{"id":95689,"date":"2020-10-04T21:42:05","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T01:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=95689"},"modified":"2020-10-04T21:42:05","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T01:42:05","slug":"mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/10\/04\/mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Zimmer Game Plan Key to Minnesota Vikings\u2019 Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

The game plan implemented on Sunday by Mike Zimmer<\/strong>\u00a0was a main reason why the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> got their first win of the season. Indeed, Zimmer\u2019s fingerprints were all over the stats at the end of the opening half. Minnesota possessed the ball for nearly twenty minutes, largely due to Dalvin Cook<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s 15 runs. The Houston Texans<\/a>, in contrast, struggled to do anything; Deshaun Watson<\/strong><\/a> was 6\/15 for 79 yards whereas David Johnson<\/a><\/strong> had eight carries for 29 yards. With a 17-6 lead, the Vikings\u2019 opening half was by far their best of the young season.<\/p>\n

Things were tougher in the second half, but Minnesota won largely due to Zimmer out-coaching Bill O\u2019Brien <\/strong>(these days, outcoaching O’Brien isn’t saying much, but still). The Vikings\u2019 defense held up four times on fourth and goal to end the game, thus preserving the one-score lead. On the final play for the Texans, Zimmer called an aggressive blitz, thereby putting Will Fuller<\/a> <\/strong>one-on-one with Holton Hill<\/a><\/strong>. Fuller almost made an incredible catch, but Watson’s throw was a little too far out of reach. Zimmer\u2019s pressure contributed to the throw\u2019s inaccuracy.<\/p>\n

While the various blitz calls and coverages made a big difference, so too did the way that Zimmer used his players. Two defensive rookies \u2013 D.J. Wonnum<\/a><\/strong> and Cameron Dantzler<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 played well, especially given their inexperience.<\/p>\n

Mike Zimmer\u2019s Game Plan for the Minnesota Vikings<\/h2>\n

D.J. Wonnum<\/h3>\n

The Vikings, quite evidently, came into the game intending to rely on D.J. Wonnum to help contain Watson. Watson is deceptively strong, and he\u2019s obviously a tremendously gifted athlete. For these reasons, scheming ways to free Wonnum makes a ton of sense. In the clip below, you\u2019ll see several Vikings crowding the line of scrimmage. In so doing, the Texans can\u2019t sort out their protection assignments, freeing Wonnum for the first sack of his career.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c @dwonnum<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa: @NFLonFOX<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TVbaI8lYpx<\/a><\/p>\n

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 4, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n