NFL News 2015: Mike Zimmer Calls Out Rams' Gregg Williams on Teddy Bridgewater Hit
Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer couldn't help but call out what his team thinks was a cheap shot from the Rams' Gregg Williams against their quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. In the postgame news conference, Zimmer took some exception to St. Louis' defensive technique in the Vikings' narrow 21-18 win.
Zimmer talked to KFAN-FM about the incident and specifically called out defensive coordinator Greg Williams, saying that the Rams went too far on that play that left Bridgewater with a concussion. He said, "I agree that it was a cheap shot. His defenses are all like that," referring to Williams.
The 23-year-old Bridgewater was not able to finish the game because of the concussion he suffered when cornerback LaMarcus Joyner hit him in the payoff period, leading him to get a clearance from the league's concussion protocol before he can return to play against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
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The play the Vikings call as a "cheap shot" happened with 13:36 left in the last quarter. The Vikings were leading, 18-15, when Joyner hit Bridgewater while he was sliding with his feet to the ground first. NFL rules explicitly provide that a runner is down when he starts a slide with feet first, in which defenders are expected to pull up. The problem in the play was that Joyner didn't pull up and instead created unnecessary roughness, earning him a 15-yard personal foul.
Before that play, the quarterback already became a recipient of a low hit from defensive end William Hayes, who actually wasn't called for a penalty since Bridgewater was outside the pocket when the hit happened.
In the postgame conference, Zimmer was asked for a comment if the Rams were indeed targeting their starting quarterback. He said, "I don't know about that. I do know there is a history there with their defensive coordinator. I'll leave it at that." The answer is obviously a shot at Williams who happens to have some history with other teams complaining about unsportsmanlike defensive tactics.
