Bill Parcells, Hall of Famer and mentor to Mike Zimmer, has been known to inadvertently call Zim while the Vikings coach is in the middle of a news conference.
The man who popularized the phrase "You are what your record says you are" might want to pick up the phone again this week and flag his protégé for violating that classic Parcells mantra not once but twice after Sunday's wrenching 34-33 loss at Arizona.
On Sunday evening, Zimmer said, "We were probably two plays away from being 2-0." That's a reference to Dalvin Cook's fumble in overtime at Cincinnati in Week 1 and Greg Joseph's 37-yard missed field goal as time expired at Arizona.
Monday, Zimmer added, "We're probably two plays away from being 2-0 on the road, but it'll be good to get back to U.S. Bank Stadium in front of our fans this week."
The Vikings are 0-2. Not almost 2-0. Parcells might need to stage an intervention before Mike reaches the hat trick on saying what the Vikings record could be if not for two plays.
Zimmer, of course, knows there is no coulda, woulda, shoulda column in the NFL standings. He's simply trying to encourage a winless team and a sucker-punched fan base whose loud voice is vital to winning home games.
Zimmer is spot on for lauding his team's effort and execution in Week 2 compared to Week 1. The offense was exceptional. Kirk Cousins was fantastic. Dalvin Cook was, well, Dalvin Cook. And the defense took some haymakers and still played well enough to win.
So, kudos to all for the effort. It shows the Vikings can play a crisp, turnover-free game offensively, and still fight like mad for Zimmer defensively. The season isn't over. Chin up heading into a three-game homestand.