Crafty Zimmer shows how to fool a team familiar with his D
It seemed only fitting the Vikings would seize control of the Bengals by confusing quarterback Andy Dalton with a wrinkle to the Double A Gap blitz package that Mike Zimmer concocted in Cincinnati and parlayed into his first head coaching job in Minnesota.
“Zim’s always got something going,” safety Harrison Smith said when asked about linebacker Eric Kendricks’ 31-yard pick-six early in Sunday’s 34-7 NFC North-clinching rout at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Fifty-one minutes after Kendricks’ interception, Zimmer and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, friends since the early 1980s, shook hands at midfield.
“Good luck to you,” Lewis said to Zimmer.
Moments later, Lewis was denying an ESPN report that he and the Bengals have agreed to part ways after the season. As for Zimmer, he was being asked about being 11-3 and winning his second NFC North title in four seasons since spending six years helping Lewis avoid humiliating losses like the one on Sunday.
“All Zim does is come up with things,” Newman said. “He’s a football guru genius. He’s super smart. And when you got guys like we have up front, you can do a lot of different things.”
http://www.startribune.com/how-mike-zimmer-put-twist-on-his-defensive-signature-to-set-up-eric-kendricks-pick-six/464837093/
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
“That’s the type of defense we want to play,” Robison said after the Vikings held the Bengals to 161 yards and one third-down conversion in 13 tries.
Yes, there were 51 minutes remaining when Kendricks scored. But the lead certainly seemed insurmountable for the Bengals the moment Zimmer unleashed the wrinkle on a scheme the Bengals know oh so well.
“We got a bunch of stuff that hasn’t really been put out there yet,” Robison said. “That was just one wrinkle that we were able to throw out there today.”
This D is about as effective as any D I've watched...they aren't as intimidating as the 85 Bears, or the Steelers of the 70s or the 2000 Ravens...they just go out and take you out of what you want to do...Zim is red hot calling Ds...
@"BarrNone55" said: This D is about as effective as any D I've watched...they aren't as intimidating as the 85 Bears, or the Steelers of the 70s or the 2000 Ravens...they just go out and take you out of what you want to do...Zim is red hot calling Ds...
agreed. They are so unselfish. Everyone playing their gaps, doing their job.
One of my boys commented after the first drive ending in a punt. "not looking good for the Bengals if they can't score on the opening drive."
@"greediron" said: One of my boys commented after the first drive ending in a punt. "not looking good for the Bengals if they can't score on the opening drive."
Now that is indicative of a new culture springing-up among Viking fans! Glad to see its the younger fans expecting it too.
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