Vikings coach Mike Zimmer tried to put a positive spin on his team’s loss to Seattle on Sunday, telling his players that he was proud of their effort and believed they had played better than the Seahawks.
“We had a hell of a year,” Zimmer told the team in the locker room immediately after the game. “We didn’t win today, but we outplayed them. We didn’t win but we outplayed them. I’ve never been more proud of a team than I am of this team. . . . Thank you for all the effort you gave.”
Whether the Vikings really outplayed the Seahawks is debatable. The Seahawks had 129 passing yards; the Vikings had 125. The Seahawks had 97 rushing yards; the Vikings had 58. The Vikings had 14 first downs; the Seahawks had 13. Each team had one turnover. This game was every bit as evenly matched as the 10-9 final score indicates.
So while Zimmer has every reason to be proud of his team, the Seahawks would surely take issue with the idea that they were outplayed.