Though their draft philosophies would diverge in later years, as Zimmer grew tired of Spielman's trades back in the draft to accumulate more picks, the two struck gold in the 2015: picking Kendricks in the second round and Hunter in the third, after finding a starting corner (Trae Waynes) in the first and before drafting a Pro Bowl receiver (Stefon Diggs) in the fifth.
The group's first victory over the Packers — as Zimmer's defense stymied Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings snatched the 2015 division title away from Green Bay in a Week 17 Sunday night game at Lambeau Field — ranks as one of the defining moments of his tenure.
But even by that point, tensions were forming on the offensive side of the ball.
After the 2014 season, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, Zimmer went to Hue Jackson, asking his friend from the Bengals' coaching staff to teach him more about offensive play-calling so he could better evaluate Turner. Zimmer grew more outspoken about pass plays he didn't like, or a need to run the ball more, on the coaches' headset during games in 2015, even as the Vikings ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing offense while Adrian Peterson won his third rushing title while leading the league in attempts.
Behind the scenes, Vikings decision-makers clashed about how to use Cordarrelle Patterson, the dynamic, but raw, second-year receiver Spielman traded three picks to take 29th overall in 2013. Turner's efforts to set up his son Scott (the Vikings' quarterbacks coach at the time) for an offensive coordinator job irked Zimmer, who would later make his own son the Vikings' co-defensive coordinator.
The Vikings added Sparano and Pat Shurmur, two former head coaches, to their offensive staff before 2016. By the middle of the season, as Turner bristled at Zimmer's feedback about how to navigate a slew of offensive line injuries, the coordinator resigned.
After the season, Shurmur shifted from Turner's Air Coryell offense to the West Coast-based foundation the Vikings have used since. They thrived despite injuries to quarterback Sam Bradford and rookie running back Dalvin Cook in 2017, when the Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game.
Shurmur left after the season to become the Giants' head coach. He called plays for 27 games under Zimmer; no Vikings coordinator who followed him would match that number, and the head coach would never lead the Vikings that far in the playoffs again.
Zimmer told Spielman in 2018 he was leery of spending big money on a quarterback before the team did just that to sign Kirk Cousins. The QB's analytical approach differed drastically from Zimmer's go-with-your-gut style, and they didn't meet together regularly until Cousins approached Zimmer about weekly film studies in 2021.
An ill-fated hire in 2018 set off a chain reaction of changes. Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, a Spielman-and-Sparano favorite who was hired after Philadelphia beat the Vikings 38-7 in that championship game, clashed with Zimmer almost immediately.
The coach quickly grew irritated by DeFilippo's preference for complex play design, run-pass options and throwing to set up the run, staples of the Eagles offense that had torched the Vikings the January before. Zimmer stepped up his private criticism of the offense after a Week 4 game during which Cousins threw for 422 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-31 loss to the Rams.
After the Vikings scored 37 points to improve to 4-2-1 in a win over the Jets, sources said, Zimmer lambasted DeFilippo in a team meeting for not running the ball enough; he made his issues with DeFilippo's approach public after losses in Week 11 and 13. The Vikings would not score more than 24 points in six games following the Jets win, and after a Monday night Week 14 loss in Seattle where they narrowly avoided a shutout, Zimmer fired DeFilippo and replaced him with Kevin Stefanski.
Diggs, the star receiver, was gone after 2019 too, agitated enough by the direction of the offense to force his way out in a trade in March 2020. That trade brought the first-round draft pick used to select Justin Jefferson, who broke the NFL record for rookie receiving yards. But by the end of his second year, the amiable 22-year-old showed signs of frustration about the Vikings' lack of energy and red-zone aggressiveness after a Week 16 loss to the Rams.
There was little doubt the Vikings cared about wins. But there weren't enough of them, and the means by which the team chased them eventually seemed to wear players to a nub.
"I think it could be something as little as, 'Hey, how you doing,' in the hallway, or feeling like when you walk by guys in the hallway and they say, 'Hello, how you going? Good morning,'" offensive tackle Brian O'Neill said Monday. "We spend so much time together and the season is so long that little personal things here or there could make a huge difference for a young guy, or a rookie who is coming in and isn't really sure how he fits or if he belongs. Little different personal things like that, because guys play their best when they feel good about themselves and their role within a team."
Zimmer's sometimes-blunt comments to the news media, like saying Barr had a "tendency to coast" or telling reporters Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman had gone against his game plan in a loss to the Packers in 2016, gave some players the impression the coach was quick to blame them, though Zimmer was not shy about admitting he'd made a bad defensive call.
Appeals from team captains to keep players fresh during the season were sharply rejected in the coach's earlier years. Zimmer seemed more open to change in 2021.
After players leaguewide threatened to skip organized team activities this spring, the coach talked with players and started using soft-shell helmets to reduce contact during the offseason program and shifted to build in lighter practices and veteran rest days.
"They've been emptying their buckets for me and for them each and every week," Zimmer said in early December, "so I'm trying to take care of them so they can do that again on Sunday."
Ultimately, though, the Vikings' final two defenses under Zimmer were among the worst in the league and the team missed the playoffs both years. After a key loss in the final weeks of the season, his tone started to shift; sources said the coach gave a Wednesday presentation about all the bad things that happened to him in his eight years with the Vikings (Peterson's suspension in 2014, Bridgewater's knee injury in 2016 and so on), leaving players dumbfounded.
Ownership met with players on Monday morning for an honest conversation about the culture change that seems to be coming as the Vikings look for a coach who can better connect with players.
Quote: @"supafreak84" said:
@"Skodin" said:
zim never wanted Cousins. Spielman went after the analytical midwest boy (like himself) to be his legacy.
it was the beginning of the end
time to rid of Cousins
A couple thing's on Cousins. He is under contract for one more season. We can't cut him because the dead money cap hit would be 45 million dollars. We can try trading him, but he'll be 34 years old and what could we get for him in a trade package? If we were able to trade him and his contract, what are we doing for a starting QB for this upcoming season? It's not a pretty free agent market and this is a very weak draft class of QB's.
All true but how do you get under the cap?
You think he is going to agree to let the team add a couple of void years to his deal which would let them take some of his salary (15M) and spread it over 3 years which creates 10M in cap space? He would know this likely means 2022 is his last season in Minny. He would know that he may not get as large a deal next offseason. I do not see him and his agent agreeing to this request if it were made. That leaves an extension or trade. An extension should be a non-starter.
Supposing he does let them add those void years. They would just get to even with the cap.
They next have to turn to Hunter and maybe convert 14M of that 18M roster bonus (for example) spreading it over 4 years since they already added void years to his deal last year. That would save another 10.5M in cap space.
That would be all they have which means there will be cuts. Pierce is likely gone because they save 6.5M in cap space.
That gives them 17M.
They need to sign a one corner at the very least.
Hanging onto Cousins further restricts them in free agency IF they wanted to use that route to try and shore up the defense.
I have no clue what Spielman and Zimmer would have had to talk about in the first place. I mean, Zimmer is pretty busy preparing the game plan for the next opponent and conveying that to the players in practices. What do they need to discuss?
If there were personnel things then they probably would talk. Did the Vikings add any free agent during the year or snag someone from another team's practice squad?
Zimmer knew that paying a QB (any QB) big bucks would have an effect on other things they could do. Some would say he is mad because he could not add more free agents to his defense but the team added Alex Boone, Riley Reiff, and Mike Remmers to the offense during Zimmer's time and they go paid pretty dang good.
The divide began when they brought on Cousins.
Quote: @"MarkSP18" said:
I have no clue what Spielman and Zimmer would have had to talk about in the first place. I mean, Zimmer is pretty busy preparing the game plan for the next opponent and conveying that to the players in practices. What do they need to discuss?
If there were personnel things then they probably would talk. Did the Vikings add any free agent during the year or snag someone from another team's practice squad?
Zimmer knew that paying a QB (any QB) big bucks would have an effect on other things they could do. Some would say he is mad because he could not add more free agents to his defense but the team added Alex Boone, Riley Reiff, and Mike Remmers to the offense during Zimmer's time and they go paid pretty dang good.
The divide began when they brought on Cousins.
That was certainly a major causal...But Zimmers schism with RS is just one of many factors that led flushing the whole lot of them.
For a # of seasons now, many of us have been saying things aren't right in Eagan. And boy were we right.
This goes way back to Turner/DeFillipo etc. If Zimmer is looking for why he isnt HC anymore? I hope he starts with a mirror.
So many reasons why Zimmer should have been fired during the season (I know, no feasible replacement on staff), but this really struck me:
"Sources said the coach gave a Wednesday presentation about all the bad things that happened to him in his eight years with the Vikings (Peterson's suspension in 2014, Bridgewater's knee injury in 2016 and so on), leaving players dumbfounded."
I am kind of amazed about the piling on Zimmer happening right now. I remember this happening with Steckel, but I did not expect it with Zimmer.
Quote: @"JustinTime18™" said:
@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"StickyBun" said:
@"JustinTime18™" said:
@"supafreak84" said:
@"JustinTime18™" said:
@"supafreak84" said:
@"Skodin" said:
zim never wanted Cousins. Spielman went after the analytical midwest boy (like himself) to be his legacy.
it was the beginning of the end
time to rid of Cousins
A couple thing's on Cousins. He is under contract for one more season. We can't cut him because the dead money cap hit would be 45 million dollars. We can try trading him, but he'll be 34 years old and what could we get for him in a trade package? If we were able to trade him and his contract, what are we doing for a starting QB for this upcoming season? It's not a pretty free agent market and this is a very weak draft class of QB's.
More than what the Eagles got for Wentz, less than the Lions got for Stafford.
The Vikings are 0-2 in trades that were supposed to be the final Super Bowl piece.
I don't know that we could get a first round pick for Cousins. The Eagles got it for Wentz because the Colts were gambling on him reverting back to MVP form and was still only 28. I'm trying to think of teams that it would make sense for to make a move for Cousins...and its slim pickings. Maybe Cleveland reuniting with Stefanski depending on what they decide on Mayfield. Redskins would probably make the most sense
Cousins has APPEARED on the injury report once since 2014. Extremely productive. 33 isn't exactly ancient. Pen him in for 4000 yards and 30+ TDs.
And we can't get a first?
Fuck no.
I think its possible but not probable. I think interested teams will look at it as a mini fire-sale with Cousins. I still don't see it happening, but crazier things certainly have.
Wentz=fire sale...Lock=fire sale...Taysom Hill/Jameis Winston= fire sale...Taylor Heinicke=fire sale...Tua Tagovailoa= fire sale...Sam Darnold=fire sale...Jared Goff=fire sale...Matt Ryan=fire sale...Baker Mayfield=fire sale...Cousins=not a fire sale.
Which one of these is as durable and productive as Cousins?
I'll wait.
You asking me?
Quote: @"StickyBun" said:
@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"StickyBun" said:
@"JustinTime18™" said:
@"supafreak84" said:
@"JustinTime18™" said:
@"supafreak84" said:
@"Skodin" said:
zim never wanted Cousins. Spielman went after the analytical midwest boy (like himself) to be his legacy.
it was the beginning of the end
time to rid of Cousins
A couple thing's on Cousins. He is under contract for one more season. We can't cut him because the dead money cap hit would be 45 million dollars. We can try trading him, but he'll be 34 years old and what could we get for him in a trade package? If we were able to trade him and his contract, what are we doing for a starting QB for this upcoming season? It's not a pretty free agent market and this is a very weak draft class of QB's.
More than what the Eagles got for Wentz, less than the Lions got for Stafford.
The Vikings are 0-2 in trades that were supposed to be the final Super Bowl piece.
I don't know that we could get a first round pick for Cousins. The Eagles got it for Wentz because the Colts were gambling on him reverting back to MVP form and was still only 28. I'm trying to think of teams that it would make sense for to make a move for Cousins...and its slim pickings. Maybe Cleveland reuniting with Stefanski depending on what they decide on Mayfield. Redskins would probably make the most sense
Cousins has APPEARED on the injury report once since 2014. Extremely productive. 33 isn't exactly ancient. Pen him in for 4000 yards and 30+ TDs.
And we can't get a first?
Fuck no.
I think its possible but not probable. I think interested teams will look at it as a mini fire-sale with Cousins. I still don't see it happening, but crazier things certainly have.
Wentz=fire sale...Lock=fire sale...Taysom Hill/Jameis Winston= fire sale...Taylor Heinicke=fire sale...Tua Tagovailoa= fire sale...Sam Darnold=fire sale...Jared Goff=fire sale...Matt Ryan=fire sale...Baker Mayfield=fire sale...Cousins=not a fire sale.
I'll respectfully disagree. First, I don't think he gets traded. Second, if he does, it will be because Minnesota wants to, not because there is this great demand for him. Which means less than market value. JMO.
I think you misunderstood my point. I don't think he gets traded either. Personally think he gets a 3 yr. extension to a much more team friendly deal, and we go hard in the draft for his replacement in '23-'24.
My point is that if he were to get traded, it would be for his market value which isn't below what Wentz got coming off a bad injury and inconsistent play. Cousins has been an iron man and statistically upper 1/3rd in the while dealing with offensive coord. instability and a sub-par O-line for his entire career.
He's not old and could still very well be seen as a missing piece to the puzzle for a team that's close. How much better would Indy be with Kirk? Clev, Pitt, SF, Mia, Car, Den, WA?
Quote: @"VikingOracle" said:
I am kind of amazed about the piling on Zimmer happening right now. I remember this happening with Steckel, but I did not expect it with Zimmer.
Agreed with everything but especially this last part. It’s clearly open season on Zim from the press. Stark contrast from PA scolding fans like a week ago (that aged well).
But where were these reports a month ago? Or two? Or last year? Whole team/media thing seems incestuous and strange. Zim is getting dragged big time while Rick is pretty much skating, by comparison.
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