It's Funny, Really, But I'm Done with Zimmer

[Purpleblooded]

I'm usually late to the party.  I held out hope for Tice and for Chilly beyond what was rational.  Emotionally, I did not want to see Les Frazier go, but eventually realized it was a must.  I don't want to be an over-reactor and there are things I like about Mike Zimmer.  So I've been sitting on the fence... But Sunday pushed me over.  I'm convinced he does not know what it takes to win in today's NFL.  I'm convinced that he doesn't know how to manage a roster, or the clock.  I've seen enough.  Why do I find this funny?  Well, I was thinking back to when I was done with Denny Green.  It was also, strangely, after a win that should not have been a win -- his first playoff win against the Giants.  Every decision he made was wrong, but somehow, miraculously, we won.  The Detroit game was eerily similar at the end.  Every decision was wrong, yet we still managed to win.  I'm still slow, though, as now I'm sitting on the fence about Spielman...

[Guest]

Eight years of Zimmer & the team hasn't sniffed a SB appearance.  He's overstayed his welcome

[Guest]

The reasons why I have swung my opinion on Zimmer, who I have been a supporter of:

- His old school commitment to continue playing older veterans over rookies has hurt the team.  This isn't 1990 anymore and with the salary cap teams have to count on rookies to play.  Before Sunday's game the Vikings draft class had the lowest number of snaps for any rookie class in the league with 9. 

- Despite an immense amount of draft capital spent on his bread and butter (cornerbacks) since he's become head coach, we are starting two veteran free agent signees on one year deals. That is completely inexcusable.  Breeland is the lowest rated cornerback in the league. Strange and pathetic as this may sound...cornerback might be our number one need heading into the offseason.  To me this is one of the biggest indictments on Zimmer.

- Defense should be upgraded this season and it continues to flounder. It seems like he is trying to reinvent the wheel going with some different 3-4 looks and his patented double A gap blitz is almost non existent. I cant figure out how we have added so much beef on the interior of the defensive line in front of Kendricks and we still get no push, penetration, or disruption of any sort. Outside of Hunter, our best player has been Everson Griffen...another late veteran free agent signing. The lack of young player development is hugely concerning.

[Guest]

His comments about not being concerned about the run defense and not concerned about the offense being too conservative really bothered me. Zimmer is not going to adapt. He wants to continue to be a DC and not a coach. He wants to make excuses and doesn't want to take any responsibility for anything. I just can't with his antiquated offensive philosophy. The defense is ranked 15. The fact that the OL is still an issue after all these years is absolutely ridiculous. That embarrassing game yesterday was pathetic. It didn't feel good at all. Not enough playoff appearances. 1 sniff at the NFCCG. His record is not showing results. Winning against shitty teams and shitting the bed against the good teams is not going to cut it. It's time to move on.

[Guest]

@supafreak84 said:
The reasons why I have swung my opinion on Zimmer, who I have been a supporter of:

- His old school commitment to continue playing older veterans over rookies has hurt the team.  This isn't 1990 anymore and with the salary cap teams have to count on rookies to play.  Before Sunday's game the Vikings draft class had the lowest number of snaps for any rookie class in the league with 9. 

- Despite an immense amount of draft capital spent on his bread and butter (cornerbacks) since he's become head coach, we are starting two veteran free agent signees on one year deals. That is completely inexcusable.  Breeland is the lowest rated cornerback in the league. Strange and pathetic as this may sound...cornerback might be our number one need heading into the offseason.  To me this is one of the biggest indictments on Zimmer.

- Defense should be upgraded this season and it continues to flounder. It seems like he is trying to reinvent the wheel going with some different 3-4 looks and his patented double A gap blitz is almost non existent. I cant figure out how we have added so much beef on the interior of the defensive line in front of Kendricks and we still get no push, penetration, or disruption of any sort. Outside of Hunter, our best player has been Everson Griffen...another late veteran free agent signing. The lack of young player development is hugely concerning.

Nailed it, great post.

Loved Zimmer for 7 seasons.  Furious with how this roster looks especially on defense which is supposed to be his expertise.

We drafted 4 CBs in Round 1, none left on our roster.  As you said, both starters and nickle CB Mac Alexander are ALL on 1 year deals.  


And I agree, going into 2022 our biggest need AGAIN is CB.  That is 100% Zimmer and Rick.   7 years to fix it, 4 Round 1 picks and we are starting over from scratch.

WTF???

[Guest]

@Knucklehead said:
Eight years of Zimmer & the team hasn't sniffed a SB appearance.  He's overstayed his welcome

I too think Zimmer should go, but hasn't "sniffed a SB appearance" is not accurate.  

[Guest]

For me, I can’t take the not playing the best player at the position. He did it to Anthony Harris for years and is doing it again to the far superior cornerback Dantzler. If you’re not playing the best guys, you’re in the wrong business, because winning should be your business. It’s like drafting a kicker and then releasing him when he struggles as a new NFL player. We’ve done a maddening carousel of kickers while that draft pick has gone on and become a very good pro. 
The fact the guy went until now before sitting down with his QB is insane to me. The fact that he is so strict on following the coaches plan and play calls is mind blowing as well. A guy like Cousins can make calls based on the defense he’s seeing all day long on his own, but Zimmer is too set in his ways. In many ways I like the guy, I just think he’s better suited to be a DC and not a head coach. He’s simply not flexible enough for the job.

[Guest]

I was fine with Zimmer until the end of 2018. Remember the Chicago game in week 17? That was it for me.

[Guest]

This is how I feel;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlp0bzdAnqQ&t=2s

[Guest]