Vikings notes: Zimmer's return home is all business

Mike Zimmer was born and raised in Illinois. He played high school football at Lockport Township High School, which is about an hour away from Soldier Field. He stayed in the state to play college football at Illinois State. So yeah, Zimmer has a fondness for Chicago.

But that doesn't mean that Zimmer expects to get all nostalgic when he walks onto the sideline with the Vikings on Sunday afternoon for his first game at Soldier Field as an NFL head coach.

"Well, I've been there a few times previously [as an assistant]," Zimmer said Friday. "I don't have anybody coming to the game or anything like that. I was a Bears fan growing up. … But the Vikings are my team now."

Early in his coaching career, the Bears were in the heyday of head coach Mike Ditka and his aggressive defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. Zimmer loved how those Bears teams played D.

Years later, when Zimmer was coaching at Weber State, he had Ryan come do a coaching clinic. The two also shared a couple of beers.

"You always try to learn from the guys that are really, really good," Zimmer said.

And while Zimmer probably won't be thinking about it Sunday, he admitted to Chicago-area reporters on Wednesday that he does still have a soft spot for his home state.

Jerick McKinnon popped up on the injury report Thursday because of a lower back injury, something the rookie running back said has been nagging him for a little while now.

McKinnon was not hurt in practice or a game. He says it happened "in the facility just doing some work."

He practiced Friday and was listed as probable against the Bears. Neither he nor Zimmer seemed to think the injury would have any effect on McKinnon's role.

"I was feeling good today, moving around pretty good," he said. "So I'm just ready for Sunday."

Tight ends Kyle Rudolph (sports hernia surgery) and Chase Ford (foot) are also probable.

Harris practiced Wednesday and Thursday and was not listed on the injury report before Friday, when he sat out the morning practice because of his injury.

The Vikings have struggled to score touchdowns whenever they get inside their opponent's 20-yard line, but in the win over the Washington Redskins two weeks ago, they scored touchdowns on all three red-zone trips.

"We were able to run the ball down there," rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said. "The offensive line did a great job in the Washington game of protecting and opening holes for the running back."

Matt Asiata finished off each of those drives with short rushing touchdowns.

And by going 3-for-3 in that game, the Vikings climbed to 24th in the NFL with a red-zone touchdown percentage of 52.2.

But unlike teammates such as quarterback Christian Ponder and long snapper Cullen Loeffler, Walsh turned to performance-enhancing substances to make his mustache dark enough to see.

"The coloring is completely real — 100 percent," he said with a laugh. "No, it's not. I needed a little help for that. … I have a little too much blond in there for some reason, so I just dyed it."

Walsh said the jokes from friends and family are well worth it to support a good cause.

"I'll wear it for the game, bring awareness to prostate cancer and fundraise for it," he said.