Vikings head coach: We're not a dirty team

Never afraid to stir the pot, Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate didn't mince words following his team's loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week.

The always entertaining Tate seemingly indicated that the Lions' division rivals were a dirty team when asked if they took cheap shots during Sunday's game:

“One hundred and ten percent,” Tate said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “After watching the film there were several holds, late hits that I thought should have been called. A couple of them I wouldn’t be surprised if we turn them in (to the NFL). But then again, that’s part of playing on the road. You’ve got to control that by not making the game close and busting it wide open. So that’s what we should have done better. But there were a few plays out there that I think were clear violations of this game.”

Not rattled by the accusations, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had a direct response to Tate's comments during a recent press conference:

“That doesn’t bother me,” Zimmer said, via the Star Tribune. “I know what kind of team we are. We’re not dirty.”

In terms of what actually went down during the game in Minnesota, the Vikings were flagged 10 times for nearly 100 yards, including two penalties for unnecessary roughness.

A specific play by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr drew some questions over the weekend. He was flagged for hitting Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as the signal caller was heading out of bounds. Zimmer even went on to defend Barr's play, indicating that he owes the second-year player an apology after initially calling it a "dumb penalty."

There's always a fine line between playing physical and showing a dirty mentality on the field. Prior to arriving in Minnesota, Zimmer-led Cincinnati Bengals defenses always walked that tight rope between the two

For what it's worth, Tate seems to be alone in his sentiment regarding the Vikings. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell refused to buy into the idea that his team's division rivals were dirty by publicly disagreeing with Tate following the game.

It wouldn't be a NFC North rivalry without teams within the division going at it on the field. That had to play a role in what occurred Sunday. But to indicate that the Vikings are dirty is a bit of a reach. At least, Caldwell recognized this publicly.

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