Coach Mike Zimmer said he personally shoulders "100%" of the Vikings' 1-5 start, the worst in his tenure, entering a bye week that will be good for the team's health, but not necessarily for the development of a young roster that struggled in a 40-23 loss to the Falcons.
Players will get four days off, which is "a little bit of a Catch-22," Zimmer said, but everybody will be required to continue daily COVID-19 testing and stay in the area during the bye, the NFL's time typically reserved for quick getaways to see friends and family. While players will be in town more, the NFL's collectively bargained rules mandate time away from the facility and football activities.