Zimmer -- what does he need to do?

Joseph makes the easy kick, refs don't blow the Dalvin call, Vikings are 3-1, with a pretty easy victory over the Seahawks and the only team to have beaten the Cards (or even come close)....are we having this conversation? Probably not. 

I know haters hate this sort of thing. Just more damn excuses! *L* Sure but they're also facts. Just something to consider....

Against my better judgement, I'm going to assume the Vikings beat the Lions. Because if they don't, it's all but over. I really think if that happens, I give Zimmer 50/50 odds of making it through the week.

So the key game of the season is Carolina. Like Cleveland, an up and comer, a top 10 team in run and pass offense and defense. Beat them in Charlotte and the Vikings will have a springboard into their post-bye schedule. 

So they need to go 9/4 the rest of the way to finish 10/7....Looking at that schedule? Its tough to imagine. 

Possible?  I guess so.  Let's see if they can even sniff .500 first. 

Lots of football left, but leave it up to the football karma gods and Vikings to turn sunshine into dark clouds at the first quarter turn of a season. 

I don't see how the expectations coming into the season were anymore than a possible 9-10 win team and a wild card berth.  This is not a championship team, not even close.  If a deep playoff contender was the expectation for Zimmer to stay then the Wilfs should not have allowed him to start the season.  

I lost confidence in Zimmer after the Philly debacle.  Also, the miracle was needed to just get there after we dominated for over 3 quarters and then our defense folded and we almost lost that.  I would not have chenaged coaches after that loss because hey it was the NFCC.  But my confidence was lost in Zimmer.  So then, I am skeptical all of 2018 season where we finish 8-7-1 and lose to the Mitch Bears in the last game of the season and they clinch the division.  That was the point where I wanted us to move on ....so 3 years ago.

What does he need to do to stay?   For me, anything short of another NFCC game (an I would put that at abt 0% chance) I am moving on.

I am more torn on the Spelly question.

@"JR44" said: I don't see how the expectations coming into the season were anymore than a possible 9-10 win team and a wild card berth.  This is not a championship team, not even close.  If a deep playoff contender was the expectation for Zimmer to stay then the Wilfs should not have allowed him to start the season.  

Here is my new mantra:  You either play for a championship or your build for a championship.

If this was not a potential deep playoff contender at the beginning of the year, Spielman should be fired.  They have numerous one year contracts on defense -- that is an all in move not a building move.  They traded a 4th rounder for a tight end (who was probably going to get cut).

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"mblack" said: you dobt have one option listed…. - He is done no matter what happens Thats the one I would select. Distant second would be winning the superbowl

You would want him gone even if we won the Super Bowl this year? Lolz what?

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"mblack" said: you dobt have one option listed…. - He is done no matter what happens Thats the one I would select. Distant second would be winning the superbowl

You would want him gone even if we won the Super Bowl this year? Lolz what?

This doesn't surprise me. I think there's a small group of fans who would trade the Vikings first championship for what's behind door three: the promise of 10 YEARS! of championships with the next Bill Belichick. When it's far more likely we end up with the next Urban Meyer. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"mblack" said: you dobt have one option listed…. - He is done no matter what happens Thats the one I would select. Distant second would be winning the superbowl

You would want him gone even if we won the Super Bowl this year? Lolz what?

This doesn't surprise me. I think there's a small group of fans who would trade the Vikings first championship for what's behind door three: the promise of 10 YEARS! of championships with the next Bill Belichick. When it's far more likely we end up with the next Urban Meyer. 

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"mblack" said: you dobt have one option listed…. - He is done no matter what happens Thats the one I would select. Distant second would be winning the superbowl

You would want him gone even if we won the Super Bowl this year? Lolz what?

This doesn't surprise me. I think there's a small group of fans who would trade the Vikings first championship for what's behind door three: the promise of 10 YEARS! of championships with the next Bill Belichick. When it's far more likely we end up with the next Urban Meyer. 

Right. It sucks because Zimmer started off so promising and then just totally collapsed/became complacent in terms of his peers over the last 3 years. The next coach needs to be younger and known to be willy to adapt to his team, his opponent, and the current climate of the NFL. Every offseason we know Zimmer wants to target DL and CB, which is fine, but he shows way too much loyalty to players who have been with him for a while. 

It's partially Rick's fault too but the team is in for a critical offseason with the amount of one year deals on defense. I would anticipate less than half of the starting defense to be here next year and we currently project to have minimal cap space in 2022. Some guys from this most recent draft are going to have to pan out, but we have hardly seen them so it's quite concerning.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"mblack" said: you dobt have one option listed…. - He is done no matter what happens Thats the one I would select. Distant second would be winning the superbowl

You would want him gone even if we won the Super Bowl this year? Lolz what?

This doesn't surprise me. I think there's a small group of fans who would trade the Vikings first championship for what's behind door three: the promise of 10 YEARS! of championships with the next Bill Belichick. When it's far more likely we end up with the next Urban Meyer. 

Right. It sucks because Zimmer started off so promising and then just totally collapsed/became complacent in terms of his peers over the last 3 years. The next coach needs to be younger and known to be willy to adapt to his team, his opponent, and the current climate of the NFL. Every offseason we know Zimmer wants to target DL and CB, which is fine, but he shows way too much loyalty to players who have been with him for a while. 

It's partially Rick's fault too but the team is in for a critical offseason with the amount of one year deals on defense. I would anticipate less than half of the starting defense to be here next year and we currently project to have minimal cap space in 2022. Some guys from this most recent draft are going to have to pan out, but we have hardly seen them so it's quite concerning.

it's WAY too early to speculate about players fleeing the coup. In fact, it's way too early for this entire thread. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

it's WAY too early to speculate about players fleeing the coup. In fact, it's way too early for this entire thread. 

I started this entire thread so I thought I would respond.  I am a believer in trying to utilize objective job criteria and after a bunch of years at the job, I think it is appropriate to apply win/loss record as an objective job criteria on Zimmer.  To quote Bill Parcells, "You are what your record says you are."  Why not decide now what you will be satisfied with as a record?  Yes, there may be 'excuses' such as injuries etc., but you do need to set goals/expectation and you should expect your coach to meet them.  Hell, I am sure a lot of us have (or have had) jobs where we were told the boss' expectation and then had a job review based on the expectations at the end of the year.  As someone wrote on this board, as fans we should stop being satisfied with a well-earned participation trophy.  The team, after 8 years, should have expectations and shouldn't be afraid to express them.

To put it another way, MB, if the Vikes lost the rest of their games this year, wouldn't you fire Zimmer?  1-16.  It just a number (or two) but everyone has a number of wins required for Zimmer to maintain his job.  Let's just be upfront about it.

@"MaroonBells" said:              it's WAY too early to speculate about players fleeing the coup. In fact, it's way too early for this entire thread. 

coop, fleeing the coop

fleeing the coup is what capitol police did Jan 6    ;-)

(hey, its happy hour in the east!)

The killer for me with Zimmer is his penchant for playing favorites to the detriment of the team. Breeland starting is unacceptable, especially when the guy behind him is pretty damn good. That’s the difference between a win and loss in games in my opinion. Zimmer’s done it his entire time here and it drives me crazy. 

Lets hope to hi heavens this thread isnt 5 pages long at about 4:00 CST today....

Is this is the coach that people expect to win a superbowl for the Vikings? 

@"mblack" said: Is this is the coach that people expect to win a superbowl for the Vikings? 

Delusional people, yes.

Reading through this thread that was started before the Lions game.

Is it still too early for us to move on from Zimmer after this season?  It sure seems like the longship is filling up with those that want to move on.  But then you get a few holdouts who say we are being premature or have not given Zimmer enough of a chance, or aren't as patient as they are etc...

I am already in vetting mode for a new HC and I hope the Wilf's are as well.  I am just wondering what the Wilf's are thinking about Spelly because he will be the key on a new HC.  Do we want him picking his second HC as GM?  

@"minny65" said: Reading through this thread that was started before the Lions game.

Is it still too early for us to move on from Zimmer after this season?  It sure seems like the longship is filling up with those that want to move on.  But then you get a few holdouts who say we are being premature or have not given Zimmer enough of a chance, or aren't as patient as they are etc...

I am already in vetting mode for a new HC and I hope the Wilf's are as well.  I am just wondering what the Wilf's are thinking about Spelly because he will be the key on a new HC.  Do we want him picking his second HC as GM?  

Absolutely not. He and Zim need to go

@"minny65" said: Reading through this thread that was started before the Lions game.

Is it still too early for us to move on from Zimmer after this season?  It sure seems like the longship is filling up with those that want to move on.  But then you get a few holdouts who say we are being premature or have not given Zimmer enough of a chance, or aren't as patient as they are etc...

I am already in vetting mode for a new HC and I hope the Wilf's are as well.  I am just wondering what the Wilf's are thinking about Spelly because he will be the key on a new HC.  Do we want him picking his second HC as GM?  

Too early? Hell to the no. They should have moved on already. I am looking at candidates for head coach, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. Watching other defenses and offensive lines play shows that there are possibilities for better. It's long overdue.

@"minny65" said: Reading through this thread that was started before the Lions game.

Is it still too early for us to move on from Zimmer after this season?  It sure seems like the longship is filling up with those that want to move on.  But then you get a few holdouts who say we are being premature or have not given Zimmer enough of a chance, or aren't as patient as they are etc...

I am already in vetting mode for a new HC and I hope the Wilf's are as well.  I am just wondering what the Wilf's are thinking about Spelly because he will be the key on a new HC.  Do we want him picking his second HC as GM?  

i think Zim’s been teetering on the edge since 2017. And i agree that the Wilfs should, and likely are, vetting other options. 

But yeah, of course its too early. 

Rick? No. That would be the biggest mistake this franchise has made since the Walker trade. Part of the reason Zimmer looks so bad is precisely because he’s been given such loaded rosters.