Louis Riddick explains why he does not agree with Vikings' defensive backs' decision to go against Mike Zimmer's game plan for covering Jordy Nelson. (2:13)

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- So here's what really happened, as told by the Minnesota Vikings, as understood by me and now relayed to you:

Coach Mike Zimmer was upset "about a lot of different things" after the Vikings' 38-25 loss Saturday to the Green Bay Packers, he said Monday. Cornerback Terence Newman's request to cover receiver Jordy Nelson "was one of the things that came to my mind," Zimmer added, "and I probably shouldn't have been as honest after the game as I typically am."

The ensuing media storm, Newman said Monday, was the result of a "miscommunication." Funny thing: Fellow cornerback Xavier Rhodes said the same thing, even though he said Saturday that he and the rest of the team's defensive backs had decided to play a certain coverage on Nelson regardless of Zimmer's call.

"I don't think he really felt like that's what he meant to say," Zimmer explained. "Xavier is a great kid. Sometimes he gets nervous about things and says it, but I don't think that's the case."

So what in fact happened on the first series of the game, during which the Vikings cornerbacks played "sides" rather than have Rhodes shadow Nelson, as Zimmer wanted?

"They played the coverage that was called, but they might have messed it up," Zimmer said. "I can think of one specifically. There was one where we were playing a man within a zone, and both guys played zone, and we turned the guy loose. There's things like that, but that happens every day."

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Monday that to his knowledge, the two cornerbacks did not intentionally play a defensive call differently than it was supposed to be played. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King, File)

I asked Zimmer to clarify: Did any player intentionally play the wrong coverage?

"No," he said. "Never."

I totally understand why Zimmer would say whatever he could to dismiss this story with all expedience. Tales of player insurrection and insubordination, true or exaggerated, get people fired. At worst, Zimmer's outburst Saturday would suggest an effort to cover his own complicity in the Vikings' defensive collapse over the past two weeks. Yes, finger-pointers also get fired.

And if nothing else, this story extended a worrisome trend amid the rubble of the Vikings' 2016 season. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner quit at midseason, a highly unusual event. Seven weeks later, Zimmer's favorite player was in the middle of what appeared to be a group act of insubordination.

Yes, Zimmer said Monday that he has a "great relationship" with Newman and that his door is open for him to "talk to me about anything at any time." If that's the case, though, why didn't Newman approach Zimmer sometime before the first quarter of Saturday's game with his request to cover Nelson?

Zimmer's effort at damage control was understandable but ultimately ineffective in my mind. His explanation strained credulity.

What is more likely to have happened? That the raw and honest emotions of a lost season caught up with Zimmer and some key players after a 13-point loss to a division rival? Or that everyone who was quoted on the matter Saturday told it the wrong way, and that only after two days of reflection did they emerge with an accurate account? I'll let you answer that one on your own. Remember, Zimmer admonished himself on Monday for being so honest after the game.

The personal attributes that many people love about Zimmer -- his blunt assessments, his honest answers, his salt-of-the-earth demeanor -- have not served him well this season as a head coach. It's fair to question the environment his program has created, and it is a reminder that running a football team is similar in many ways to a leader in the business world. You should have deep knowledge of the product, of course, but more importantly you must connect with and properly manage your people.

When a respected coach quits and veteran players are in open defiance, the tendency, of course, is to redirect. But don't be fooled here. Sometimes, a fire is in fact a fire.

Injuries to key players are the primary reason the Vikings' season will end Sunday in disappointment, but they aren't the first team in NFL history to be ravaged at key positions. The question must at least be asked. If Zimmer is as good a head coach as we all thought he was when the Vikings started 5-0, why have a few hiccups caused such internal angst?

I don't expect Zimmer to lose his job, and I know he has been affected by a serious eye ailment. But he would be well-served to spend the offseason reviewing how he has managed the people who work for him, and why his message has been rejected by some of the most important among them.