Vikings Insist This Is 'Like Any Other Week'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of the things Mike Zimmer did was make sure they stayed to a routine all week -- the same practice schedule as has been the way all season.
The conditions may change because they're going outside, but it's not about the conditions or last week. It's about the moment.
"It's the NFC Championship game. This is what our focus is on right now, the Philadelphia Eagles and being professionals, you gotta be able to make that switch and our switch is you gotta focus on the Philadelphia Eagles and getting the job done," defensive end Everson Griffen said. "That's all. You can't live in that moment no more, this is the next big moment. You never know what could happen. It could be another big play like that the next game. You just gotta live in the moment and the moment's now and that's the Philadelphia Eagles."
But you do have to look back to see if there is something you might have learned from last week, with a heightened sense of awareness because the stakes were and are so high.
"It doesn't feel much different, other than the extra coverage," linebacker Anthony Barr said. "Having a lot of media attention, but coming into work it just felt like another week, which I think is a good thing. I'm not saying that, so it's not just word of mouth. I truly feel like it just feels like another week."
Sunday on the WCCO pregame show we will hear from one Viking who has played in conference championship games the past two years and won a Super Bowl with New England last season: Michael Floyd.
"It's exciting knowing you're one of four teams left to play for a Super Bowl," Floyd said. "But I think you just gotta take it like any other week and just go through your normal routine and just making sure you're detail-oriented on everything."
He is one of five Minnesota high school products participating in the game -- four for the Vikings and one for the Eagles. Friday night on the High School Sports Rally we will hear from all five.
Beau Allen grew up in Minnetonka. His family will watch him play against the Vikings Sunday in what has been a wild week.
"Didn't think it would be all that crazy, but the minute I got into the office all my work friends were talking about it and asking me who we were gonna root for and what it was like to have Beau having a chance to play in it," father Matt Allen said.
"This is terrible to say, but I love him being the backup," mother Susie Allen said. "Less time to get his head hit."
