Vikings' Robison: Thursday was 'like some people had checked out'

Published Oct. 3, 2014 8:00 p.m. ET

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brian Robison is the third-longest tenured member of the Minnesota Vikings and assumed more of a leadership role in the locker room and with the defense with long-time standouts Jared Allen and Kevin Williams now gone.

Robison can always be found by his locker, willing to speak with the media through good times and bad and isn't afraid to share his opinion. Robison's vision of Thursday night's disappointing 42-10 loss in Green Bay isn't a good reflection on Minnesota's current state.

Speaking about the environment in the locker room at halftime, Robison said: "The mood almost (was) like, like some people had checked out. You know what, I'm just going to be blunt and say it can never be that way. This is a team that I've felt like all along has fought and scratched no matter what type of adversity we have faced and I felt like we didn't have that last night."

Head coach Mike Zimmer apparently ripped into his team at halftime with the Vikings' down 28-0 and turning the ball over three times.

"Quit messing around, basically," Zimmer said of his message to the team at halftime. "I can't say what I said, but we need to suck it up and let's go."

As a team leader, Robison was troubled by what he saw.

"Bottom line, just the mood in the locker room, I didn't like what the mood in the locker room was," Robison said. "I just felt like at times last night that they had more of a will to win that game than we did and that can never happen when you're playing in a game."

Robison said he felt the mood change once Green Bay's Julius Peppers intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for a touchdown. Following an early 14-0 deficit, Minnesota's defense had forced three straight punts and allowed three total yards in three drives.

Peppers' interception was the first of three straight drives for the Vikings' offense to end in a turnover.

"I think it was downhill from there because you could see it on guys' faces, you could see it on the sidelines," Robison said. "Everybody was quiet. There was no longer that chatter that we normally have on the sidelines and that's just not the way you win ballgames and it's definitely not the way that you try to make the best of the situation and try to make a comeback win. If guys aren't in tune to it then we might as well shut it down at halftime."

Zimmer said he didn't see the same concerns Robison did and the coach was watching his new team closely.

"I respect Brian's opinion, but when I watched the tape, I didn't see that," Zimmer said. "I looked for it, hard, but I did not see guys . . . I looked at the offensive tape, I looked if the receivers weren't running hard, special teams, if we weren't going hard. Defensively, I think what he's talking about is we maybe lost the fire a little bit. But I don't think there was any not trying."

Zimmer had another strong talk with his team on Friday after the loss and stressed "that performance is not acceptable."

Robison added: "Today was the type of day where Zimmer said what needed to be said. I felt like it was one of those deals where you come in after a loss, if you talk too much it falls on deaf ears. We've got to fill the gas tank back up this weekend and get ready to go on Tuesday, because if we sit here and let this wander around in our heads, it's going to affect us for the next game.

"So we've got to let it go and get ready for the next game and not play this way against Detroit, because if we play this way against Detroit, they're going to tear us a new one, too."

After watching the game again, Zimmer was most frustrated with a run defense that allowed 156 yards rushing to Green Bay and 5.6 yards per carry.

Eddie Lacy ran for 105 yards on 13 carries and bowled over several defenders, including carrying safety Robert Blanton into the end zone. Lacy caused three missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus data.

Zimmer said defenders weren't getting off blocks and weren't in proper position, and noted some players were "freelancing."

"There's nothing more disheartening as a coach for you to get manhandled up front, to be in the wrong gaps, to have people running the ball at you," Zimmer said. "It's just disheartening. It goes back, I think when I was in Dallas my first year as a coordinator we were like 30th or something in the league in the rush defense. And I said, 'never again.' So I guess that's where that all stems from."

Minnesota is now 19th in the league in rush defense, giving up 121.8 yards per game. Thursday was the second time this season the Vikings have allowed 150 yards rushing to an opponent.

"Yeah, that's what frustrates me the most," Zimmer said. "It's disappointing."

Zimmer said the team would take the extended break before its next game on Oct. 12 against Detroit to "self-scout" all aspects of the team. When asked if he'd make personnel changes, Zimmer said he'd consider "everything right now."

"We are only 2-3, it's not like we're 0-5," Zimmer said. "It feels like it today, but trust me, the sun will come up again."

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