Zimmer said the Vikings haven’t had a home game on a short week in the five years he's been with the teamGETTY IMAGES
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer believes that traveling from the Twin Cities to play the Rams tomorrow for "Thursday Night Football" is "too far to go for a game during a short week," according to Chris Tomasson of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The Vikings left for L.A. last night following practice, a "day earlier than they usually fly to road games, to try to better acclimate themselves to the two-hour time change." Zimmer "isn’t happy with some of the scheduling the NFL has done for his team." Zimmer: "It's a problem." He added, "We haven’t had a home game on a short week since I’ve been here in five years" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/26).
NOT AN EASY MOMENT: In Minneapolis, Paul Walsh notes Vikings DE Everson Griffen was "growing increasingly paranoid and feared someone was trying to kill him in the weeks and days before troubling incidents Saturday" that had law enforcement "looking for him." Griffen "remains at a mental health facility for treatment" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/26). Also in Minneapolis, Ben Goessling notes news of Griffen's treatment for mental health issues "became public" hours before the team boarded the flight for L.A. last night. Griffen’s hospitalization served as a "reminder that NFL players are not immune to the mental health struggles that affect approximately one in five U.S. adults." The Vikings informed Griffen last Thursday that he was "not allowed at the team’s facility in Eagan until he underwent a mental health examination." Zimmer said, "The only thing we’re really concerned about for Everson isn’t really anything to do with football." Zimmer said the Vikings have a “very, very good support program” for players in Griffen’s situation. He added, "If we have to bring in experts from some other place or he has to go see other people, our owners are outstanding with that" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/26).
