As
Jordy Nelson had a banner day against the
Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, the team's defensive backs apparently devised a strategy to cover the
Green Bay Packers wide receiver independent of what coach Mike Zimmer wanted.
After Minnesota's
38-25 loss to the Packers, Zimmer explained that the Vikings had planned for cornerback
Xavier Rhodes to shadow Nelson. Rhodes, though, said the Vikings' cornerbacks had decided on a different plan during the week, opting to have Rhodes stay at right cornerback, with veteran
Terence Newmanor second-year player
Trae Waynes at left cornerback.
It wasn't until the second half that the Vikings put Rhodes on Nelson, who caught seven passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
"In the first half, 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.'"
Rhodes held Nelson to two catches for nine yards in the second half.
"That's what he was supposed to do the whole game," Zimmer said. "Someone decided they wouldn't do that."