Mike Zimmer didn't need to be reminded that the Vikings have yet to beat an NFC North rival on his watch, but the first-year coach said he isn't dwelling on his team's 0-5 divisional record.

"We want to win division games, but each game to me is a new game, a new thing," Zimmer said Monday. "I know people are going to be on my butt about that, not winning division games. But if we keep playing this way, with the kind of grit and preparation and things we do, we will win division games."

People aren't on his, um, what-he-said just quite yet, as most rookie NFL coaches are given leeway by the public as they implement new expectations, systems and philosophies. But while Zimmer does appear to be building something with a 6-8 record overall, he ultimately will be judged by division titles and playoff appearances, and you usually have to go through your rivals to accomplish those things.

"You like winning games and everything, but you have to win in your division, that's for sure," wide receiver Jarius Wright said. "It's not that we haven't played well in our division, but there are no moral victories."

No, and if there are, they don't count in the official NFL standings.

But it is true that after the Vikings were dominated in back-to-back losses to the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in October — they were outscored 59-13 and lost the turnover battle 6-1 — Zimmer's team has at least put up a fight against the NFC North over the past month.

Vincent

They hung around in a 21-13 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 11.

A week later, they lost 24-21 to the red-hot Packers, who entered that afternoon with 50-plus points in consecutive games.

Then for about 58 minutes of Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Lions at Ford Field, rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater outdueled Matthew Stafford, his Lions counterpart. Bridgewater more than doubled Stafford's passing total with 315 yards, and despite throwing 13 more passes than Stafford, he had one fewer incompletion.

But the pair of interceptions Bridgewater gave away in the second quarter, separated by just 100 seconds of game time, was the biggest factor in the Vikings being unable to hang onto a 14-point lead.

While the Lions are riding their defense toward the postseason — specifically a smothering front four that Zimmer hopes to emulate with the Vikings — the NFC North in recent years has typically been decided by quarterback play, starting with Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' MVP candidate.

The Vikings' three divisional foes all have strong-armed and well-paid quarterbacks (though the Bears' Jay Cutler is as inconsistent as Rodgers is spectacular).

Bridgewater, meanwhile, has struggled in division play. He missed the first Green Bay game because of an ankle injury. In the four NFC North games he did start, the rookie threw seven interceptions and had a 70.6 passer rating.

His progress in recent weeks, which includes what was a strong showing in Detroit overall, gives hope he will one day be able to go toe-to-toe with the NFC North's big-boy QBs.

"No matter what happens in the game, Teddy does a great job of keeping his composure," Wright said. "He does a great job of throwing on the run and standing the pocket. He does some things really, really well, and I feel like he's only going to get better with time."

The Vikings as an organization feel that way about Bridgewater. And the players see that they much more competitive in the rematches against the Packers and Lions — as they expect to be against the Bears in the season finale, too.

But they know that to get where they want to go next season and beyond, they will need to keep people off Zimmer's backside when it comes to their NFC North record.

"We want to be a playoff team. We want to be one of those that's in the race for leading the division," defensive end Brian Robison said. "[Sunday's loss] shows the direction this team is going. I think it shows the direction Zimmer is taking us. And if we keep moving in that direction, maybe next year we'll be one of those teams that the rest of the teams in the division will have to reckon with."