The Vikings and Dom Capers will part ways after a one-season partnership. Capers’ contract will be allowed to expire, with the Vikings announcing he will not be back in 2021.
Minnesota brought the former head coach and longtime Green Bay defensive coordinator in as a senior defensive assistant last year. While roster turnover and injuries gutted Minnesota’s defense, the unit ranked as by far the worst in Mike Zimmer‘s seven-year tenure.
Cuts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph preceded free agency defections of Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Everson Griffen. An injury sidelined Danielle Hunter for the entire 2020 season, and Anthony Barr was lost for most of it. The Vikings traded Yannick Ngakoue soon after as well. The new-look defense ended the year 29th in points allowed and 27th in total defense, though DVOA respected the undermanned unit’s work a bit more (18th).
Capers, 70, spent the 2019 season as a senior defensive assistant in Jacksonville. He came to a Vikings team that had parted ways with defensive coordinator George Edwards and installed Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer — Mike’s son — as co-DCs. The former head coach for multiple expansion teams — the Panthers and Texans — Capers has been an NFL coach since 1986. His most recent role of note was as Packers DC from 2009-17.
cue the rumours that he joins Mccarthy in Dallas….(since nolan was axed… if I’m not mistaken).
did the pack’ win a superb superbowl w/him as the DC?
They did but it was in his second season and the talent was there before he took over. Unfortunately he got a lot of undeserved credit for that defense and along with being McCarthy’s BFF cost GB other SB appearances with ARod in his prime. We were lucky to finally ditch both him and McCarty with ARod still having some prime left.
He is not a good DC…..cowboys better PRAY McCarthy doesn’t rehire his BFF.
Defensive Coordinators are not responsible for building the roster. Saying he did good with talent that was already on the roster just proves that he won when he had talent? You dislike him because of the job his GM did of building the roster?
Nope….not what I’m saying. I’m saying the talent was there before he ever showed up and then progressively got worse the longer he was there.
I dislike him (as a DC, not as a person) bc he’s not a good DC.
He was good at one point, but not anymore. That Packers’ defense in 2011 led the league in turnovers, and over the next few years lost significant talent while their near asleep general manager refused to replace it. Capers needed to go, but I can’t put all the blame on him. After all, he didn’t sign Nick Perry to a huge deal or refuse to find a replacement for Charles Woodson or A.J. Hawk, Thompson did. Thompson’s refusal to improve that defense was mind-boggling to me.
No loss.
Past his prime.
Get him a recliner, a big screen TV and a remote.
Addition by subtraction.
Vikings figured it out, I see. Capers can’t run a defense.
Vikings let most of their veterans go, the rest got hurt. It’s Zimmers defense.
Dom Capers worked for the Vikings
Tough season for the Vikings but they are a well run organization that has always rebounded from adversity. If they can get over their obsession of having multiple 7th round picks they should be right back among the playoff contenders.