Mike Zimmer's "stick together" message sparked Vikings' rebound

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer understands his team’s shortcomings but isn’t afraid to still yell at his players.Mike Zimmer can't remember what he did or thought or said the night of Oct. 18, when the hapless Atlanta Falcons sucker-punched his Vikings to a 1-5 start inside an eerily lifeless U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings coach rubs his eyes, trying to think backward in a forward-thinking profession. It's Friday, the end of a short week of long hours after a Monday night game in Chicago. He's running on fumes and still has one practice, a team meeting and four media interviews before he can leave TCO Performance Center for the sleep he'll need to be at his best when old friend Jerry Jones and…