The Vikings were once in good position to make the playoffs, but the team really dropped off in the second half of the season, losing four of its last six games after the bye week.
Not only that, the team had a chance to “win and get in” to the postseason at home in Week 17, but they got completely shut down by the Bears in a 24-10 loss. The Vikings were never really in the game at any point, and the team looked completely unprepared, also lacking an identity. A number of Kirk Cousins’ throws showed he wasn’t on the same page with his receivers, including a third-down pass to Adam Thielen’s back shoulder, which led to a heated altercation on the sideline.
A lot of that falls on the coaching staff, and as a result, head coach Mike Zimmer’s seat is really heating up. A report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk states that “people are keeping an eye” on the situation.
Interesting from @ProFootballTalk on @SNFonNBC halftime: "people are keeping an eye on Minnesota" and Mike Zimmer after that ugly result in Week 17.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) December 31, 2018
Zimmer has been the team’s head coach since 2014, with the team going 1-2 in the playoffs during that span. And had it not been for a horrible missed tackle by Saints safety Marcus Williams on the “Vikings Miracle,” it would’ve been 0-3.
It’s fair to question if Zimmer should be the team’s coach going forward. He clearly lacks knowledge on the offensive side of the ball, and quarterback play, especially, has really hurt the team over the years. The Everson Griffen situation was also a fiasco, and the Vikings really struggled to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks as a result.
Zimmer is great coaching on the defensive side of the ball, but he’s a bit strict, and his team has continued to struggle to consistently move the football on offense. It won’t be surprising if he’s let go in the coming days/weeks. Stay tuned.
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