A controversial move to go against coverage strategies laid out by the coaching staff appears to have been cooked up by the most senior member of the Minnesota Vikings' secondary.
The defensive game plan heading into Saturday's divisional showdown with the Green Bay Packers involved standout cornerback Xavier Rhodes exclusively shadowing Jordy Nelson.
Feeling as though he could also cover Green Bay's No. 1 receiver, however, veteran defensive back Terence Newman went to Rhodes early in the game and suggested the two stayed on their respective sides of the field, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The altered coverage matchups reportedly lasted a few series before Zimmer again got Rhodes traveling around the field with Nelson, but the veteran wide receiver had already run wild on the Vikings.
Nelson finished the first half with seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He managed just two receptions for nine yards with Rhodes in coverage throughout the final two quarters.
Newman told reporters during on Monday the change was corrected far earlier than Rapoport's report suggests, while downplaying the possibility of any concerns within the locker room.
"It was a miscommunication corrected after the first series," Newman said, via Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "There's no issues. We're all on the same page. We got beat."
The loss dropped Minnesota to 7-8 on the year and officially eliminated the club from playoff contention.
