September 9, 2020 • 21 mins
On the first edition fo Xs and Os of the 2020 season, Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen chats with head coach Mike Zimmer and Vikings special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf as the team gets set to take on the Green Bay Packers.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's time for XS and ohs with Vikings head coach
Mike Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Now from
the TCO Studios in Egan. Here is do police of
the Vikings, Paul Ellen. Hey, what's going on? It's Paul Allen,
play by play guy for the Minnesota Vikings. Exes and
OS with Mike Zimmer is presented by US Bank. This
(00:27):
is the inaugural edition for the twenty twenty season Vikings
and Packers noon FM one hundred point three kfa N
and the Vikings Radio Network, and the head coach joins us. Now, Mike,
how has the week been? Green Bay is in town Sunday.
That's been good, Paul, It's been busy but good. You know,
we've been focusing our attention on the Green Bay and
(00:50):
the things we have to do to try to beat them. Now, you'll,
of course miss the fans, and I know that bugs
juice specifically from maybe from a defensive standpoint, I don't know,
But once the game gets going, the rivalry will take over.
Do you sense business as usual even a little bit? Well? Yeah,
I think once we get on the field and we
(01:12):
start playing, well, everybody to be concentrating on doing their
job and trying to perform the best of their ability.
You like these games versus Green Bay more than most games. Well,
they're a really good football team. You know, they went
to NFC Championship game last year. Uh, you know, if
you've got some terrific personnel, they've been their coach really well,
(01:35):
and so you know it'll be a tough test for us.
So we'll have to go out there and we'll play. Well,
how long has the game plan for this specific game
been ready? It's just normal week really, I mean, you know,
obviously we've watched them quite a bit and we know
them fairly well as as they do with us. But
(01:56):
you know, we try not to get too too far
ahead with the game plan. We get two players in
the other day and had had them kind of go
through the basics of it, and we'll hit it again
the rest of the week. Now, speaking of you know,
trying to find normalcy, you know, with with a game
with no fans. When it when it comes to being
a Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center or the protocol that's
(02:17):
coming for game day at US Bank Stadium, is it
in any way becoming normal or do you have to
kind of rethink some things as you move along. Well,
the protocols change a little bit each and every day,
and so those things change a little bit. But as
far as the testing and the meetings and practice and
(02:38):
things like that, it's it's pretty much normal now. Now
with the Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Mikey's yards per attempt
has been down since you came into the division. He's
a Hall of Fame quarterback. We know that, no trash
talking number twelve, But how do you expect him to
operate this season? Are things different with Aaron? I really
(02:59):
don't think so. I mean, you know, he's I've got
the utmost respect for him. He's an unbelievable player. He
can make all the throws. He's very very smart, sees
sees all the different types of pressures and coverages, and
you know, he's he's just an unbelievable player. And uh,
you know he's he's still got great legs to move
(03:20):
around in the pocket, you know, at thirty four or
whatever he is and um, you know, and can make
all the throws. So, uh, he's always a tough, tough
competitor and a and a tough tough guy to defend.
How about your quarterback, Mike Kirk Cousins. What whether it's
virtually or the last month and change, including training camp,
(03:41):
what are you liking about him? Well, I think Kirk's
done a really nice job of you know, he's starting
to show a lot more fire at practice, showing a
lot more emotions. I think he feels so much more
comfortable in the offense with with being basically the same. Uh,
you know, and we're and obviously we're trying to play
to his strengths like like you know, we always have
(04:02):
and try to do the best we can there. But uh,
Kirk's done nice job taking leadership role and uh, and
I think it feels really good about things. XS and
os KFA N Vikings Radio Network and the Vikings dot
Com with Mike zimmer, Head, coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Courtesy of US Bank. Now, do you do you think
in the in the arenas, the stadiums where there will
(04:24):
be no fans initially, do you think that will impact
defenses at all around the NFL? Well, I don't. I
don't really know yet. Uh, you know, it's it's a
little bit like maybe some preseason games as far as
the atmosphere, you know, it's not as cranked up, and
but you still go out there and yeah, I think
your competitive juices start flowing and you start going. Uh,
(04:47):
you know, I think we'll be ready to go, and
I'm sure they will be too. Oh you've seen a lot,
you know, You've got that Super Bowl ring with the
Dallas Cowboys. You've seen so much over so many decades.
But I mean with this offseason, tackling and and and
just conditioning and everything. You know, even though everything's been
done well here since you got them back, but tackling
(05:08):
in that first game for everybody, I mean, that could
be weird. Yeah, it'll be a little bit different, you know,
quarterbacks getting hit, tackling. Uh, you know, maybe seeing different
things that you haven't seen. That's that's typical of a
first ball game. But uh, you know, I do think
that there's a possibility we may have to play a
few more players, uh not known you know that if
(05:29):
they can go sixty five or seventy plays in the
first ball game, and you certainly don't want to wear
them out for the rest of the year. Now, so
many familiar names from twenty nineteen gone on defense, that's
not necessarily a bad thing in some cases of my opinion.
But with the with the new guys that you have,
what are you appreciating about their energy? Well, you know,
(05:51):
I think the biggest thing Paul with with the new guys,
they're they're just really hungry to learn. You know, it's
like going back to to to step one with with
a lot of the players when we first got here. Uh,
you know, they're they're very eager to learn. They're they're
very receptive to coaching. Not that the guys we had weren't. Um,
but if you just get to go back and go
(06:11):
back to the basics and um, you know, I think
there'll be some some new energy. Um. You know, we'll
find out if they can play against somebody else right now.
Now with with Green Bay, of course we know they
have Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams, the b YU kid.
They add aj Dillon second round pick, the big kid
from Boston College. What do you think about him? Well,
(06:31):
I think he's a good back. Uh. You know, Aaron
Jones is a tremendous, tremendous back. He does a great
job and his route running, he does a great job
of falling forward with the football. Uh sees great, seems
he's a terrific back. We're gonna have to do a
great job on him. Um, But I think all three
of their backs, you know, and Williams does a nice job.
(06:52):
He's a little bit more of a power back for
him and maybe a little bit more protection. But uh,
I think we'll we'll see all three of them and
it'll be a toime. It'll be a good test for
us try and get the runs stop. We didn't do
a good job against it last year, especially in the
first ball game, and we'll have to do better this year. Now, Mike,
with your defensive coordinators line coach and Ray Patterson linebackers
(07:12):
coach Adam Zimmer with those roles, does anything change with
them day of game? Like during the game, not not
too much. You know, they'll they'll still give me suggestions
and still give me ideas, and you know, I'll use
their eyes just as much. There'll be times when they'll
they'll have to take over and while I'm doing something
(07:33):
else with the offense or special teams, and so we're
prepared to do that. You while you feel okay about
your middle pass rush into that first game, because I
mean it is a land of opportunity, and there specifically
the three technique spot. If somebody jumps up, I mean, shoot,
there's a lot of playing time potentially. Yeah, I think
we got an opportunity there to do some good things.
(07:53):
You know, armand Watts is look good in practice, and
Hercules has done a nice job. So we'll try to well,
you know, we're going to always try to pressure the
quarterback and uh, you know, obviously he's a hard guy
to pressure, but we'll do our best. Maybe there can
be some type of drill where you have Unique and
Doc way A Faudio Dnibo and Hercules mata Off all together.
(08:17):
I mean to be like the all consonant group, you know, right,
it'd be tougher for you than it will be for me.
An opportunity to sign Pisa Tinoisamoa too, probably even though
he's reach hired Mike zmarex Is and those couple of
quickies to close here, it's since you got here in
twenty fourteen, he was here a couple of years before you.
Harrison Smith, What what's it like coaching Harrison Smith? Well,
(08:40):
that's pretty easy to coach him. Uh, you know, he
you're able to talk to him about certain things, doing
things different ways. So come up and ask me, you know,
a question the other day, came up and asked a
question about something that we put in for Green Bay,
and uh, you know, being able to explain the things
to him was so much different now than it was,
you know, back and back at the beginning of things.
(09:02):
But Harrison's a terrific player, makes a lot of plays.
Uh sees a lot of things, very smart and in
his disguises and uh, and it has been good tackler
as well. One of your corners, Holton Hill. You guys
have given him wonderful, wonderful chances not only out of Texas,
but but but last season with the first half of
the season. When when Holton, when everything's going well with Holton,
(09:26):
what does he do well that you really like? Well,
Holton's a very good athlete. He's got great length, you know,
he's about six two runs really well um uses his hands,
uh not really really well on the receivers. So uh,
you know, it's it's really consistency with him just making
sure that each each and every time he goes out there,
(09:46):
he's the same guy and uh continues to use the
same technique. Now with all these rookies, whether it's Cam Danceller,
Jeff Gladney whomever, Justin Jefferson offensively with Justin pay would
be required, right because of the virtual off season and
just everything being so new. He's a first round pick,
he's high end, he's played inside and outside. But you
(10:09):
might have to be patient early, right, Well, I don't know.
I think you know. Our expectations for him are very high.
He's done a really nice job and in the things
that we're asking him to do. He catches ball, terrific runs,
good routes, been working really really hard at all the
different alignments and emotions and the shifts and things like
(10:30):
that that they have to do offensively. So but we
have high expectations for not only him, for all of
our guys. How about this your quarterback, kicker and punter
situation stable into the first game. That's good news, isn't it. Yeah,
it's it's a little bit of almost a first for us. Hey,
that's the luck to you this year. Okay, thanks for
doing the show, all right, Paul, Thank you? Yes, sir.
(10:50):
Mike zimmer Head, coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Exes and
OS is presented by US Bank by the way, Miller
Lite is celebrating the Viking sixtieth season with a limited
edition sixtieth Season. Can pick up one today at your
local retailer. XS and OS continues around the corner on
the KFA N Minnesota Vikings or Radio. XS and OS
(11:22):
on the KFA in Minnesota Vikings Radio Network continues. Very
special guests joining us shortly, and we thank Mike Zimmer
for starting the inaugural XS and os for the twenty
twenty season. By the way, it's Game Day any day.
Play the new Vikings scratch game from the Minnesota Lottery
with a top prize of one hundred thousand dollars. Are
(11:43):
you game? Just say I'm in? Get more details at
m N lottery dot com. Marjuan maloof second season coordinating
special teams for the Minnesota Vikings joins us now on
XS and os. How have you been, my friend? I
haven't seen you in quite some time. I know, man,
I'm doing I'm doing great. It's good to see you finally,
(12:03):
So was it Were you doing well a few weeks
ago when you didn't have preseason games to organize this
uh special team's piece. I missed the preseason games. I
bet you not many people can say that, But from
a special teams coach perspective, you know, it's a really
good indicator and a good tool that we use to
get these guys ready. But you know, I love how
(12:26):
hard our guys have been working too, you know, and
we've been able to create some situations in practice thanks
to coach zimmer Um and you know, kind of find
out where where the pieces will hopefully fit this this Sunday.
So when it comes to coordinating special teams and the preseason, Marje,
when when you have all these rookies who eventually made
the team. You got the Penn State track guy Jasenna
who also made the team maybe because of his special
(12:48):
team's prowess. Yet you don't have those preseason games for
players like that, the younger players. How difficult is it
jumping in there and like take somebody's job. Yeah, no,
that's a great question. You know he's actually been doing
a great job with the details of it, you know, Pa,
Like you know the thing that you're right, you can't
(13:10):
ever mimic a game, a preseason game, and you know
what we have to try to create and practice are
those situations where there's a lot of pressure. Um, you know,
there's there's a lot of things going on. It could
be right after a team period, then all of a sudden,
you know we're going into punt, We're going into a
kickoff period, which is you know what what coach has
kind of done a little bit, and you know, we
(13:31):
have to take what, you know what what's given to us.
I mean, everybody's in the same boat. You know. I
don't know any other teams that have any preseason games,
So you know, we got to take that and then
be as detailed as we possibly can and just let
him understand how fast everything is going to happen. I mean,
I think that's that's the thing that you can never mimic,
is the speed of the game at this level. You know,
(13:51):
it's it's just so much faster than the college game,
you know, And and Marwan I and viewing it from Afar,
I've always felt an underrated facet of special team specific
in the preseason responsibility and organization where I mean, like
Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah are fantastic on special teams. Now,
if Cook and Madison are going the right way, then
(14:12):
Abdullah and Boom probably won't be playing a ton of offense.
So therefore, when it's their opportunity to get into a game,
you've got to make sure you're paying attention. Specifically if
like it's a twelve plate drive and all of a
sudden it stops with a punt, you know, and you
got lulled to sleep a li'll the responsibility and organization standpoint,
(14:32):
you know that probably was missed in the preseason. No,
you're you're you're right there. I mean, those are the
moving pieces of the puzzle that that you talk about,
and you know, the alertness that you have to have,
and and just the knowledge of the depth and who's
gotten what reps it what and who we can switch around.
If you know, if one of those guys that you
talked about, whether it's Boon or a miror Um, goes
(14:54):
into a game, like how you know, how do we
replace him? You know, if you just ran a nine route,
like what's what's the next move? And you're right, you
know that that's something that Ryan and I constantly think
of and we're constantly talking through and I think that's
important and we have to keep doing that, especially more
so this first game, until you know, we get the
cobwebs out so to speak, and Ryan being Ryan Thick
(15:14):
and a longtime special teams assistant coach here worked with
Prefer now works with Marjan Malouf and the special teams
coordinator is on X's and os on the KFA and
Vikings radio network. When I laid out those names, Marjuan,
I didn't put CJ. Hamm in, you know, because as
a fullback who now all of a sudden is catching
passes like he did last year. You know, CJ plays
(15:34):
a fair amount on offense. But man, has he become
a good special teams guy, right? He really has. I mean,
you know it's funny because you know he was he
was like the example, he was my he was my
clinic tape this offseason because all he does, all CJ.
Hamm does is everything the right way, you know, And
he's somebody I have so much respect for as a pro.
(15:57):
How he conducts himself, you know, on and off the field, yield,
you know, what he's like in meetings, how he mentors
those young guys, how he gets everybody you know going. Um.
I can't ever say enough good things about CJ and
my respect for him and how he plays the game,
whether it's offense, uh, special teams and how he approaches it.
He's outstanding cornerback. Chris Boyd was a demon for you
(16:19):
last year, you know, and again this is a corner
from Texas who wants to play corner And now all
of a sudden, with Rhodes, Alexander and Wayne's gone, you know,
maybe he'll get an opportunity to play a lot. We
got sixteen games coming up beginning this weekend. But that
wasn't the case last year. And man, did he embrace
playing special teams. He was a fantastic gunner. Do you
expect even better this year? I do? You know, I
(16:43):
think it's going to depend on his role with the defense,
but you just said it there, you know, Pa, he
embraced his role. And that's what we talked to these
guys about from day one, is you know, embracing your
role what we're going to carve out for you. You know,
whether it's you know, playing a rep of gunner or um,
you know, being somewhere on kickoff or kickoff return, you know,
(17:04):
whatever we decide that we're gonna put him on. You know,
he's he's done a great job of embracing it. And
you know, taking it as his own and and that's
all you can ask for from any player. And I
think our guys for the most part, have done that
really well. Here. Can you imagine Hercules Matafa as a gunner? No, No,
(17:24):
I can't No. But he's fast, he's try. Love her
I love her Man. There's one guy, you know, I
always I always messed around with her and he's He's
a He's got a great personality and great sense of humor,
you know. But uh, man, there's there's been some big
gunners out there in the past. Remember Dahlias Thomas a
long time ago. Um, and you know, like Bart Scott.
(17:44):
I think I've had played gunner for me when I
was in Baltimore. But uh, Hurt's a big man, man.
He's a bigger guy than a lot of people think.
So so wait, you were in Baltimore when a Dahlias
Thomas played gunner? That was he was. He was on
his way out. He was I think in New England
at the time. But I remember Bartsco had Bart Scott.
We had a guy named Antoine Barnes who was a
(18:05):
linebacker that played gunner. Yeah, I mean you whoever's on
the roster and who if you run that four or five,
you know we're putting you out there. Let's go, Hey,
what if Harbaugh actually became super mad at Matt Burke
one day and he's like, you're playing gunner in this
next game? How would how or in the or being
one of the vice guys, how would Matt do? I
(18:25):
think I think, and knowing how competitive Matt is, I
think as soon as the ball would be snapped, he
just runs straight to the sideline. He's like, I can't
do that. I'm not doing that has no way. But
so put somebody else in or something like that, that
ain't happen. And you know, now he could come in
and protect We could put him like we could take
a tackle out and just put him on the entire
right side of the putt interior and have him like,
(18:47):
you know, protect two guys. But other than that, my
man's my man's not covering any kicks. Harvard educated. That's
why this is Marjuan malouf second season coordinating special teams
for the Minnesota Vikings on x's and o's um kJ
Osborne tell us about the rookie Kane, what do you
like about him? You know he approaches the game with
(19:08):
a really serious attitude to ask a lot of good questions,
you know, Um, and you know we always talks as coaches. Hey,
there's no such thing as a stupid question, and there
really isn't. I mean, he gets really really detailed with
everything in his game. He wants to know, um, you
know about the opponents, you know who he's possibly going against. Um,
you know, regardless of what position we have from at
(19:30):
and and that's the great thing about him is is
you know he could there's a there's a chance he
could be a really good, um, you know, football player
from every perspective, whether it's special teams or uh you know,
even on offense. So UM, I really like his approach
and you know, you love his size, you love his speed, um,
and everything that he gives you in those in those regards. Now,
(19:50):
anybody else jumping out at you, Um, you know with
Eric Wilson, C J. Ham, Mike Boone, Amir Abdula, they
have equity. But we talked about Osborne just I know
a little bit if he's ever active. But um, anybody
else jumping out you know, we have we have a
good group of you know young dbs. Um, you know,
I like what Gladne does. I love what uh you
(20:11):
know Dandler does. Um and you know, Pa like this
is the year. I'll tell you what. There's a you know,
I heard it before somewhere, maybe like last week. But
you know, it's a good to have a veteran group
this year, you know. Um. And and I think like
we have the right mix of veteran and young guys
because now those young guys can really kind of pay attention,
(20:32):
and they have paid attention to a lot of the
veterans while we've taken some of our reps, and they've
learned a lot from these guys, you know, Mike Hughes
and and uh, you know Holton Hill. I mean those
are those are really good guys that kind of you know,
uh kind of follow your game after and uh and
but I do like our DBS a lot, you know,
and and and I think that they have a good chance. Hey, Marje,
(20:54):
best to luck this season. Great catching up with you
and uh go be Green Bay. Okay, take care of
my yet us love you yep, see you, buddy. Marjuan Malouk,
special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Concluding XS and
OS and XS and o's Weekly with Mike Zimmer is
presented by US Bank, the official bank of the Minnesota Vikings,
(21:14):
and I'm Paul Allen. Thank you very much for listening
Vikings and Packers at noon coming up Sunday on the
KFA and Minnesota Vikings Radio Network
It's time for XS and ohs with Vikings head coach
Mike Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Now from
the TCO Studios in Egan. Here is do police of
the Vikings, Paul Ellen. Hey, what's going on? It's Paul Allen,
play by play guy for the Minnesota Vikings. Exes and
OS with Mike Zimmer is presented by US Bank. This
(00:27):
is the inaugural edition for the twenty twenty season Vikings
and Packers noon FM one hundred point three kfa N
and the Vikings Radio Network, and the head coach joins us. Now, Mike,
how has the week been? Green Bay is in town Sunday.
That's been good, Paul, It's been busy but good. You know,
we've been focusing our attention on the Green Bay and
(00:50):
the things we have to do to try to beat them. Now, you'll,
of course miss the fans, and I know that bugs
juice specifically from maybe from a defensive standpoint, I don't know,
But once the game gets going, the rivalry will take over.
Do you sense business as usual even a little bit? Well? Yeah,
I think once we get on the field and we
(01:12):
start playing, well, everybody to be concentrating on doing their
job and trying to perform the best of their ability.
You like these games versus Green Bay more than most games. Well,
they're a really good football team. You know, they went
to NFC Championship game last year. Uh, you know, if
you've got some terrific personnel, they've been their coach really well,
(01:35):
and so you know it'll be a tough test for us.
So we'll have to go out there and we'll play. Well,
how long has the game plan for this specific game
been ready? It's just normal week really, I mean, you know,
obviously we've watched them quite a bit and we know
them fairly well as as they do with us. But
(01:56):
you know, we try not to get too too far
ahead with the game plan. We get two players in
the other day and had had them kind of go
through the basics of it, and we'll hit it again
the rest of the week. Now, speaking of you know,
trying to find normalcy, you know, with with a game
with no fans. When it when it comes to being
a Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center or the protocol that's
(02:17):
coming for game day at US Bank Stadium, is it
in any way becoming normal or do you have to
kind of rethink some things as you move along. Well,
the protocols change a little bit each and every day,
and so those things change a little bit. But as
far as the testing and the meetings and practice and
(02:38):
things like that, it's it's pretty much normal now. Now
with the Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Mikey's yards per attempt
has been down since you came into the division. He's
a Hall of Fame quarterback. We know that, no trash
talking number twelve, But how do you expect him to
operate this season? Are things different with Aaron? I really
(02:59):
don't think so. I mean, you know, he's I've got
the utmost respect for him. He's an unbelievable player. He
can make all the throws. He's very very smart, sees
sees all the different types of pressures and coverages, and
you know, he's he's just an unbelievable player. And uh,
you know he's he's still got great legs to move
(03:20):
around in the pocket, you know, at thirty four or
whatever he is and um, you know, and can make
all the throws. So, uh, he's always a tough, tough
competitor and a and a tough tough guy to defend.
How about your quarterback, Mike Kirk Cousins. What whether it's
virtually or the last month and change, including training camp,
(03:41):
what are you liking about him? Well, I think Kirk's
done a really nice job of you know, he's starting
to show a lot more fire at practice, showing a
lot more emotions. I think he feels so much more
comfortable in the offense with with being basically the same. Uh,
you know, and we're and obviously we're trying to play
to his strengths like like you know, we always have
(04:02):
and try to do the best we can there. But uh,
Kirk's done nice job taking leadership role and uh, and
I think it feels really good about things. XS and
os KFA N Vikings Radio Network and the Vikings dot
Com with Mike zimmer, Head, coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Courtesy of US Bank. Now, do you do you think
in the in the arenas, the stadiums where there will
(04:24):
be no fans initially, do you think that will impact
defenses at all around the NFL? Well, I don't. I
don't really know yet. Uh, you know, it's it's a
little bit like maybe some preseason games as far as
the atmosphere, you know, it's not as cranked up, and
but you still go out there and yeah, I think
your competitive juices start flowing and you start going. Uh,
(04:47):
you know, I think we'll be ready to go, and
I'm sure they will be too. Oh you've seen a lot,
you know, You've got that Super Bowl ring with the
Dallas Cowboys. You've seen so much over so many decades.
But I mean with this offseason, tackling and and and
just conditioning and everything. You know, even though everything's been
done well here since you got them back, but tackling
(05:08):
in that first game for everybody, I mean, that could
be weird. Yeah, it'll be a little bit different, you know,
quarterbacks getting hit, tackling. Uh, you know, maybe seeing different
things that you haven't seen. That's that's typical of a
first ball game. But uh, you know, I do think
that there's a possibility we may have to play a
few more players, uh not known you know that if
(05:29):
they can go sixty five or seventy plays in the
first ball game, and you certainly don't want to wear
them out for the rest of the year. Now, so
many familiar names from twenty nineteen gone on defense, that's
not necessarily a bad thing in some cases of my opinion.
But with the with the new guys that you have,
what are you appreciating about their energy? Well, you know,
(05:51):
I think the biggest thing Paul with with the new guys,
they're they're just really hungry to learn. You know, it's
like going back to to to step one with with
a lot of the players when we first got here. Uh,
you know, they're they're very eager to learn. They're they're
very receptive to coaching. Not that the guys we had weren't. Um,
but if you just get to go back and go
(06:11):
back to the basics and um, you know, I think
there'll be some some new energy. Um. You know, we'll
find out if they can play against somebody else right now.
Now with with Green Bay, of course we know they
have Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams, the b YU kid.
They add aj Dillon second round pick, the big kid
from Boston College. What do you think about him? Well,
(06:31):
I think he's a good back. Uh. You know, Aaron
Jones is a tremendous, tremendous back. He does a great
job and his route running, he does a great job
of falling forward with the football. Uh sees great, seems
he's a terrific back. We're gonna have to do a
great job on him. Um, But I think all three
of their backs, you know, and Williams does a nice job.
(06:52):
He's a little bit more of a power back for
him and maybe a little bit more protection. But uh,
I think we'll we'll see all three of them and
it'll be a toime. It'll be a good test for
us try and get the runs stop. We didn't do
a good job against it last year, especially in the
first ball game, and we'll have to do better this year. Now, Mike,
with your defensive coordinators line coach and Ray Patterson linebackers
(07:12):
coach Adam Zimmer with those roles, does anything change with
them day of game? Like during the game, not not
too much. You know, they'll they'll still give me suggestions
and still give me ideas, and you know, I'll use
their eyes just as much. There'll be times when they'll
they'll have to take over and while I'm doing something
(07:33):
else with the offense or special teams, and so we're
prepared to do that. You while you feel okay about
your middle pass rush into that first game, because I
mean it is a land of opportunity, and there specifically
the three technique spot. If somebody jumps up, I mean, shoot,
there's a lot of playing time potentially. Yeah, I think
we got an opportunity there to do some good things.
(07:53):
You know, armand Watts is look good in practice, and
Hercules has done a nice job. So we'll try to well,
you know, we're going to always try to pressure the
quarterback and uh, you know, obviously he's a hard guy
to pressure, but we'll do our best. Maybe there can
be some type of drill where you have Unique and
Doc way A Faudio Dnibo and Hercules mata Off all together.
(08:17):
I mean to be like the all consonant group, you know, right,
it'd be tougher for you than it will be for me.
An opportunity to sign Pisa Tinoisamoa too, probably even though
he's reach hired Mike zmarex Is and those couple of
quickies to close here, it's since you got here in
twenty fourteen, he was here a couple of years before you.
Harrison Smith, What what's it like coaching Harrison Smith? Well,
(08:40):
that's pretty easy to coach him. Uh, you know, he
you're able to talk to him about certain things, doing
things different ways. So come up and ask me, you know,
a question the other day, came up and asked a
question about something that we put in for Green Bay,
and uh, you know, being able to explain the things
to him was so much different now than it was,
you know, back and back at the beginning of things.
(09:02):
But Harrison's a terrific player, makes a lot of plays.
Uh sees a lot of things, very smart and in
his disguises and uh, and it has been good tackler
as well. One of your corners, Holton Hill. You guys
have given him wonderful, wonderful chances not only out of Texas,
but but but last season with the first half of
the season. When when Holton, when everything's going well with Holton,
(09:26):
what does he do well that you really like? Well,
Holton's a very good athlete. He's got great length, you know,
he's about six two runs really well um uses his hands,
uh not really really well on the receivers. So uh,
you know, it's it's really consistency with him just making
sure that each each and every time he goes out there,
(09:46):
he's the same guy and uh continues to use the
same technique. Now with all these rookies, whether it's Cam Danceller,
Jeff Gladney whomever, Justin Jefferson offensively with Justin pay would
be required, right because of the virtual off season and
just everything being so new. He's a first round pick,
he's high end, he's played inside and outside. But you
(10:09):
might have to be patient early, right, Well, I don't know.
I think you know. Our expectations for him are very high.
He's done a really nice job and in the things
that we're asking him to do. He catches ball, terrific runs,
good routes, been working really really hard at all the
different alignments and emotions and the shifts and things like
(10:30):
that that they have to do offensively. So but we
have high expectations for not only him, for all of
our guys. How about this your quarterback, kicker and punter
situation stable into the first game. That's good news, isn't it. Yeah,
it's it's a little bit of almost a first for us. Hey,
that's the luck to you this year. Okay, thanks for
doing the show, all right, Paul, Thank you? Yes, sir.
(10:50):
Mike zimmer Head, coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Exes and
OS is presented by US Bank by the way, Miller
Lite is celebrating the Viking sixtieth season with a limited
edition sixtieth Season. Can pick up one today at your
local retailer. XS and OS continues around the corner on
the KFA N Minnesota Vikings or Radio. XS and OS
(11:22):
on the KFA in Minnesota Vikings Radio Network continues. Very
special guests joining us shortly, and we thank Mike Zimmer
for starting the inaugural XS and os for the twenty
twenty season. By the way, it's Game Day any day.
Play the new Vikings scratch game from the Minnesota Lottery
with a top prize of one hundred thousand dollars. Are
(11:43):
you game? Just say I'm in? Get more details at
m N lottery dot com. Marjuan maloof second season coordinating
special teams for the Minnesota Vikings joins us now on
XS and os. How have you been, my friend? I
haven't seen you in quite some time. I know, man,
I'm doing I'm doing great. It's good to see you finally,
(12:03):
So was it Were you doing well a few weeks
ago when you didn't have preseason games to organize this
uh special team's piece. I missed the preseason games. I
bet you not many people can say that, But from
a special teams coach perspective, you know, it's a really
good indicator and a good tool that we use to
get these guys ready. But you know, I love how
(12:26):
hard our guys have been working too, you know, and
we've been able to create some situations in practice thanks
to coach zimmer Um and you know, kind of find
out where where the pieces will hopefully fit this this Sunday.
So when it comes to coordinating special teams and the preseason, Marje,
when when you have all these rookies who eventually made
the team. You got the Penn State track guy Jasenna
who also made the team maybe because of his special
(12:48):
team's prowess. Yet you don't have those preseason games for
players like that, the younger players. How difficult is it
jumping in there and like take somebody's job. Yeah, no,
that's a great question. You know he's actually been doing
a great job with the details of it, you know, Pa,
Like you know the thing that you're right, you can't
(13:10):
ever mimic a game, a preseason game, and you know
what we have to try to create and practice are
those situations where there's a lot of pressure. Um, you know,
there's there's a lot of things going on. It could
be right after a team period, then all of a sudden,
you know we're going into punt, We're going into a
kickoff period, which is you know what what coach has
kind of done a little bit, and you know, we
(13:31):
have to take what, you know what what's given to us.
I mean, everybody's in the same boat. You know. I
don't know any other teams that have any preseason games,
So you know, we got to take that and then
be as detailed as we possibly can and just let
him understand how fast everything is going to happen. I mean,
I think that's that's the thing that you can never mimic,
is the speed of the game at this level. You know,
(13:51):
it's it's just so much faster than the college game,
you know, And and Marwan I and viewing it from Afar,
I've always felt an underrated facet of special team specific
in the preseason responsibility and organization where I mean, like
Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah are fantastic on special teams. Now,
if Cook and Madison are going the right way, then
(14:12):
Abdullah and Boom probably won't be playing a ton of offense.
So therefore, when it's their opportunity to get into a game,
you've got to make sure you're paying attention. Specifically if
like it's a twelve plate drive and all of a
sudden it stops with a punt, you know, and you
got lulled to sleep a li'll the responsibility and organization standpoint,
(14:32):
you know that probably was missed in the preseason. No,
you're you're you're right there. I mean, those are the
moving pieces of the puzzle that that you talk about,
and you know, the alertness that you have to have,
and and just the knowledge of the depth and who's
gotten what reps it what and who we can switch around.
If you know, if one of those guys that you
talked about, whether it's Boon or a miror Um, goes
(14:54):
into a game, like how you know, how do we
replace him? You know, if you just ran a nine route,
like what's what's the next move? And you're right, you
know that that's something that Ryan and I constantly think
of and we're constantly talking through and I think that's
important and we have to keep doing that, especially more
so this first game, until you know, we get the
cobwebs out so to speak, and Ryan being Ryan Thick
(15:14):
and a longtime special teams assistant coach here worked with
Prefer now works with Marjan Malouf and the special teams
coordinator is on X's and os on the KFA and
Vikings radio network. When I laid out those names, Marjuan,
I didn't put CJ. Hamm in, you know, because as
a fullback who now all of a sudden is catching
passes like he did last year. You know, CJ plays
(15:34):
a fair amount on offense. But man, has he become
a good special teams guy, right? He really has. I mean,
you know it's funny because you know he was he
was like the example, he was my he was my
clinic tape this offseason because all he does, all CJ.
Hamm does is everything the right way, you know, And
he's somebody I have so much respect for as a pro.
(15:57):
How he conducts himself, you know, on and off the field, yield,
you know, what he's like in meetings, how he mentors
those young guys, how he gets everybody you know going. Um.
I can't ever say enough good things about CJ and
my respect for him and how he plays the game,
whether it's offense, uh, special teams and how he approaches it.
He's outstanding cornerback. Chris Boyd was a demon for you
(16:19):
last year, you know, and again this is a corner
from Texas who wants to play corner And now all
of a sudden, with Rhodes, Alexander and Wayne's gone, you know,
maybe he'll get an opportunity to play a lot. We
got sixteen games coming up beginning this weekend. But that
wasn't the case last year. And man, did he embrace
playing special teams. He was a fantastic gunner. Do you
expect even better this year? I do? You know, I
(16:43):
think it's going to depend on his role with the defense,
but you just said it there, you know, Pa, he
embraced his role. And that's what we talked to these
guys about from day one, is you know, embracing your
role what we're going to carve out for you. You know,
whether it's you know, playing a rep of gunner or um,
you know, being somewhere on kickoff or kickoff return, you know,
(17:04):
whatever we decide that we're gonna put him on. You know,
he's he's done a great job of embracing it. And
you know, taking it as his own and and that's
all you can ask for from any player. And I
think our guys for the most part, have done that
really well. Here. Can you imagine Hercules Matafa as a gunner? No, No,
(17:24):
I can't No. But he's fast, he's try. Love her
I love her Man. There's one guy, you know, I
always I always messed around with her and he's He's
a He's got a great personality and great sense of humor,
you know. But uh, man, there's there's been some big
gunners out there in the past. Remember Dahlias Thomas a
long time ago. Um, and you know, like Bart Scott.
(17:44):
I think I've had played gunner for me when I
was in Baltimore. But uh, Hurt's a big man, man.
He's a bigger guy than a lot of people think.
So so wait, you were in Baltimore when a Dahlias
Thomas played gunner? That was he was. He was on
his way out. He was I think in New England
at the time. But I remember Bartsco had Bart Scott.
We had a guy named Antoine Barnes who was a
(18:05):
linebacker that played gunner. Yeah, I mean you whoever's on
the roster and who if you run that four or five,
you know we're putting you out there. Let's go, Hey,
what if Harbaugh actually became super mad at Matt Burke
one day and he's like, you're playing gunner in this
next game? How would how or in the or being
one of the vice guys, how would Matt do? I
(18:25):
think I think, and knowing how competitive Matt is, I
think as soon as the ball would be snapped, he
just runs straight to the sideline. He's like, I can't
do that. I'm not doing that has no way. But
so put somebody else in or something like that, that
ain't happen. And you know, now he could come in
and protect We could put him like we could take
a tackle out and just put him on the entire
right side of the putt interior and have him like,
(18:47):
you know, protect two guys. But other than that, my
man's my man's not covering any kicks. Harvard educated. That's
why this is Marjuan malouf second season coordinating special teams
for the Minnesota Vikings on x's and o's um kJ
Osborne tell us about the rookie Kane, what do you
like about him? You know he approaches the game with
(19:08):
a really serious attitude to ask a lot of good questions,
you know, Um, and you know we always talks as coaches. Hey,
there's no such thing as a stupid question, and there
really isn't. I mean, he gets really really detailed with
everything in his game. He wants to know, um, you
know about the opponents, you know who he's possibly going against. Um,
you know, regardless of what position we have from at
(19:30):
and and that's the great thing about him is is
you know he could there's a there's a chance he
could be a really good, um, you know, football player
from every perspective, whether it's special teams or uh you know,
even on offense. So UM, I really like his approach
and you know, you love his size, you love his speed, um,
and everything that he gives you in those in those regards. Now,
(19:50):
anybody else jumping out at you, Um, you know with
Eric Wilson, C J. Ham, Mike Boone, Amir Abdula, they
have equity. But we talked about Osborne just I know
a little bit if he's ever active. But um, anybody
else jumping out you know, we have we have a
good group of you know young dbs. Um, you know,
I like what Gladne does. I love what uh you
(20:11):
know Dandler does. Um and you know, Pa like this
is the year. I'll tell you what. There's a you know,
I heard it before somewhere, maybe like last week. But
you know, it's a good to have a veteran group
this year, you know. Um. And and I think like
we have the right mix of veteran and young guys
because now those young guys can really kind of pay attention,
(20:32):
and they have paid attention to a lot of the
veterans while we've taken some of our reps, and they've
learned a lot from these guys, you know, Mike Hughes
and and uh, you know Holton Hill. I mean those
are those are really good guys that kind of you know,
uh kind of follow your game after and uh and
but I do like our DBS a lot, you know,
and and and I think that they have a good chance. Hey, Marje,
(20:54):
best to luck this season. Great catching up with you
and uh go be Green Bay. Okay, take care of
my yet us love you yep, see you, buddy. Marjuan Malouk,
special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Concluding XS and
OS and XS and o's Weekly with Mike Zimmer is
presented by US Bank, the official bank of the Minnesota Vikings,
(21:14):
and I'm Paul Allen. Thank you very much for listening
Vikings and Packers at noon coming up Sunday on the
KFA and Minnesota Vikings Radio Network
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