Every weekday, we walk you through what’s going on with the Vikings.
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
— Not wanting the win over the Packers to be “the defining moment in my career,” coach Mike Zimmer has quickly shifted the focus to the Seahawks after briefly enjoying his first NFC North title on Sunday night.
— Columnist Chip Scoggins says the Vikings are positioning themselves to become a regular playoff team rather than an occasional participant.
— Zimmer said quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needs to “settle down” after he threw for 99 yards in an erratic performance Sunday night.
— Tight end Rhett Ellison will be sidelined six months with a knee injury.
— With the Packers running nearly twice as many plays as the Vikings on Sunday night, eight defensive regulars had season-high snap totals.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
— Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that he expects starting running back Marshawn Lynch to return to the lineup this weekend.
— Will Lynch still resemble the old “Beast Mode” once he is back from a two-month absence following abdominal surgery in November?
— Carroll admitted a Super Bowl hangover contributed to a slow start.
TODAY’S VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Vikings players have the day off and will be back in the building tomorrow to prepare for the rematch with the Seahawks. BTW, I will have a live chat at noon and the Access Vikings podcast will be out in the late afternoon.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Some fans grumbled about kicker Blair Walsh missing four extra points this season even though none of them ended up costing the Vikings. But he wasn’t far below the NFL average on extra points. Walsh made 89.2 percent of his extra-point tries, which are now the equivalent of 33-yard field goals. According to ESPN Stats and Information, the league average was 94.2 percent, down from 99.3 in 2014 when they were merely chip shots. Three kickers missed more extra points than Walsh and three others missed as many. But Walsh made up for it by kicking a league-high 34 field goals this season on 39 tries, including six of eight from beyond 50 yards.
Ben Goessling is in his sixth year covering the Vikings, having joined the Star Tribune in 2017 after four seasons at ESPN and one at the Pioneer Press. He is an Apple Valley High School and University of Minnesota graduate. Follow him at @GoesslingStrib.
Mark Craig has covered the NFL for 23 years, and the Vikings since 2003 for the Star Tribune. He is one of 48 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. Follow him at @markcraignfl.
Andrew Krammer joined the Star Tribune in July 2016 after three years covering the Vikings for 1500 ESPN. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Minnesota. Follow him at @Andrew_Krammer.
Like clockwork: How Cousins came through in Sunday's final minutes
Thielen will miss first game of season, still on COVID list
Mailbag: Will linebacker Wilson stay with Vikings? An Ezra Cleveland question
Guard Dru Samia activated from Vikings' COVID list after positive test
