Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer criticized his team's defense after it suffered an historic steamrolling at the hands of the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day.
Zimmer, finishing up his seventh season at the helm in Minnesota, didn't mince words while addressing the shellacking after Friday's game, maligning the unit as the "worst" he'd ever coached.
"This is a bad defense," Zimmer told reporters. "Worst one I've ever had."
The remarks came on the heels of a blistering performance by New Orleans' all-world running back, Alvin Kamara, who reeled off an eye-popping six rushing touchdowns.
The beatdown at the hands of the Saints and Kamara sealed the Vikings' first losing season since 2014, Zimmer's first year on the sidelines.
The down year comes after an offseason marked by some notable departures on the coaching staff and on the field, including longtime key contributors Stefon Diggs and Everson Griffen.
The already-thing defensive unit was further depleted by injuries to several veteran stalwarts, including Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Eric Kendricks.
Zimmer said the pummeling was "embarrassing," irrespective of the team's injury situation.
"We're a little undermanned, but they should play better than that," he said. "I'm not trying to make excuses, it was embarrassing today."
The unit failed in virtually every aspect of defense, the coach said.
"You have to work pretty hard to give up 52. Couldn't stop the run, couldn't cover well, didn't get any pressure on the quarterback, couldn't tackle."
Zimmer, 64, signed a three-year extension with the team in the offseason, keeping him under contract through 2023.
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