With a defensive overhaul that will see at least five new starters and a pandemic that has hampered not only our lives but the NFL off-season, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had more than enough on his plate as he was heading into the 2020 season on the final year of his contract. On Friday, however, the Vikings officially signed the 64-year old coach to a three-year extension. As Zimmer heads into his seventh season at the helm, he now has some pressure turned down on him. If anyone can handle the wackiness of 2020, it’s Zimmer.
Minnesota Vikings Make the Right Decision Extending Mike Zimmer
Consistently in the Hunt
Since arriving in 2014, Zimmer has become the third-winningest head coach in Vikings history. He has a record of 57-38-1 and has led the team to two NFC North titles and a wild card appearance in 2019. With a record of 2-3 in the postseason, some fans feel like there is room for improvement, especially taking into account that the team has been on-again-off-again with the playoffs, with appearances in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
However, when looking at the seasons the team has missed the playoffs, the Vikings have still been relevant. His first season in 2014 saw the team improve to 7-9 after finishing 5-10-1 before his arrival. In 2016, the team began the season with an improbable 5-0 record following a catastrophic knee injury to former first-round pick quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Injuries mounted, and Minnesota finished 8-8 but wasn’t eliminated from playoff contention until Week 16. In 2018, the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention in the season finale. So while the three playoff appearances in six seasons isn’t the most ideal statistic, the team has been in the hunt every season since 2015.
Righting the Ship When Adversity Strikes
No one will ask Mike Zimmer for the winning lotto numbers after his bad luck in Minnesota. Prior to Week Two of the 2014 season, star running back Adrian Peterson faced child abuse allegations and didn’t play the rest of the season. Despite losing the former MVP, the team still ranked 14th in rushing offense and Peterson’s absence, while not ideal, never broke the locker room.
In 2016, when everyone expected Bridgewater to make a giant leap forward, Zimmer had to deal with bringing in a new quarterback just over a week before the season opener following Bridewater’s injury. After Shaun Hill won the season opener, the Vikings turned to former number one overall pick Sam Bradford at quarterback. As stated before, the 5-0 start quickly evaporated as the Vikings lost Peterson, their left tackle, their backup left tackle, and numerous other starters to injuries. On top of that, Zimmer made the decision to cut kicker Blair Walsh after his kicking woes had carried over into the season following his game-losing 27-yard miss the prior season in the playoffs.
With Bradford getting a full off-season under his belt in 2017, the Vikings appeared to have stability at quarterback. In Week One, Bradford put on a clinic, going 27-of-32 passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. However, he injured his knee in the victory and the team had to turn to journeyman backup Case Keenum. Keenum would start all but one game the rest of the way, leading the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game.
2018 saw the firing of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, and as the team went into a more run-focused offense entering 2019, star receiver Stefon Diggs took issue with the direction of the offense. His frustration, which flew under the radar during the off-season, became public following a loss to the Bears in Week Four. Zimmer again kept the locker room together, opening up the offense through the air while still leaning on the ground game. Diggs had his most prolific season in 2019, and quarterback Kirk Cousins was a dark-horse MVP candidate.
The Last Word
Zimmer isn’t perfect, but he has put the Vikings in position to succeed ever since he arrived in 2014. The team’s defense is still strong and, with a roster overhaul, it will take time for the rookies and free agents to gel with the culture. Locking him up long-term allows him to focus solely on football without having to look over his shoulder.
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