, working with the Special Team
since A twenty thirteen and Ryan Ficken joins us. Now, Ryan, sorry,
sorry about the loss. I saw your right after the game,
(09:55):
and you know you were emotional, like a lot of
coaches and players will get very tightly contested game. But um,
I'd like to begin with m Ryan Connolly and sneaking
through tipping a punt. I mean, he was so close
to blocking that punt when you watched it back, like
just how close was he? Uh? It was, you know,
(10:17):
it's not always how you draw it up, but I
mean he got free at the at the line of scrimmage,
and in that kind of situation, you know we need
to go ahead and make those plays. But you know,
I mean he was able to get a hand on it,
but uh, you know he left his feet and swattered
at if he just goes in runs right through it.
We got a great opportunity. But the great thing is,
I mean it's important to these guys, and we got
an opporunity to go ahead and then move forward to
(10:38):
you know, into this week to try and hopefully affect
the game and to help our team win a game.
Probably the dumbest question you'll get all week, but I'll
give it a try. Like, you know, when we watch
defense and Zimmer's mugging the the A gaps with Kendricks,
Barr or whomever, and and and we see defensive blitzes
and stuff. You know, people see that a lot. Offensively,
(10:58):
they'll see an offensive line and poll get to the
second level smash a linebacker. There goes Dalvin with special
teams plays like putting Connolly in a position or whomever
to do that. How hard is it crafting special teams plays? Yeah,
it's it's always trying to find that, you know, how
you can exploit their tendencies and what they do and
(11:20):
don't do well, and then what their tendencies are and
how we can take advantage of those situations. And and
we found it was a good opportunity to go ahead
and uh, you know, have Ryan and some of the
other players in there to go ahead and fall up
at that play and it's just utter now, just attitude,
and um, you know, we'll get another shot at it.
And I know Ryan, you know, present with that opportunity
again and he's gonna be able to come through and
(11:41):
get one those sometimes, So I mean, yeah, oh go ahead, No,
you got no like defense or offense. I mean, you
are designing plays, You're finding weaknesses, you're finding tendencies, hoping
they don't know that you've uncovered it and they haven't
fixed it. And that really is the nuance along with
motivating man, that's the nuance of attacking a punt team
(12:03):
or or or kick block or stuff like that, right exactly.
I mean we found out, you know, we thought we
could take advantage of a situation in their punts protection scheam,
and we try to exploited in the in the right time.
And then now it's just up to the Gays, you know,
exqun in and um you know, so you know, you know,
moving forward, I know that they're going to have a
great opportunity to go ahead and you know, connect with
(12:24):
one of those and it's going to be a good
thing for our football team. You having been with the
Vikings for fifteen years, um, I mean you've been up
and down with the kicker situations and everything. It's been up,
it's been down, and now you have Greg Joseph and
holy Cow cold Blooded from fifty three descended into overtime.
What what do you think about Greg Joseph, the new
(12:44):
Vikings kicker. You know, I'm excited for him right now,
and you know he's taking advantage of his fall opportunities
right now. Um. You know, but the way we talked
every you know Noledge, just with Greg, but with all
the special teams players is that we got to make sure,
you know, after that kick, I mean, there's a designing,
you know, And I was happy former I was happy
for our football team more more importantly, But after that kick,
we just try to decompress and we're like, all right,
(13:05):
we're on the next one, and we're moving on to
you know, to the next kickoff and overtime, and there's
there's great opportunity for us to go ahead and extend
that game. Unfortunately the looks of one at the end,
but you know, it's a long season. We got another
opportunity here coming up against the Cardinals and we're getting
that situation and getting have full commerents. That's gonna happen again,
and he's going to connect on those now the battery
Andrew Depaula got here, he got here last year and
(13:27):
he's done a wonderful job. But you're punter, is new,
which means you're holder is new. So in a short
amount of time, Ryan getting the battery squared away with
with with the new punter, Barry holding it the way
the new kicker wants it. Yeah, I mean we had
to go ahead, and I mean right when you know
Jordan came in on Monday. We had a longer week
last week. We were straight on the jugs working with
(13:49):
those guys you know holds. Greg was working with them,
talking to how he wants it specifically held and then
getting many reps week, live reps in practice on Monday
and Wednesday, and you know when today's were kicking, and
it's mainly it's just them developing a report one another
and then seeing how each other works. But the great
thing about these three guys that they're all three professionals
and their veterans, and that their craft is very important
(14:10):
to them, and they work really hard at what they do,
and that there's no h you know, there's no easy
recipe of why they're here. I mean, it's because they
work hard and a great at what they do. Eight
punts at Cincinnati for Jordan Berry, the Aussie punter, did
he have to ice his leg after the game, Holy gal.
And you know he did a good job of helping
us put the field. You know, there's always some things
(14:32):
that we can always improve on in terms of that
with the kicking. But when his number is called, we're
able to go ahead and uh, you know, trot him
out there and then you know, fuit the field and
I give that long that long field for a defense.
But um, there's always things that we continue to improve
on and we're working on now and you know, to
prepare for our Arizona. This is Minnesota Vikings Special teams
(14:53):
coordinator Ryan Ficken been working with the special team since
twenty thirteen and does the coordinator now twent d twenty
one and off that, Ryan, what what in your in
your early times of starting with special teams? What did
you learn from Mike Preefer that is helping you now? No,
I was very fortunate, bless to go ahead and work
(15:14):
with such a great coach and coach Preefer, and uh,
just learning about special teams and how affects the outcome
of the game and just the situations and making sure
you're you're accounting for you know, um, being sound and
with your linement in all phases. Uh, you know, and
just getting these guys to play hard and fast and
making it more simplistic of an approach. And that's kind
(15:37):
of what we're trying to carry over here. And uh,
you know, Coach zimmer And and his leadership, it's been
you know really um I would say, uh, an easy transition,
but it's it's smooth and it's been great and it's uh,
you know, really looking forward to our teamers. Uh, you know,
playing hard and uh, you know throughout the rest of
this year. Ryan, what's more stressful, uh two thousand and
four running with the balls in Pamplona, which you did,
(16:01):
or organizing special teams and the sideline during preseason games.
Oh well, I'll say this, Uh, I mean, dude, very similar,
would say, types of emotions. I mean, you got a
lot of journaline going, but I would say probably running
with the bulls in Pamplona would probably be easier. I
mean on the sideline and even preseason, regular season game
(16:22):
doesn't matter. I mean, just just the height of the
emotion of each play and how much it carries and
the value it carries for you know, the team, and
how it affects the game is you know, just so
so important. But I'll say that at the end of
the day. I mean, you're not looking to where you're
coming off the field, where's gonna be a big old horn,
you know, going up through the end. When you ran
with the balls in Pamplona, were you ever concerned that
(16:45):
you would be in peril that one of those horns
was going to gouge you. That was always a concern,
especially when they hit that horrid term uh and that
that very narrow street that they that you're running down
the corridor. But the big thing is as long as
you don't get in front of him and you just
run on the side. They don't have that peripheral vision,
so you can stay at harms way. It's more of
(17:06):
the people that were the more dangerous part of them
falling on the ground and then you getting tripped up
on them. What what do you like about D. D.
Westbrooks punt returning because from afar, I'm watching it through
my binoculars calling the game, And what an art to
be able to look at the guys running down at you,
then track the ball, then look back at the guys,
then track the ball. That's an arch Uh, yeah, it is.
(17:26):
I mean he's That's why I takes a special guy
to be able to do it. One. It's he's got
to be composed and he's got to uh, cartible and
confident in those situations because he's got guys coming down
running at him. He's got to make a split second decision.
You know, either I'm gonna fair catch it, I'm gonna
go ahead and return it. If I'm catching it, I
gotta go and make this guy miss. And it's got
to happen quickly. That's what's the difference between that and
(17:47):
kickoff kickoff returns. But you know, he does a great job.
He's very calm and collected and you know, work cited
for him and the production that you know, we're expecting
to get out of him this year, and and I
think some big things are going to happen, you know
with him. But I mean he gets going so quickly.
He's got the long speed to go ahead and take
of the distance and uh, you know, knock on what
he's doing a great job cuts from the balls and
(18:08):
tracking him with the Arizona unless something changes. What challenges
does rookie Rondale more pos kicks and return kicks and punts. Yeah,
he's he's a dynamic returner, as we say, and that
guy he's busted with the ball in his hands. So
we got to make sure we get around him, get
at his feet, and don't allow him get started. And
like on punt we always talked about, we got to
(18:29):
make sure we know where we punt and that's means
high quality punts and we can go ahead and force
those fair catches with great coverage, but we got to
protect first. But he is a dynamic returner. We got
to do a great job of coverage rolling him. And
we've been talking about with these guys and uh knowing
just as a punt return of the kickoff returner, he's shifted,
he's quick, he's got the speed to take of the distance,
and we got to make sure we don't allow him
to get going with Given you've been here a decade
(18:52):
and a half, whether it's the adversary or the Minnesota Vikings,
think for a second just how many great punting kick
returners you've seen, I mean all the way back to
Devin Hester in two thousand and seven, Dante Hall, Marcus
Sheryl's returning punts here, Cord Darryl Patterson. Maybe maybe the
greatest kick returner in the history of the game. Wow, man,
(19:13):
that's that's been a lot, yeah, a lot of special
guys and um and those are like you just listened
to some of the top ones. I mean from you
know Hester to Marcus Sherrell's to you know Patterson, but
then you know the Percy Harvins of the world. I means,
six folks from miss and it's a it's a rare talent.
You know that these guys have them, but they can
really impact a game on just one play. And that's
(19:35):
where we're trying to go ahead and create here. Lastly,
Amer Smith Marsett brought one out. He was deep in
the end zone. I think it was a twenty two
yard return. God bless the kid trying to make something happen.
But I mean he's one of the most accomplished kick returners.
Of course you know this and the history of the
Big Ten with that average in like twenty eight seven.
Ameer Abdullah's like fourth when he played with Nebraska. Lastly,
(19:57):
Amer Smith Marsett when he settles in, gets everything squared away.
What do you like about him? One? I love his
confidence and just how aggressive he wants to be and now,
I know there's a time and place when we want
him to be aggressive in those situations, and he needs
to understand those when that is. And that's just us
continue to work with him and make sure we over
(20:17):
communicate clarity with him about you know, when to bring
it out when not to be. But you know, it's
time's gonna come, and and we're excited for it, you know.
I mean, he's he's right there, and we've got to
continue to press forward and you know, um, you know
he's going to get that opportunity and why he hits
to see him and it's gonna be fun and exciting
to watch. But we've got to continue to develop him,
continue to have and grow and then he's learned on
every situation and every opportunity and and that's all he
(20:38):
wants to do. He just wants to continue to get better.
And and I love how professional he is, and he's
you know, he's eager to go ahead and say, hey,
I can take this to the distance. And I feel
that the ore guy's blocking for him. They sent the
energy and they've filled that confidence and so they loved
blocking for him too, and so they can't wait to
go ahead. And now Hopefully we get him to the
end on one of these and your time has arrived
(21:01):
very well deserved, great start. Best to luck this weekend
and I'll see you soon. Okay, appreciate pa, See you, buddy.
Ryan Ficken, special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, kickoff
the Viking season with country music star Dustin Lynch live
at the Commons at US Bank Stadium that is September
twenty sixth, leading up to the home opener against Seattle.
(21:23):
It's a free event open to the public and begins
at ten am, presented by Miller Litte in partnership with
K one O two. Visit Vikings dot com Slash Kickoff
Concert for details. I'm Paul Allen. That's XS and OS
on the KFA in Minnesota Vikings radio network.
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