Talk » and hasnt played since. Although the

MINNEAPOLIS -- One game was difficult enough for Mike Zimmer to miss.He sure didnt want to sit out longer than that, even after major eye surgery.The hard-driving head coach has returned to work with the Minnesota Vikings, who announced on Monday that Zimmer is expected to travel with the team this weekend to Jacksonville.Thats a three-hour flight, a little bit more than a week after Zimmer had an emergency operation to repair a detached retina, but the Vikings (6-6) wouldnt have proactively declared him fit for the job again if there were still uncertainty about his status for the game on Sunday against the Jaguars (2-10).The matchup with a team with the third-worst record in the NFL has taken on an extra measure of significance, given the freefall Minnesota has experienced since a league-leading 5-0 start. The Vikings have dropped in the NFC North two games behind Detroit, which owns the division tiebreaker with a season sweep, and theyre on the outside of the race for two wild card spots. The 17-15 loss to Dallas on Thursday, with special teams coordinator Mike Priefer running the team in Zimmers absence, was their sixth in the last seven games.Vikings players had four days off after their second consecutive Thursday game and will reconvene for practice on Tuesday. Zimmers first news conference upon his return is scheduled for Wednesday. Zimmer had two surgeries on his right eye about a month ago, but his recovery was sidetracked last Wednesday when he developed vision trouble during practice and was sent for surgery that night. He had a fourth procedure on Friday, according to an ESPN report.Befitting his classic old-school personality, whose late father was a longtime high school football coach in the Chicago area, Zimmer was spending longer days than usual on the job last month, often arriving at work around 4:15 a.m. if he didnt sleep in the office the night before in an attempt to help the Vikings stop their slide.General manager Rick Spielman said Zimmers setback was unrelated to his unrelenting dedication to the job after the problem first surfaced in late October. Spielman, though, said he spoke with Zimmer last week about keeping perspective when the prospect of him missing a game surfaced.We had some pretty significant talks, one-on-one, heart-to-heart, on what is important in life and what isnt, Spielman said. I think after we met, I expressed to him specifically, that potentially going blind in one eye is not worth one game in the NFL. We have to look out for your long-term health.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Air Max Plus Se Sale .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Vapormax Plus White Cheap . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. http://www.airmaxplusstoresale.com/air-vapormax-plus-cheap/womens-discount.html . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Vapormax Plus Cheap . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Vapormax Plus Sale . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. NEW YORK -- Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said Monday that he is getting closer to returning from a sore right Achilles.Nowitzki missed his fourth straight game with the Mavericks 93-77 loss to the New York Knicks. He had a lengthy pregame workout, but by then, it was already decided that he wouldnt play.The biggest issue is still running, Nowitzki said after the game. Im not a big runner at this stage in my career, but I cant really go up and down yet. I havent run in full practice. So its not quite there yet, but the good thing is its getting better. I dont have the soreness I had last week, obviously. Ill be doing more and more.Nowitzki sat out the second half of Dallas loss in Portland on Nov. 4 and hasnt played since. Although the Mavericks are 2-7, they dont want the 38-year-old forward back until hes ready.I think hes reallly close.dddddddddddd Hes feeling a lot better, and we just dont want to rush anything, owner Mark Cuban said. Theres no reason to rush anything with him.The Mavericks are playing without injured guards Deron Williams and Devin Harris. On Monday, they shot under 39 percent against a Knicks team that had been struggling defensively. Nowitzki, the No. 6 scorer in NBA history, knows the offense will return once he does.We cant score enough. Obviously, thats the one thing I can sort of do, Nowitzki said. I might not be any good at any other thing anymore, but I can still score a little bit and help the team score, just helping offensively as much as I can. So its tough. It is tough to sit over there and watch. ' ' '