A hard-luck 0-2, the Vikings are set to battle uphill in an effort to extend their odd-year playoff streak to four. Mike Zimmer may need to accomplish that and more in order to keep his job.
Those within the Vikings organization realize this is a critical year for job security, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes, adding that ownership has mentioned to associates a playoff berth will be necessary in order to prevent changes. Vikings ownership was prepared to make changes at a better point for the franchise as well.
The Wilfs, per La Canfora, considered firing Zimmer even after the 2019 season, in which the Vikings went 10-6 and upset the Saints in the first round. Zimmer, who is now in his eighth season as Vikings HC, persisted and ended up receiving a contract extension in the summer of 2020. The Vikings limped through the worst season in Zimmer’s tenure in the months that followed, however, ratcheting up the pressure on the current regime to rebound in 2021.
Zimmer, 65, is 64-49-1 as Vikings HC and has steered the team through some difficult quarterback stretches. Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford‘s injuries altered Minnesota’s blueprint, and the team went 13-3 behind bargain-bin signing Case Keenum in 2017. The Kirk Cousins era introduced QB stability for Zimmer, but the Vikings’ inability to make the playoffs in two of the high-priced passer’s three seasons certainly has not helped the veteran coach.
Zimmer is Minnesota’s longest-tenured head coach since Dennis Green, who lasted nine seasons in the Twin Cities. With the exception of an injury-riddled 2020, Zimmer’s defenses have been upper-echelon units. But ownership’s patience appears to be wearing thin, applying some pressure on the hard-edged HC going into a three-game homestand.
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He should be, not because he’s consistently outcoached, not because his defense even with Hunter, Pierce, and a rebuilt secondary still isn’t getting the job done, not because he’s failed to find a consistent offensive coordinator to handle the other side of the balls responsibilities. The reason he should be fired is because for two straight weeks his team has looked unprepared for the game, there’s no excuse for that and for a stickler like Zimmer that points to the players have tuned him out. It’s just tough because he’s the definition of an average coach, it’s so much easier to move on from a bad coach but not as easy with a consistently average one.
I didn’t see the game, so would you mind explaining how the team look unprepared for the Cardinals? The offensive line was much better than in the Bengals game from all I’ve read – fans, pros, PFF – which helped Cousins, Cook and all three of their wideouts have a good game, and while the Cardinals averaged 4.9 yards on the ground, they could only run the ball 21 times, compared to the 33 times they ran it in Game 1, or the 30 times they averaged running it last season. Both offenses were slowed down in the second half, I presume after halftime adjustments by both coaching staffs and, in the case of the visiting Vikes, the benching of Breeland in favor of Dantzler late in the game, which certainly seemed to help.
Among Vikings fans, the widespread prediction before the game was that the Cardinals would pummel the Vikes, absolutely massacre them. Instead, they lost on a last second missed field goal.
I really think that the opening post is mostly mistaken. The team mostly has not looked unprepared. In fact, most of the team looks good. The problem with Minnesota has been the secondary, and hot/cold play from Dalvin Cook and the kicking game. Greg Joseph should have won that Cardinals game. Even if he did not, the Cardinals should not have gained so many yards and scored long touchdowns-but the team played well in other areas and just got killed by big, easy plays that made Murray look good.
The corners let up a lot of big plays that were easy catches in blown coverage. In that regard, yes, they looked poorly coached. The front seven looked good, however. The offense looked good, minus Cook’s fumble and his cooling down for much of the second half. They got lucky on the Cousins sack/fumble too. But for the most part, the offense looked pretty good. I definitely would not say that Zimmer should be fired for that, because you take what he’s been giving you for granted if you do.
The Vikings SHOULD be 2-0. There’s no guarantee that the next coach you get will even get what you have now. With a little better luck or a better kicker, the narrative could be completely different. That does not mean that Zimmer does not need to make changes. I don’t know what real upgrades can be made at kicker at this point in the season, but the corner situation needs to be figured out. Breeland absolutely should not be starting over Dantzler-or anyone at all, really. I think they need to look for outside help outside. Alexander had a few bad plays in that game, but offered some good moments as well. Zimmer has some problems to figure out now, and has had some truly bad luck in the past, but he’s offering a lot to that team right now and yanking him will do more harm than good.
I felt that even before this season began, Zimmer would be the first head coach fired. His defensive acumen just has not translated to consistent on-field performance and I also question his decisions on the employ of coaches to his staff with last names of Zimmer & Kubiak. With all the dollars the Wilf family has invested in: players, practice facilities and a stadium, the ROI has been disappointing.
Zimmer will be gone by week #6.
nentwigs, I’m gonna hold you to that. Week #6, huh? I really hope you put it all on that in Vegas too. A couple plays here and there and the Vikings are 2 and 0 and you are saying Zimmer is coach of the year.
Unless the Vikings can turn this around, and quickly, then you have to make Zimmer turn in his stadium badge. Ship the expensive Kirk Cousins out of town and start anew with Kellen Mond.
They wouldn’t be able to give Cousins away for a 7th round pick if they tried.
WOW. An Excellent GM you do not make.
What part of the 2 near wins has anything to do with Cousins? 71% completion, 600 yds, 5 TDs and 0 INTs. Game 1 was the Oline and Breelands loss. And Game 2 belongs to Joseph. What are they gonna do with Mond but waste talent like Thielen and Jefferson and end up hurting Cook with 90% of snaps being run plays
Cousins posts decent numbers but he doesn’t win his teams a ton of games. I can’t tell you why that is, but it is. If he wasn’t the 8th highest paid QB in the league maybe they could add more help around him to remedy that. I think he eats up too much cap for what he is.
“Doesn’t win his team the games.”
Literally did enough to win his team the only two games of the season – both comeback wins – and an injury/fumble prone RB and an inexperienced kicker lost them both games. But ok.
He’s 51-53-2 for his career. Plus one of those losses you mentioned was to the Bengals, and they ain’t great.
Honest question- if the rest of the Minnesota roster was Super Bowl caliber would you be comfortable watching Cousins go toe-to-toe with Mahomes, Jackson or Allen in the SB?
I would, yes. You don’t need a Hall of Fame quarterback to win a Super Bowl or beat a Hall of Famer. You just need a quarterback.
Joe Flacco conquered Brady in the playoffs. Foles did it in the Super Bowl itself. Eli Manning did it in the Super Bowl twice. The quarterback has to beat the enemy defense, so the opposing quarterback has little to do with it. Even if he puts up amazing points, it’s still up to your guy to beat the defense to match. Cousins has shown that he put up points and lead the offense well enough to score. We obviously don’t consider him to be an elite QB, but after Mahomes, Rodgers, Brady, and Wilson, where does he fall? He can’t be as far behind as we treat him. In no particular order, you could argue that Stafford, Roethlisberger, Carr, Jackson, Allen, Prescott, or Ryan are ahead or behind Cousins. That still puts him in about the top ten type tier. There are a lot of teams who could win with that.
Cousins has consistently thrown for high yardage and touchdowns for his tenure in Minnesota. That’s really all you need to win a Super Bowl-the completeness of the team is much more important than the prowess of the individual quarterback. You need a good QB, but you don’t necessarily need a Hall of Famer. At worst, Cousins is a top 15 type quarterback. At best, he’s a top 5 type quarterback. That’s all you really need, if your team is playing at a high level.
Zimmer will be fired on Tuesday if the Vikings lose to the Seahawks this weekend.
Zimmer lost interest once he discovered that Instagram model.
I didn’t know he was dating a model but good for him.
I’d be more inclined to get rid of the Gm…Speilman I believe. They have needed oline for 5/6/7 years now and they seem to never get it addressed , or simply draft the WRONG olineman…….Football is won with a good or better QB followed VERY closely by the lineman on both sides….battle of the trenches speaks great volumes on the outcome of every fb game.
Cousins isn’t a top 5 qb , but he’s better than a hell of a lot of them , plus they are committed financially to him now so they need to get at LEAST 3 better olineman than they currently employ.