In-depth interview with Zimmer

[purplefaithful]

Most informative piece with him that I've read in a while. Good job Pioneer Press...

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on optimism, regrets and why he believes he didn’t lose the locker room

http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/20/vik...cker-room/

[Guest]

In the three years I’ve been here, we’ve been 27th in the league offensively. If we can improve to 15th and score when we have the opportunities … One of the things I always preach is don’t beat yourself. Last year, we had so many pre-snap penalties that actually killed us. Trying to get that part fixed, I think we’ll be better. I think the running game will improve with (left tackle Riley) Reiff and (right tackle Mike) Remmers and (center Pat) Eflein and our backs, now. This (Dalvin) Cook looks like he’s going to be pretty special.

[Guest]

Crises management, is there a textbook for that? You can lean on people, but until you’re in a storm in the NFL, do you know how to get yourself out of those things?
I guess I didn’t really feel that way until it got to be 6-5 and whatever it was there. I still felt like we could end up pulling it out the right way. Like the Chicago Monday night game. That was a bad one. Philly was a bad one. We just never really scored enough points. You look at some of those games … in Philly we got the ball inside the 40-yard line three times in the first quarter and came away with three points or something like that. We give up a kickoff return.
So what we tried to work on this offseason was red zone, inside the 5-yard line on both sides, a lot of scoring opportunity areas, end of games. We did a lot of playing games at the end. I’d just give them a situation and we’d play the game out, trying to put them in as many of those situations as we can. It’s good for them and for me and the other coaches to call a game at that time.
I’m going to try to be a little more reckless defensively this year, a little more aggressive.

[Guest]

Is Zimmer saying that Elflein is our C this year?

[Guest]

@Canthony said:
Is Zimmer saying that Elflein is our C this year?

I guess if you interpret what he said "literally."  But I don't believe he's been ordained anything yet officially. 

[Guest]

What happened with offensive coordinator Norv Turner and why couldn’t you guys coexist last season?
(Long pause). I’d like to tell you but I’m going to take the high road. I’m going to say we’ve moved on.

[Guest]

This might seem like an odd question, but can you love Teddy and Sam equally?
Well, they’re very different personalities. Yeah, I love Teddy, but I like Sam, too. We’ve gotten to the point where he’d come into my office after games. We have a really good relationship now, and I wouldn’t have said that a year ago. He earned a lot of respect from me. The toughness he showed, staying in there and taking the hits that he did. People forget he’s the first player picked in the (2010) draft, Heisman Trophy winner, scratch golfer, hell of a basketball player.
I asked him, you played basketball, right? Were you ever afraid to take the last shot in the game? He said no. I said, ‘Well that’s what you’re doing now; same deal. Game gets on your shoulders, you’ve got to go win it.’
He’s had an odd career, mostly because of circumstances he had nothing to do with. There’s so much open-ended with him. What do you think he’s capable of?
Well, he throws the ball as good as anybody. Hopefully he has a little more movement with him, to buy a little more time. He’s extremely accurate.
What does he need to be for you guys?
To win it when the game’s on the line. He did that a couple times and we (messed) it up on defense — the first Detroit game. He had a chance at Washington but it wasn’t much of a chance. Both tackles get messed up. He doesn’t throw interceptions. He’s talented throwing the football. That’s what Teddy was good at, going out and winning games. With Sam, that’s the biggest thing.
Obviously, we’ve got to help him defensively. But that’s the biggest thing where a quarterback is judged. You make the play at the end to win the game. I think he can be a dangerous thrower. He throws the (heck) out of the ball.
We just haven’t seen it downfield.
I don’t think he had the time to hit some of those shots where he had to. And it takes a toll on you when you get hit a bunch of times. That first Green Bay game, he made some unbelievable throws and took some unbelievable shots. People say he’s a dink-and-dunk guy; I don’t believe that. If you have a lot of runs and a lot of completions, you’re going to control the ball. He had a bunch of completions, we just didn’t run the ball very good. We were in so many second-and-12s. It’s hard to overcome that.

[Guest]

I’m going to try to be a little more reckless defensively this year, a little more aggressive.

When I read this post, I assumed he was going to dial up more Double A Gap blitzes which he went away from the latter half of the year..reading the article, sounds more like there will be more games up front with the lineman... He's got the horses to do that...looking forward to seeing what Jones can do from the 3T...D can hit another level with better play from this slot...

[Guest]

I have a feeling that Zimmer isn't as beloved by the players as he is by fans. Like I always said about him from the day he was hired: his act will work if they win. If not, it will get old in a heartbeat. 

[Guest]

Out of all of this, and there was a lot, the offense has languished for 3 years now - or 4? I hope they took some steps this offseason to improve. Looks like it on paper. 

I agree with Zimm, this is a double-digit win roster that got killed with injuries last year.