Mike Zimmer was emotional after his Vikings lost, 10-9, to the Seahawks today, ending their season. The loss was tough to swallow, but Zimmer said he was proud of what the Vikings accomplished this season.
"The finish was disappointing, but I think we did a lot of good things," he said. "We had the best record of any team that's ever played in a temporary stadium, the first playoff game ever in a temporary stadium. We won the NFC North for the first time in [six] years. We did some good things."
The Vikings led, 9-0, entering the fourth quarter. But the game started to turn when Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson completed a 35-yard pass to wide receiver Tyler Lockett on a busted play.
After the Seahawks scored a touchdown, running back Adrian Peterson fumbled, putting the Seahawks in position to kick a go-ahead field goal. Then Zimmer's kicker, Blair Walsh, missed a late go-ahead attempt.
"I never thought there was any 'here we go again' today," Zimmer said. "We missed the field goal. We lost the game. Other than that, they hit a freaky, fluky play. We played great on defense all day. … But we missed a chip-shot field goal, so that's life."
He said he was at a loss for words when addressing his team afterward.
"They worked their rears off all year for me," Zimmer said. "You can't really say much when you lose a game like this, especially a playoff game. But I'm still proud of them. I'm proud they're my team."
Zimmer then got choked up at the end of his press conference when asked if he would always wonder might have been with the 2015 Vikings.
"We'll never know. We did a lot of things that a lot of people didn't think we could get done," Zimmer said. "And that's what hurts the most, that we don't get an opportunity to continue to do that."
![Mason Nadolney got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot during a mobile vaccine event at Chanhassen High School in July.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/J7LEBWHZ57AFGZSTIR2WYOQJ3A.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What to know about the latest COVID variants, Minnesota testing, vaccines
Sign up for Star Tribune newsletters
![Nearly a dozen collected Bachman's warblers lie in a specimen tray.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3KDGPJTGN5CRNG5PO5S5T35XUE.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
126 birds on list 'lost to science'
![Champlin Park volleyball player Carly Gilk posed for a photo by her mom, Shelley, when they arrived for the AMSA celebration at Target Field.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QPHJLQJMYJDLFMFTYKDONXWDQY.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)