Vikings: A Zimmer of Hope

By K.E. Smith

He missed the kick, everyone.  We get it.  Stop beating it like a dead Sarah Jessica Parker. The season is over and there’s nothing we can do to change that.  But, what we can do is to start looking forward to the next great season in 2016.  And the next decade after if everything goes to my dastardly plan.

This is due to Mike Zimmer.

(USA TODAY Sports: Bruce Kluckhohn) 

When we first signed him in 2014, I really had no idea who he was.  That’s funny because I consider myself a pretty educated viewer and follower of the NFL.  I was wrong.  

I researched him a little bit like any normal Vikings fanatic would and found out how many positive things he’s done as a coach and how quickly he’s moved up everywhere he’s gone as a defensive coordinator.  And the numbers speak for themselves (because me speaking for him doesn’t give any factual credit).  

After being the defensive backs coach for the Cowboys in 1995 (when they won Super Bowl XXX) he was soon promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000.  2003 after getting his mitts dirty and having control for 3 years, he had a defense, which had given up the fewest yards in the league.

Same thing happened when he moved to Cincinnati in 2008 taking their DC position, making a huge leap and taking a 27th ranked defense to 12th in one year. Zimmer then held on to that consistent level for the next 5 years, having them ranked 4th, 15th, 7th, 6th, and 3rd respectively.

After I watched him in his first few preseason games of 2014, I knew he was the one to take the Vikings to the Promised Land (I actually don’t know who promised anything to us Vikings fans in the first place, but there is a land of victory and it was promised to us). He has the perfect mold of what you want in a head coach: aggression, passion, knowledge, compassion, history, and even the look.  He just has “it.”  He’s like a Bill Belichick or a Vince Lombardi.  He just carries that feel to him.  I mean just look at him.

                                                             (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Do you see it?  I do.  At least to me he looks like the perfect head coach and I don’t care if you agree.   You do agree? Cool! We should hang out and play cards and talk about how we are right and everyone else is wrong.

Even the snow in this picture is like, “Yo, we are going to make this game extremely cold,” and Mike Zimmer responds with, “I’m Mike Zimmer,” and the snow cowers away saying, “Oh, crap! It is Mike Zimmer, let’s lay low other snow flakes.”  

He’s that intimidating.  Zimmer can change the weather, guys.  

Okay, back to reality.  The way he took one of the NFL’s worst defenses in the Vikings (32nd in scoring against at 30.0 PPGA) and turned them into the 5th best in scoring against (18.9 PPGA) in 2 years is incredible.  I don’t think he’s done in making the Vikings defense what it will be in the next few years.  We have too much young talent and someone who will put the pieces in place to not bring back the Purple People Eaters.

Adrian Peterson on Zimmer? “He’s the most competitive coach I’ve ever had.” A “great” talking about a “great,” and it’s pretty great.

And what do former “great” players think about Zimmer? “I think the Vikings got a hell of a head coach and I think he’ll take that organization pretty far,’’ Geno Atkins said. “He did a great job (turning the defense around). That’s what Zimmer is going to do; he’s going to fix it. I mean that’s what he’s known for. He’s going to fix it, whether it’s scheme, whether it’s new personnel. He’s going to figure out a way to do that.’’

This is why I think the Vikings and its fans have a lot to be excited about for the foreseeable future.  Mike Zimmer will bring his “A” game and make everyone on the team follow suit like he’s done in the past and proven to do so now.   And having one of the best defenses in the league will keep you on the top for a long time.  Having players like Harrison Smith, Linval Joseph and Everson Griffen doesn’t hurt.  Also, having players like Xavier Rhodes, Anthony Barr, and Eric Kendricks doesn’t hurt either.  The opposing offenses will hurt, though.

Now, if only the offense with the best running back in the league could follow the leader.