(After playing well at Buffalo and losing, does this win validate your progress as a team?)
We talked about as a football team playing our best football, and I think we did that today as far as all three phases, particularly on special teams. Mike Stock and Shawn Slocum did an excellent job. We had a number of guys go down throughout the course of football game - substitutions and moving people around. I thought they did a great job because it was important for us to win the field position battle, and we did that today. I thought our defense was outstanding in the second half, shutting them down to a field goal. Offensively, we wanted to run the ball a little more, but I think the run game was a direct reflection of our pass protection. Our pass protection was outstanding today - Brett had a ton of time to throw. I'm very happy with the way we played in all three phases, and I thought we put our best foot forward, playing our best football of the season.
(Did you come in thinking you'd have to pass more given their rush defense?)
They're very good - there's obviously a reason they are No. 1 in the league against the run. We would have probably like to run a bit more, because that's who we are. It's important to be able to run and pass the ball, and that's what we were able to do today. The yards may not have been what we liked, but every time you run it, it's helping your pass protection. I was very pleased with the pass protection and the performance we got in the passing game as a whole.
(How were you able to be so successful on third-and-long today?)
Once again, it starts up front with the pass protection, giving the receivers the opportunity to get down the field, work the route concepts. Brett did a really good job being patient, stepping up in the pocket.
(Talk about the impact of the linebackers today)
I just think over the last few weeks, we're getting them more involved with more pressure packages. Those guys are really finding their groove, and our pass rush was excellent for the whole group. Our linebacker group gets better and better each week.
(How difficult is it to stop when Brett is in sync like that?)
I thought Brett played very well today. When you're throwing the ball 40-plus times, that's tough for a quarterback. You're putting a lot on his shoulders, and I thought he made clean decisions. I thought he had a good performance.
(Any word on Mark Tauscher and Shaun Bodiford?)
I don't have an update on those guys.
(Talk about the symmetry between Brett and Donald)
Absolutely, you're looking at two guys who are on the same page. Brett has a very good feel for Donald, and they anticipate so well. That's really the strength of that group - they see it the same way. That's the important thing of doing the same passing concepts over and over again because all the adjustments you're able to make. Like the touchdown play, it's one of our base passes that goes in day one. They're definitely on the same page.
(What did you think of the lateral from Jennings to Driver?)
Excellent, those guys are playmakers. I thought it was an excellent play.
(How did you make the decision to come out throwing right before the half when you were backed up on your own goal line?)
We were on the two-yard line, but my concern was that we lost the momentum at that point in the game. Minnesota was going to have the ball to start the second half, and I didn't want to go back-to-back series potentially giving them good field position before the half and then come out for the second half having the ball. It was an aggressive move on our part, and I thought Brett handled it exceptionally, especially being in the end zone and taking a five-step drop on first down. That was a big play, and really got the drive started to get us out of that hole. My thought process was I didn't want to give them really good field position and then also have the ball coming out in the second half.
(Was there a miscommunication on that touchdown pass?)
I'm not exactly sure. They went from one coverage to another - big play for the Vikings.
{sportsad300}(Does it seem you keep getting one thing fixed each week?)
I think, as you look at the course of the season, you see different phases playing better than others. You also want to start playing your best football starting Week 1 and play for 16 weeks, but that hasn't been our case. I felt like this week was the start of all three phases were one big phase today. We have to play our best football. We have a big challenge coming into Lambeau next week, but we felt this three-game stretch was huge for us. We need to be playing our best football.
(Do you feel like you are in the mix for the postseason?)
Absolutely, I mean these seasons are so long, you really have to take it one game at a time. You have to stay off that rollercoaster that you people try to put us on each week. That's part of the journey, a part of playing in the NFL.
(How much of the success in the passing game was game plan vs. adjustments?)
Most of it was game plan. We adjusted a few things on the sideline, and sometimes when you make adjustments, those things don't always work because you haven't repped them. That was our base passing game. It was just guys doing very well changing the formations. William Henderson had an outstanding day. You like to run it as much as possible, but you have to have the ability sometimes to push it one way or the other. We obviously had to push it a little harder in the passing game than we would have liked.
(How did Moll do in replacement of Tauscher?)
I thought he did okay. He had the one pressure that he did not do a good job on, but I thought he was good. The pass protection was excellent. That's the hardest thing to come off the bench and do. I thought he played well.
