Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer conceded that it is tough to play a game in New Orleans last Sunday and then play at the 49ers’ stadium in Santa Clara, California this Saturday, but said it’s “big boy football” and nothing for the team to complain about.
One veteran member of the team thinks the short week has some benefits when it comes to getting ready to play that kind of football. Tight end Kyle Rudolph thinks the quicker turnaround made it easier for the team to avoid getting too high off of last week’s win.
“Being on a short week forces you to mentally put it aside,” Rudolph said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Rudolph said he also thinks that it helps that many members of the team were around two years ago when the Vikings got a last-second win over the Saints and then, per Rudolph, “laid an egg” in a blowout loss to Philadelphia. The goal is to avoid a similar outcome this week regardless of the circumstances.