The Minnesota Vikings took a water pressure washer straight to the balloon knot of the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, 34-6. It was a good way to start off Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s career as the Vikings’ head honcho. He got a road win for a team that hadn’t won on the road since 2012, and blanked an NFL offense from getting a touchdown for the first time for the purple since 2012 as well. After living through the Leslie Frazier disaster, I think it’s safe to say things are a bit different around here.
But how different? Is it REALLY different in Minnesota? It’s early, granted, but the differences between a Mike Zimmer run football team and a Leslie Frazier run football team are already pretty apparent. Here are the five most obvious differences in the Vikings that already stuck out in week one:
1. THE DEFENSE ISN’T A DUMPSTER FIRE
Image a Leslie Frazier run defense. Just do it, for like one second. I’m sorry I’m making you do this, but think about how he would have game planned for the Rams. He would have played half the game in a prevent defense and would have ended up letting some rando named Austin Davis throw for 300 yards and a touchdown on us. For no good reason, besides he didn’t know how to adjust to him. He’d have called the defensive dogs off and played to not lose, instead of playing to win, like Zimmer plays when he sics his defensive ends on a quarterback late in the game, while up big. Simple coaching philosophy; stick with what works. Frazier never got that.
2. NORV USES PLAYERS CORRECTLY!
Image Bill Musgrave putting Cordarrelle Patterson in a position to look better than Adrian Peterson. Think that would ever happen? Granted, the Frazier Era Coaches DID let Patterson return kicks, run balls, and get a lot of attention as a rookie, but Norv apparently gets that he’s even more special than second fiddle on this team. And then he gives Matt Cassel plays that let’s him wrack up a 113.8 quarterback rating, while completing 68% of his passes. Ever see Musgrave offer than kindness to Ponder?
3. OUR COACH ISN’T A PUSSY
And that’s something you can bet on. The NFL betting season is in full swing and upsets there are a plenty. If you are still sitting on the sidelines then get in on the football wagering action and bet on NFL games online by checking out the guys at NFL Online Betting. If not, then totally forget that and remember that Zimmer is a bad ass who doesn’t BET, he just WINS. Honestly, the sideline demeanor difference between Frazier and Zimmer wasn’t all that different in game one. But you know how you can look at a job interviewer and tell when they’re bull shitting through an answer instead of speaking knowledgeably about their profession? That’s what it was like watching Frazier every Sunday. I don’t need my coaching yelling his head off on the sidelines. In fact, I think that’s poor form and shows a lack of intelligence. What I DO need is my coach out-coaching the other guy. I don’t care what he does beyond that. Zimmer did that for one game, and it was spectacular.
4. PLAYERS ARE ACTUALLY COACHED
Did you ever in your life think that Robert Blanton would lead the Vikings in tackles? Or that Josh Robinson would make a significant play? Imagine how AWFUL some of our young rookies would have turned out if they would have continued to have been coached by Frazier instead of Zimmer? With Zimmer, in one offseason, Robinson has turned into a serviceable player, Blanton a starting safety, Anthony Barr (a rookie!) a team leader in tackles, Gerald Hodges a dangerous linebacker, and on and on and on. Frazier never coached our players beyond their talent level. Zimmer can, and already has. That’s pretty exciting.
5. WE ACTUALLY WIN
Wasn’t that fun?! Mike Zimmer already has 5% of the total wins in his head coaching career that Leslie Frazier has in his. After one game, compared to four seasons. Amazing.
Things are looking good, purple fans.
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