You Said It

Denny was kinda the Yogi Berra of the NFL during his time.

RIP Sheriff...

MaroonBells wrote:
Denny was kinda the Yogi Berra of the NFL during his time.

My original thread title was going to pay homage to Yogi.

Is Denny still the second best head coach in franchise history?

Loved Denny, we should have pics of him holding up the Lombardi from the '98 team.

supafreak84 wrote:
Is Denny still the second best head coach in franchise history?

Its a good question.

For me, for now? I would say yes

But that's definitely being challenged.

supafreak84 wrote:
Is Denny still the second best head coach in franchise history?

Excellent question. 

I’d say he’s solidly in 2nd but the ground beneath his feet is starting to get a bit shaky. What does it take for KO to pass him? Another deep into double digits winsseason? A couple playoff wins? What if KO grabs a Lombardi in the next two years? Does he pass not only Denny but Bud too?

Now, let me send it down a rabbit hole, at least recklessly speculate on a few more things.

Where does Burnsie sit if he’s not saddled with the Hershel Walker trade and Keith Millard doesn’t blow up his knee? Does he finally get the credit as the true investor of the West Coast offense? Is he toting a Lombardi around?

What if Tony Dungy had stayed? Mike Tomlin? Pete Carroll? Do we have a Lombardi in the trophy case?

JustInTime wrote:

Excellent question. 

I’d say he’s solidly in 2nd but the ground beneath his feet is starting to get a bit shaky. What does it take for KO to pass him? Another deep into double digits winsseason? A couple playoff wins? What if KO grabs a Lombardi in the next two years? Does he pass not only Denny but Bud too?

Now, let me send it down a rabbit hole, at least recklessly speculate on a few more things.

Where does Burnsie sit if he’s not saddled with the Hershel Walker trade and Keith Millard doesn’t blow up his knee? Does he finally get the credit as the true investor of the West Coast offense? Is he toting a Lombardi around?

What if Tony Dungy had stayed? Mike Tomlin? Pete Carroll? Do we have a Lombardi in the trophy case?

Very good question when it comes to assistants that moved on and won Super Bowls.  Also one must ask what could have been had the Vikings ownership group followed through on promises of giving Jim Finks ownership shares opportunity and he stayed with the Vikings drafting after 1975.   Remember he built the 1980s Bears and late 1980s Saints teams.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

And if Darnold gets a little quicker going to his check down to Aaron Jones we'll be even more dangerous.  I think Aaron Jones receiving ability is the one piece we haven't utilized fully this season.  He's open there but Darnold likes to throw downfield instead.  

That is the next evolution in Darnold's play this season...  know where AJ is so you can hit him if no one is open at the top of your drop instead.  I'll take him 1-1 with a LB or CB all day long.

Chuckf wrote:

Very good question when it comes to assistants that moved on and won Super Bowls.  Also one must ask what could have been had the Vikings ownership group followed through on promises of giving Jim Finks ownership shares opportunity and he stayed with the Vikings drafting after 1975.   Remember he built the 1980s Bears and late 1980s Saints teams.

Excellent call on Finks. Another one gone too soon.

JustInTime wrote:

Excellent call on Finks. Another one gone too soon.

+2

I hated losing Finks at the time and hate it as much today..

Right now, I'd rate the Vikings Coaches:

Bud 
Denny
Burnsie
KOC
Chilly
Tice
Van Brocklin
Frazier
Steckel

I think Burns is under appreciated by many and he had a hella team knocking on the SB door. 
I think KOC is poised to make a jump, but he's early on and hasn't won a playoff game. I almost placed Chilly above him.

purplefaithful wrote:

+2

I hated losing Finks at the time and hate it as much today..

Right now, I'd rate the Vikings Coaches:

Bud 
Denny
Burnsie
KOC
Chilly
Tice
Van Brocklin
Frazier
Steckel

I think Burns is under appreciated by many and he had a hella team knocking on the SB door. 
I think KOC is poised to make a jump, but he's early on and hasn't won a playoff game. I almost placed Chilly above him.

I almost put Burnsie in the 3 hole. Chilly was so bad in the locker room, I could almost see him behind Tice. He kinda fell off the face of the earth after Minnesota.

JustInTime wrote:

I almost put Burnsie in the 3 hole. Chilly was so bad in the locker room, I could almost see him behind Tice. He kinda fell off the face of the earth after Minnesota.

I get it Chilly vs Tice and a good argument could be made Ticey did a lot with a little and under a skin-flint owner.

I think Chilly was back with Reid for a while...Not sure if he's still on an NFL Coaching Staff? He probably is somewhere

purplefaithful wrote:

I think Chilly was back with Reid for a while...Not sure if he's still on an NFL Coaching Staff? He probably is somewhere

Out of the league since 2019.

purplefaithful wrote:

+2

I hated losing Finks at the time and hate it as much today..

Right now, I'd rate the Vikings Coaches:

Bud 
Denny
Burnsie
KOC
Chilly
Tice
Van Brocklin
Frazier
Steckel

I think Burns is under appreciated by many and he had a hella team knocking on the SB door. 
I think KOC is poised to make a jump, but he's early on and hasn't won a playoff game. I almost placed Chilly above him.

This place used to be full of Mike Zimmer admirers, now he can't even get on a list ahead of Les Steckel and Les Frasier?

comet52 wrote:

This place used to be full of Mike Zimmer admirers, now he can't even get on a list ahead of Les Steckel and Les Frasier?

LOL I was thinking the same thing... I am guessing my aging friends memory is leaving him and omitting Zimmer was just a senior moment.

comet52 wrote:

This place used to be full of Mike Zimmer admirers, now he can't even get on a list ahead of Les Steckel and Les Frasier?

JimmyinSD wrote:

LOL I was thinking the same thing... I am guessing my aging friends memory is leaving him and omitting Zimmer was just a senior moment.

Lol, yah sr moment! 

Here's how I'd rank em:

Bud
Denny
Zimmer 
Burnsie
KOC (too new, no playoff wins)
Chilly
Tice
Van Brocklin
Frazier
Steckel

Appears we failed to…keep an eye out for Zim.