Minnesota Vikings' Zimmer will take wins over style points

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The key to the Minnesota Vikings' success? Apparently it's to have quarterback Teddy Bridgewater throw for fewer than 200 yards.

That's being facetious, but with 174 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win over the host Atlanta Falcons, the second-year quarterback raised his record to 7-0 in games in which he has thrown for fewer than 200 yards.

Rather than enjoy an 8-3 record and a one-game lead over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, there is a segment of fans and media who are obsessed with Bridgewater's individual statistics. Although he has proven the ability to throw for 300 yards in a win at Detroit or pass the Vikings to 10 points in the closing minutes of a win at Chicago, there are some who still struggle with the whole team concept and how this particular team is built around the best running back in the game, the No. 2-ranked scoring defense (17.6) and solid special teams that help provide favorable field position.

One of the popular arguments is this brand of football won't sustain itself. That it won't be able to keep up in the playoffs.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer praised his team's core principles, but also noted that it has the ability to adjust its game plans if necessary.

"One of the things about football is being able to adjust to a lot of different things," Zimmer said Monday. "Not every week is the same. Sometimes, it's the opponent you're playing. Sometimes, it's injuries. Sometimes it's the weather. There's a lot of different things that go into those plans.

"But I do feel like any time you have a 'north' in your division - NFC North or AFC North - this is a pretty good ingredient going forward when the weather starts getting colder and things like that. And it's a little bit about a mindset too. Since I've walked in here, it's about preaching toughness and discipline and accountability and being a smart team and that's kind of who we are right now."

Zimmer then mentioned how his late father, a long-time high school coach in Illinois, used to adjust when necessary.

"The one thing that I've always admired about my dad was that he would change year to year based on the team that he had," Zimmer said. "This is kind of who we are now."

And that's not a bad thing, despite the grumblings about Bridgewater's pedestrian statistics.

Running back Adrian Peterson just had 158 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries (5.4) against the league's No. 1-ranked run defense. On the road. With that defense playing almost the entire game with eight- and nine-man fronts designed specifically to stop Peterson.

The Vikings now have two wins against teams that now have a winning record: Atlanta (6-5) and Kansas City (6-5), which has won five straight since losing to the Vikings.

Next up are the Seattle Seahawks (6-5) at home and then a quick turnaround road game at the Arizona Cardinals (9-2) the following Thursday. Yes, the Vikings might have to adjust to score more points against those teams. But on the flip side, one can bet on the fact those teams will also have to adjust to an old-school opponent with a once-in-a-generation running back and a hard-nosed defense that's giving up fewer than 18 points per game.

REPORT CARD VS. FALCONS:

--PASSING OFFENSE: C-plus. The offensive line kept the league's worst pass rush from sacking quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards, but his interception at the goal line on the second snap of the second quarter was underthrown to tight end Kyle Rudolph. In one play, the Vikings went from what should have been a touchdown and a 14-0 lead to a turnover that turned the game into a struggle for the next two-plus quarters.

Bridgewater did look sharp on the second possession of the game. With Atlanta stacking eight and nine defenders at the line of scrimmage, he patiently passed over the top of them, completing 5 of 7 passes for 67 yards, including a drop by Adrian Peterson that probably would have been a red-zone touchdown. Bridgewater threw first-down passes to four different targets on the drive.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: A-plus. Atlanta had the No. 1 run defense and had not allowed an individual to rush for more than 87 yards. Only three teams had rushed for more than 100 against the Falcons, with the high being 133 by the 49ers. Atlanta also came in with a game plan that consistently played eight- and nine-man fronts designed to stop Peterson. Yet Peterson still ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries (5.4). The Vikings ran for 191 yards - more than 103 more than the Falcons' average allowed - on 39 carries (4.9). Peterson's final carry of the game was a 35-yard touchdown against a nine-man front. That made it a 20-3 game with 4:15 left. Jerick McKinnon averaged 6.6 yards on his five carries as well.

--PASS DEFENSE: A. Xavier Rhodes put the clamps on NFL leading receiver Julio Jones and fellow cornerbacks Terence Newman and Captain Munnerlyn came up with two interceptions as the Vikings' defense dominated quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. Jones caught only five passes for 56 yards, including just two for 18 yards with Rhodes covering him. Ryan targeted Jones only three times with Rhodes in coverage. Newman's interception came in the end zone for a touchback after an Atlanta rushing touchdown was nullified by a clipping penalty. Munnerlyn's pick also came with the Falcons driving in Vikings territory. The Vikings also played nearly three full quarters without their starting safeties. Harrison Smith (knee) missed the game, while Andrew Sendejo (knee) left the game early in the second quarter.

--RUSH DEFENSE: B-minus. Rookie running back Tevin Coleman stepped in for starter Devonta Freeman and ran for 110 yards on only 18 carries (6.1). But no one else ran for more than seven yards. And Coleman's longest run - 46 yards - ended with an embarrassing turnover when linebacker Anthony Barr tracked him from behind and punched the ball out. Safety Anton Exum recovered the ball.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: C. There were no damaging mistakes, but it was an average performance at best for what typically is a team strength. Blair Walsh pulled a 51-yard field goal wide left but made attempts from 29 and 39 yards. The Vikings gave up a 44-yard kickoff return and Marcus Sherels had only three yards on two punt returns.

--COACHING: A. The Vikings won their fourth straight road game for the first time since the 1998 team went 15-1. So coach Mike Zimmer has had a breakthrough in that regard. Offensively, coordinator Norv Turner struck a nice balance between pounding Peterson into a stout run defense 29 times and throwing the ball 28 times. Most of the passing damage was short to intermediate throws, but Turner also dialed up what would have been a 22-yard touchdown pass had Bridgewater not underthrown Rudolph at the goal line. Defensively, Zimmer stayed aggressive, as usual, as the Vikings managed to apply ample pressure while taking Jones out of the game.