MOBILE, Ala. -- Consider Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer unmoved by the league's investigation into the New England Patriots and whether they overly-deflated footballs in last Sunday's title game win over the Colts.
"I think it was like 41-7, right?" Zimmer said Wednesday morning before a Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama. "I don't think the balls had a lot to do with it."
(The score was 45-7, but we get the point.) Zimmer added that he's got other things to be concerned about in the moments leading up to a game. But the one thing New England did do this offseason that will resonate, he thinks, is the use of ineligible wide receivers like they did against the Ravens.
"That'll be the deal this year," Zimmer said. "The only thing I didn't like about it was that one time you say the guy is eligible and another time you say he's ineligible. So now I gotta listen for who is eligible...
"But I'm sure they'll talk about it at the league meetings this year."
Zimmer's point about it possibly being "a deal" this year is interesting, though. Now that a precedent has been set, is this something that other teams will incorporate into their offenses simply just to confuse opposing defenses?
How could that possibly impact the type of player coordinators are looking for and how might that impact the way officials approach each game next year?
The league meetings might have just gotten interesting.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast analyzes the Russell Wilson/Roger Staubach comparison and hands out the first Coach Carousel Awards. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.