MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Zimmer's blunt delivery of hard truths has sometimes been blamed for his inability to land a head coaching job sooner.
When the Minnesota Vikings hired him to take over before this season, Zimmer said his personality wouldn't change. He backed that up Sunday with some straight talk about his team after a woeful home loss to division rival Detroit.
Teddy Bridgewater was sacked eight times and threw three interceptions in Minnesota's 17-3 defeat to the Lions, and afterward Zimmer promised a stricter approach coming off of two straight embarrassing performances in division games.
"I'm the boss," Zimmer said. "Their job is to please me. Not the other way around."
The Vikings (2-4) were coming off a 42-10 loss at Green Bay and had 10 days to prepare for the Lions (4-2). But Zimmer said after the game that while he was pleased with the way the team practiced, he was upset by several players being late for team meetings and for treatment of injuries.
"I'm just saying some of the things we're doing lead to undisciplined play," Zimmer said. "We've got to change a lot of these things. I had to fine a lot more guys this week for whatever reason, missing meeting, late to a meeting, whatever. I'm not going to let them slide. I'm going to keep pounding my head and like I told them, the fines are going to start going to the max now. I'm tired of it."
Bridgewater made his second career start after missing last week's game with an ankle injury. Vikings fans hoped that the switch from Christian Ponder back to Bridgewater, who threw for 317 yards to beat Atlanta on Sept. 28, would be the cure for all that ails the offense.
But the ferocious Lions defense was in Bridgewater's face all game long and blanketed the Vikings receivers. The Vikings converted just 3 of 14 third downs and managed only 212 total yards.
When Bridgewater did have time, he was uncharacteristically inaccurate. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 188 yards and threw a costly interception in the end zone in the first quarter. Another interception went through running back Matt Asiata's hands and his third was batted at the line of scrimmage.
"Overall we just have to be better," Bridgewater said. "Not just better on the football field, but better outside the football field, whether it's around the facility or something else. So we just have to come back next week and learn from today and move forward."
And that was Zimmer's biggest concern.
"I'm extremely disappointed about this loss," he said. "I can handle getting beat, but I can't handle getting our butts whipped like that."
The Vikings are missing Adrian Peterson while he addresses charges of child abuse in Texas. Tight end Kyle Rudolph, right guard Brandon Fusco and linebacker Chad Greenway are out because of injuries. But Zimmer was in no mood to play the excuse card after seeing the Lions come through without receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush.
"We're undisciplined," Zimmer said. "Trust me: We're going to get disciplined."
Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson, the team's top two receivers, combined for five catches and 48 yards and Jerick McKinnon had 82 total yards in his first start at running back.
The offensive struggles masked a solid effort from Minnesota's defense, which yielded only 255 total yards and stuffed the Lions of 12 of their 13 third downs. Matt Stafford completed 19 of 33 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown.
"We're grown men, so we got to be willing to step up and talk to each other and get on each other," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. "It shouldn't be coaches have to say, `You got to get here.' You got to get there. It's your job. This is how we feed our families, so we just got to do a better job with that."
NOTES: Patterson was slowed by a hip injury, but he said he expected to be ready to go next week against Buffalo. ... P Jeff Locke had a busy, but rough, afternoon. He punted seven times for a 37.9-yard average. ... Ziggy Ansah led the way for the Lions with 2½ sacks. ... Tahir Whitehead had two of the three interceptions.
---
AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL