Zimmer: Kicker Guru

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@MaroonBells said:
Kinda makes me want to look up what fan mood was back then. This board, Twitter, etc.  It's easy now to say Zimmer was too impatient and that cutting Carlson was a mistake, but how many on this board were jumping between him and the axe after he missed all three field goals against Green Bay. Just sayin....

I can tell you one fan that was opposed to them cutting him.

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@Knucklehead said:

@MaroonBells said:
Kinda makes me want to look up what fan mood was back then. This board, Twitter, etc.  It's easy now to say Zimmer was too impatient and that cutting Carlson was a mistake, but how many on this board were jumping between him and the axe after he missed all three field goals against Green Bay. Just sayin....

IIRC, the team's plan was to sign him to the PS. They were a playoff caliber team & couldn't afford to lose any more games with a rookie kicker. Unfortunately, the Raiders (who weren't a playoff caliber team at that time) claimed him off of waivers. 

@Knucklehead said:

@MaroonBells said:
Kinda makes me want to look up what fan mood was back then. This board, Twitter, etc.  It's easy now to say Zimmer was too impatient and that cutting Carlson was a mistake, but how many on this board were jumping between him and the axe after he missed all three field goals against Green Bay. Just sayin....

IIRC, the team's plan was to sign him to the PS. They were a playoff caliber team & couldn't afford to lose any more games with a rookie kicker. Unfortunately, the Raiders (who weren't a playoff caliber team at that time) claimed him off of waivers. 

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@HappyViking said:
If Carlson didn't miss all those kicks against GB, he'd still be a Viking.  Hell, if he missed all those kicks against any other team besides GB, he'd probably still be a Viking.  I know I thought Carlson was a bust after that Packer game too.  He kicked like he didn't want the Vikings to win and I started getting Blair Walsh flashbacks.

Yeah, with the Vikings history with Kickers, it isn't about Zimmer.  Don't know how we could go forward that year with him as the kicker. It was a melt down.  Glad he has shown he is a better man than Walsh.  

On the flip side, Joseph is looking good this year.

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@HappyViking said:
If Carlson didn't miss all those kicks against GB, he'd still be a Viking.  Hell, if he missed all those kicks against any other team besides GB, he'd probably still be a Viking.  I know I thought Carlson was a bust after that Packer game too.  He kicked like he didn't want the Vikings to win and I started getting Blair Walsh flashbacks.

The first two were in the 40s, but the last one was a chip shot. I think that was the kick that got him fired, considering it was the game winner and forced the Vikings into a sister-kisser with the Packers. 

Not hugely surprising he was released. What is surprising (if it's true) is the Vikings thinking they could get him onto the PS. He was a 5th rounder, the top kicker prospect in the draft and the 1st kicker chosen. They should've known better.