Vikings DBs decided to go against Mike Zimmer’s game plan in 1st half vs. Packers

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson had a huge first half against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. According to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Xavier Rhodes went against Mike Zimmer’s game plan.

Zimmer wanted Rhodes to shadow Nelson throughout the game, but instead, Rhodes stayed on his side throughout the game, before Vikings coaches enacted their original game plan at halftime.

“We felt as a team, as players, we came together and we felt like we’d never done that when we played against the Packers,” Rhodes said. “Us as DBs felt like we could handle him. That’s how we felt as DBs that we could stay on our side and cover him. In the beginning, we’d always played against them and played our sides, so that’s what we as DBs went with.”

Rhodes and the defense backs’ plan didn’t work out for them, as Nelson had nine catches for 154 yards and two scores, with most of that coming in the first half without Rhodes on Nelson.

In the second half, Rhodes held Nelson to two catches for 9 yards.

“That’s what he was supposed to do the whole game,” Zimmer said. “Someone decided they wouldn’t do that.”

Zimmer didn’t notice the change until Terence Newman came to him about it.

“In the first half when Terence Newman came over and said something to me like ‘I can cover this guy, let me have him,’” Zimmer said. “I said, ‘do what you’re supposed to do.’”

Historically, Zimmer’s defenses have been great against Rodgers. Insubordination is never good between players and coaches, and it looks even worse when the coach has had the success against this particular opponent.