Sunday night’s game against the Giants might not mean anything for the Vikings’ playoff chances, but coach Mike Zimmer says his team will play like the game matters.
If the Packers and Falcons both lose on Sunday afternoon, the Vikings’ game on Sunday night becomes meaningless for their playoff chances: In that scenario, the Vikings would have already clinched a playoff spot, and whether that playoff spot is as a wild card or as NFC North champion would be determined when they play the Packers in Week 17.
Zimmer said he believes it’s important to be careful with players who are nursing injuries, but he wants to win on Sunday night regardless of whether the game means anything in the playoff race.
“I do want to be smart and that would be more so with guys that are hurt,” Zimmer said. “Our mindset is to go win both these games and play our guys, game plan, prepare and do everything we do because I think it’s important — we’ve played good the last two weeks, and I think it’s important to continue to build as we continue to go forward, and if we do happen to get in the playoffs, I think it’s important that we continue to push to where we want to get.”
In Zimmer’s view, losing momentum down the stretch is no way to head into the playoffs.
