The Minnesota Vikings lost their home playoff game to the Seattle Seahawks 10-9 on Sunday after Blair Walsh’s 27-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left in the game’s final minute.
What do you say when that happens?
Here’s a look at some of the comments from the Vikings’ head coach and players after the loss that ended their season.
Head coach Mike Zimmer on Walsh’s game-ending missed field goal: “It’s a chip shot. He’s got to make it,” the Associated Press reports.
Walsh himself did not hide from reporters or make any excuses for the miss, saying “You’re confident, but you never think that you have it or take it for granted,” the AP says. “I just didn’t put a swing on it that would be acceptable by anybody’s standards.”
Blair Walsh took all blame for his missed kick, said repeatedly that he let team down. Walsh broke down crying as teammates consoled him
— Chip Scoggins (@chipscoggins) January 10, 2016
Besides supporting Walsh in his time of misery, some of his teammates also tried to absorb some of the blame.
Holder Jeff Locke had the ball’s laces turned in – facing the kicker – which is generally not what field goal kickers like.
LOCKE: "In these conditions it's not the easiest to do, but it's my job to control the laces. I didn't do my job." #Vikings
— Aj Mansour (@AjKFAN) January 10, 2016
Running back Adrian Peterson feels the loss is his fault. He told Vikings.com: “To kind of go back to the last play before the field goal, being an inch away from the first down, it haunts me. I’m sick about that, so I hold myself responsible for this loss as well.”
Guard Brandon Fusco also spoke about shortcomings before the final kick, telling Vikings.com Minnesota’s ground game was not able to break big runs: “I think the biggest thing was just not finishing drives. That came back to haunt us.”
Zimmer devoted some of his post-game remarks to the high points of the Vikings season, the Star Tribune reports: “We had the best record of any team that’s ever played in a temporary stadium, the first playoff game ever in a temporary stadium. We won the NFC North for the first time in [six] years. We did some good things.”
"I've never been more proud of a football team." – Mike Zimmer
WATCH: https://t.co/4kdaU6q5Rg pic.twitter.com/tloy9rg4Ur
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 10, 2016
The Star Tribune says Zimmer choked up, though, when he was asked if he’ll always wonder what might have been with the 2015 Vikings, answering: “We’ll never know. We did a lot of things that a lot of people didn’t think we could get done. And that’s what hurts the most, that we don’t get an opportunity to continue to do that.”
Quartrback Teddy Bridgewater agreed about the hurt.
"It's tough to lose a game like that." – @teddyb_h2o
POSTGAME PRESSER: https://t.co/r75twH8Kvc pic.twitter.com/9bGR5kRxej
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 10, 2016
You can watch video of the post-game remarks from Zimmer and Bridgewater.
