Cowboys up: Surging Vikes settle in at home for 3 straight

MINNEAPOLIS: The Minnesota Vikings stumbled into their bye with a 1-5 record, their previously fierce home-field advantage vanished as they faced a low-water mark of four games under the .500 mark for the first time in coach Mike Zimmer's seven seasons.

There was no locker room rant, though, from a leader who's known by his bluntness. Zimmer simply expressed trust in the players that they could initiate a turnaround, a belief backed up by the front office when only one trade — sending recently acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore — was made before the deadline.