Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and his players were furious with St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after Sunday’s game. During the game Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was knocked unconscious on a late hit by Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner.
The head coach barely shook the hand of Rams head coach Jeff Fisher following the game before heading into the media area, where he didn’t hold back his criticism of the hit, and of Williams.
“I agree that it was a cheap shot,” he said, via KFAN1003. “[Gregg Williams’] defenses are all like that.”
This isn’t the first time a Williams-led defense has injured an opposing quarterback. He was infamously the leading man in the “Bountygate” scandal that rocked the New Orleans Saints a few years back.
Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said he and his teammates knew what to expect from a Williams-led defense, echoing Zimmer’s statement: “I’ve played against [Gregg Williams] a lot man. That’s what he does. It’s going to get chippy.”
Offensive tackle Matt Kalil was on the same page as well, saying “Knowing these guys, I’ve played them 2-3 times in the past. That’s what they do.”
Zimmer wasn’t the only one who thought Joyner’s hit was dirty, either. Ex-NFL linebacker Scott Fujita, who played for Williams during his tenure with the Saints, wasn’t pleased with what he saw and was interested to hear what Zimmer would have to say about “that b.s.”
It’s understandable that Zimmer and Bridgewater’s teammates would be heated about the play, which many will say was dirty. It will be interesting to see what the league things about it this upcoming week as fines are doled out.