Minnesota Vikings' Mike Zimmer has had a long short week

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- After the worst Minnesota Vikings home loss since 1984 - a 38-7 beatdown by Seattle - Mike Zimmer retreated directly to his Winter Park office to prepare for Thursday night's game in Arizona. Preparations that probably won't include three of his best defenders - linebacker Anthony Barr (groin), free safety Harrison Smith (hamstring/knee) and nose tackle Linval Joseph (foot) - facing the league's No. 1 offense in yards (419.5) and points (31.8).

Zimmer worked late into the night and was up and at it again at 4:30 a.m. Monday night, he found time to go home for a little bit before returning his focus to a Cardinals team that has won six straight to reach 10-2.

"I went to McDonalds on the way home because I was hungry and I ordered two cheeseburgers and only got one," Zimmer said with a laugh. "That's the kind of week it's been."

Zimmer was asked if he played the "do you know who I am?" card after getting shorted a burger.

"They probably did (know)," Zimmer said. "That's why I got one."

The Vikings haven't lost two straight this season. And they're still 8-4 and tied with the Packers atop the NFC North with home games against Chicago and the Giants in the two weeks following Thursday night's game.

But, as one might expect following blowout home losses to Green Bay (30-13) and Seattle over a three-week period, there is gloom and doom in the air surrounding the Vikings as they head for the desert on Wednesday. But that doesn't seem to bother Zimmer, who has been too busy to look back.

"It's a week-to-week deal in the NFL," Zimmer said. "Things change in one week. Last week, everyone thought we were great when we beat Atlanta. This week, everybody thinks we suck.

"Let's just move forward and go on. I know one thing: Five teams have a better record than us in the NFL. So that ain't bad."

SERIES HISTORY: 24th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 13-10. The Vikings are 6-6 on the road against Arizona. The two teams have met twice in the playoffs. The Vikings won both divisional playoff games played in Minnesota. Perhaps the most memorable meeting in Arizona came in the 2003 season finale at Sun Devil Stadium. The Vikings led the NFC North from Week 1 through the last play of the last game in the desert. Josh McCown's touchdown pass on fourth down beat the Vikings 18-17, knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs and handed a post-season berth to the Packers.

GAME PLAN

--Basically, the Vikings need to do pretty much everything they didn't do against Seattle. They need to get Adrian Peterson lathered up early in the game so that he's in a rhythm. Make some first downs, control the clock and keep the Cardinals' No. 1-ranked offense off the field as much as possible. That's the only way this team can compete and take the pressure off a defense that probably will be without three of its best players: linebacker Anthony Barr, free safety Harrison Smith and nose tackle Linval Joseph.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH

--Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes vs. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald.

It will be more difficult to have Rhodes shadow Fitzgerald consistently because of the receiver's tendency to operate out of the slot. Rhodes typically doesn't shadow receivers inside, but look for this to still be a key matchup. Rhodes, a 6-foot-2, 219-pounder with long arms, has played well against No. 1 targets when assigned to shadow them. He has done it the past three meetings with success against Detroit's Calvin Johnson. Two weeks ago against Julio Jones, Rhodes held the NFL's leading receiver to two catches for 18 yards when he was in coverage on him. Fitzgerald is having his best of many outstanding seasons in Year 12. He already has 91 catches through 12 games.

--Vikings RB Adrian Peterson vs. Cardinals ILB Deone Bucannon.

Peterson leads the league in rushing with 1,182 yards, but is coming off season lows in carries (eight) and yards (18) against Seattle. He's steamed that he only got eight carries and the Vikings probably will make sure he gets plenty of touches early in the game on Thursday. If the Cardinals play sound defense early on and open up a lead like the Seahawks did, Peterson will be rendered a non-factor again. Bucannon leads the Cardinals in tackles with 80. He'll need help from Arizona's three down linemen and the eighth and possibly ninth defenders that the Cardinals are almost certain to add to the box.