Forum The Longship Zimsu talks...

Zimsu talks...

purplefaithful
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Finally happy again as Cowboys defensive coordinator, former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer opens up about his miserable final act in Minnesota, the death of his son Adam and why he wanted to return to the NFL

OXNARD, CALIF. – Mike Zimmer is wearing something strange as he turns toward the Dallas Cowboys’ practice field and spots a familiar face from Minnesota.

It’s not the blue-and-white outfit, nor the star on his cap. It’s the smile. Corri, his daughter, says the now-68-year-old grandfather finally is happy again. Finally allowing himself joy after being fired as Vikings coach, mourning the death of his son Adam and spending two seasons not coaching for the first time since 1978.


“She’s right; I am having fun again,” the new Cowboys defensive coordinator tells the Minnesota Star Tribune during a training camp visit last month.


After practice, Zimmer laughs and reaches into a pouch of Red Man chewing tobacco he’s pulled from a desk in the corner of a makeshift coaches office at the team’s Residence Inn facility. This second Cowboys stint suits him. It’s the ideal career rebirth — a much-appreciated resurrection driven in no small part by how miserable Zimmer’s final act in Minnesota played out from the start of the injury-riddled 2020 season to 1/10/22, when owners Zygi and Mark Wilf delivered the official time of death on the Vikings careers of Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman.


Zimmer was crushed. Angry. Sleep-deprived. The rare coaching lifer who had never been fired.


“They asked me if I wanted to address the team,” he says. “And I said, ‘Hell, no. They got me fired!’


“I didn’t know I was supposed to go to HR and sign out or whatever. No one told me. I just got all my stuff, got in my truck, and left.”


And …

“I can tell you I’ve not watched one Minnesota game since.”

No-brainer reunion
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is sitting on the couch in his Residence Inn hotel suite. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is to his left.


Zimmer had told the Minnesota Star Tribune he’s back in Dallas working under his former NFC North rival “to prove to myself and other people I can still coach. Because when you get fired, you think you’re the worst in the world.” McCarthy is asked what attracted him to Zimmer as the guy to replace Dan Quinn, now head coach in Washington.


“Why Zim?” McCarthy says. “Shoot. Why not Zim? Frankly, it was a no-brainer.”


Aikman nods.


McCarthy dismisses reports that this was owner Jerry Jones hiring an old friend and Cowboys assistant from 1994-2006. That Jones overruled McCarthy, who wanted to promote 46-year-old Joe Whitt Jr., now Quinn’s defensive coordinator.

Zimmer admits now that his tough-as-nails, Bill Parcells-protégé personality led to one particular team meeting he regrets.
“I was always demanding of my players, and losing didn’t make me happy,” Zimmer says. “Was I too hard? One meeting. 

Toward the end of ‘21, when everyone was saying I was going to get fired. I pulled everyone together and said, ‘Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, fellas.’ ”

What followed was Zimmer defending his record, all the adversity he had dealt with from Adrian Peterson’s indictment five days after Zimmer’s victorious head coaching debut to Teddy Bridgewater’s knee exploding in a noncontact practice to Zimmer’s multiple eye surgeries and more. The speech left players dumbfounded.

Zimmer’s two favorite achievements as Vikings coach are winning the NFC North at Green Bay in Week 17 in 2015 and posting the league’s No. 1 defense in points and yards allowed in 2017.

 In the former, the defense scored and Bridgewater, Zimmer’s favorite Vikings QB, completed 10 passes for 99 yards. In the latter, Zimmer’s defense helped third-team quarterback Case Keenum go 12-3 in 15 starts.

Zimmer was involved in the decision to sign Cousins to a then-record $84 million fully-guaranteed deal in 2018 but never meshed with the quarterback he viewed as taking resources away from his defense.

“We’re averaging 10 wins a year playing really good defense with some other quarterbacks who weren’t as talented as Kirk,” Zimmer says. “Then we paid Kirk a lot of money and ended up having to get rid of some guys on defense and weren’t able to get ones we needed.”

The 2019 team went to New Orleans for a wild-card playoff game as a 7½-point underdog. Zimmer thinks he might have been fired that season, even though the Wilfs issued a vote of confidence before the game. Rumors were circulating that Jones wanted to hire Zimmer as head coach to replace Jason Garrett.

“I had a year left on my contract and I screwed up and won the game,” Zimmer jokes now. McCarthy got the Cowboys job two days later.

Zimmer then lost his top three corners and replaced them with rookies in 2020. He lost three other defensive starters. 

Danielle Hunter missed 2020 and half of 2021 with injuries. Anthony Barr was lost for the 2020 season in Week 2. The injury bug kept biting as the Vikings gave up a whopping 29.7 points per game while finishing 7-9 in 2020 and 25.1 points a game while finishing 8-9 in 2021.

McCarthy says Zimmer’s more-disciplined scheme will improve the Cowboys’ run defense. Dallas ranked fifth in yards and points allowed but was 16th in run defense in 2023. The Cowboys also gave up 143 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries in a 48-32 first-round home playoff loss to the seventh-seeded Packers.

As for Zimmer’s old-school coaching style, which some players complained about at the end in Minnesota, McCarthy calls that a strength.

“Zim’s a straight-shooter, not a lot of fluff,” McCarthy says, adding, “This generation needs more of it.”

Aikman nods.

It’s fitting that a redemption year for Zimmer includes Kendricks literally in the middle of his defense. For it was Kendricks who delivered one of the most damning blow to simmers regime in its final days. When asked what the Vikings needed after Zimmer’s firing, Kendricks, one of the coach’s best and most loyal defenders, said, “I don’t think a fear-based organization is the way to go.”

This offseason, Kendricks was committed to sign with San Francisco in free agency when he changed course at the last minute so he could reunite with Zimmer in a scheme that’s pretty much the same as the Vikings one that ranked no lower than ninth in points allowed from 2015 to 2019, when Kendricks was first-team All-Pro.


“Zim and I talked about that quote before I signed here,” Kendricks says. “Look, it was the climate at the time. Things weren’t going well. Emotions, pressures were high. People say things and do things that are not to their true character. We both said things back then that we shouldn’t have said in the heat of the moment.”


Zimmer admits now that his tough-as-nails, Bill Parcells-protégé personality led to one particular team meeting he regrets.
“I was always demanding of my players, and losing didn’t make me happy,” Zimmer says. “Was I too hard? One meeting. Toward the end of ‘21, when everyone was saying I was going to get fired. I pulled everyone together and said, ‘Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, fellas.’ ”


What followed was Zimmer defending his record, all the adversity he had dealt with from Adrian Peterson’s indictment five days after Zimmer’s victorious head coaching debut to Teddy Bridgewater’s knee exploding in a noncontact practice to Zimmer’s multiple eye surgeries and more. The speech left players dumbfounded.

“I said I can take people shooting arrows at me, I’m a big boy,” Zimmer says now. “If I get fired, I get fired, but you need to go out and play good and do what you’re supposed to do.”

Some of the negative player reactions after his firing hardly registered for Zimmer.


“Kris Boyd? He says something about me?” he says. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you had more special teams penalties than anyone I can remember.’ ”


The criticism that hurt most of all wasn’t from Kendricks, although that one certainly stung. It was from Terence Newman, who was an assistant coach at the time after playing cornerback for Zimmer in Dallas, Cincinnati and Minnesota.


Newman spoke with Tyler Dunne of Go Long and detailed what he called a “toxic” atmosphere in Zimmer’s final days.


“That one hurt me bad,” Zimmer says. “Terence was like my son. I called Parcells about that one. I called Terence. He said, ‘Well, that’s how I felt.’ I said, ‘Then, look, we’re done.’ ”

Players weren’t the only ones to feel Zimmer’s sting. KFAN radio personality and Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen used to co-own a racehorse with Zimmer. Zimmer bought him out after Allen said on air that Zimmer “snapped” during a famous sideline exchange with quarterback Kirk Cousins when Cousins punched Zimmer in the chest, grabbed him and screamed “You like that!?” following a last second comeback to beat the Lions in 21

“Hey, I pushed Kirk back pretty hard, too,” Zimmer says for the record. “But I just didn’t like what PA said. We’re supposed to be friends. Why you got to talk about me? Unfortunately, I hold grudges. That’s just how I am.”

Zimmer and Spielman barely spoke to each other in 2021 and haven’t spoken since. Spielman has texted, but Zimmer hasn’t responded. The fallout began on draft day 2021.

“I walk in before the draft and Rick is watching quarterback interviews from the combine,” Zimmer says. “He hadn’t told me anything. Normally, he always kept me abreast of everything. And he and I were always good.”


Until they weren’t. Zimmer was in predraft meetings that discussed the quarterback class. He just didn’t like the direction the draft took considering the state of his defense at the time.


“The first round, Rick tried to trade up for Justin Fields, who hasn’t done anything,” Zimmer says.

With four third-round picks, Spielman selected, in order, quarterback Kellen Mond, linebacker Chazz Surratt, offensive lineman Wyatt Davis and defensive end Patrick Jones II. Zimmer was there for only the first pick.

“When he picked Mond, I walked out of the room,” Zimmer says. “I left the building. I didn’t even talk to him on the phone.”
The two spoke the next morning.


“Rick said, ‘You mad at me?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think you took four backups when we had guys there I thought were starters,’ ” Zimmer says. “From that time on, it just kind of got worse between us. And I’m not saying nothing was my fault. I’m sure there were plenty of things that were my fault.”


Only Jones, with four career starts, is still a Viking. Mond, Surratt and Davis have zero starts. Mond lasted one year in Minnesota and is out of football, having played three snaps in one game — the 37-10 loss @ green bay on Jan. 2, 2022, that knocked the Vikings from playoff contention.


“People made a big deal out of me saying after that game I didn’t need to see more of Mond,” Zimmer says. “I saw him every day in practice. Maybe I was omniscient or something. He played three NFL snaps and two were bad.”

Zimmer’s two favorite achievements as Vikings coach are winning the NFC North at Green Bay in Week 17 in 2015 and posting the league’s No. 1 defense in points and yards allowed in 2017. In the former, the defense scored and Bridgewater, Zimmer’s favorite Vikings QB, completed 10 passes for 99 yards. In the latter, Zimmer’s defense helped third-team quarterback Case Keenum go 12-3 in 15 starts.

Zimmer was involved in the decision to sign Cousins to a then-record $84 million fully-guaranteed deal in 2018 but never meshed with the quarterback he viewed as taking resources away from his defense.


“We’re averaging 10 wins a year playing really good defense with some other quarterbacks who weren’t as talented as Kirk,” Zimmer says. “Then we paid Kirk a lot of money and ended up having to get rid of some guys on defense and weren’t able to get ones we needed.”


The 2019 team went to New Orleans for a wild-card playoff game as a 7½-point underdog. Zimmer thinks he might have been fired that season, even though the Wilfs issued a vote of confidence before the game. Rumors were circulating that Jones wanted to hire Zimmer as head coach to replace Jason Garrett.


“I had a year left on my contract and I screwed up and won the game,” Zimmer jokes now. McCarthy got the Cowboys job two days later.


Zimmer then lost his top three corners and replaced them with rookies in 2020. He lost three other defensive starters. 

Danielle Hunter missed 2020 and half of 2021 with injuries. Anthony Barr was lost for the 2020 season in Week 2. The injury bug kept biting as the Vikings gave up a whopping 29.7 points per game while finishing 7-9 in 2020 and 25.1 points a game while finishing 8-9 in 2021..

And at a time when Zimmer needed Cousins most, the quarterback missed that 37-10 loss to the Packers with COVID-19, something Zimmer warned Cousins could happen when he did not get vaccinated.

Before that game, Zimmer didn’t want to believe the rumors were true that he’d be fired. He wanted to believe that his .556 winning percentage (74-59-1) and extenuating circumstances would spare him.


“The morning after the Packers game, I have my usual conference call with the owners,” Zimmer says. “Rick didn’t want me to ask the question, but I did. I said, ‘What about me? What’s my status at the end of the season?’ And Mark said, ‘We’re evaluating.’ ”


Zimmer rolls his eyes and says, “I knew it was over.”

Source: Startribune

Losing Adam

Zimmer pulls out his phone and scrolls through some pictures while describing what can be a daily jolt for a man who has lost a son. Police found Adam dead in his Mendota Heights apartment while serving a welfare check request on Oct. 31, 2022. An autopsy by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death “chronic ethanol use disorder.” Excessive drinking killed Adam. He was 38.

“Time helps and keeping me busy helps,” Zimmer says. “But, honestly, when pictures pop up on my phone and I see him and me together, it’s devastating.”
Adam, an assistant on Zimmer’s staff, was working remotely as an offensive assistant with the Bengals at the time of his death.

“He loved football so much and he was telling me his career was ruined because he got fired,” Zimmer says. “It tore him up. I told him everybody gets fired in this job, but it was hard on him.”

The two were spending a lot of time together at Zimmer’s ranch in Kentucky that year.

“Every Sunday, that first year until Adam passed, we went and played golf together at Triple Crown Country Club in Union, Ky., right by the ranch,” Zimmer says. “He called me a couple days before he passed and said he was coming back to the ranch on Monday. He said, ‘I got one more thing to do.’ He never made it back.”

Zimmer had opportunities to coach in 2022 but didn’t want to “go backward” and be a defensive coordinator. He had more opportunities to coach in 2023, but was still too busted from Adam’s death to accept an offer. In 2009, Zimmer’s wife, Vikki, died unexpectedly at age 50. Zimmer, with the Bengals at the time, coached the following Sunday.

This time, Zimmer tried to stay busy on the ranch. He bought an excavator and dug a 6-acre lake. He shot some deer, shot some doves. He did some media work for the 33rd Team website, getting paid “next to nothing.” He also went back to Triple Crown to hit golf balls on the range, but rarely played since Adam was gone.

“The shame is Adam would have loved being here helping us put this defense together in Dallas,” Zimmer says. “ Paul Guenther is here with me. I kept thinking, ‘Man, I wish Adam was here with us.’ He was so smart. When I can’t remember something or get stuck, Adam could tell me exactly what I was thinking.

“So, it’s been tough. But it helps getting around the players again. We joke around. I tease them, they tease me. Like the old days.”

Recently, Zimmer added another one of his favorite former Vikings to the roster when 35-year-old nose tackle Linval Joseph said he was joining the Cowboys mainly to reunite with Zimmer.

Future in football
Zimmer doesn’t think he’ll get another head coaching job. He’s not even sure he wants one.

“Guys with worse records than me have gotten second chances, but I don’t see it happening because of my age,” Zimmer says. “And now teams also want whoever can coach the quarterback. It is what it is.”

Zimmer says his focus is on the players and helping his young defensive assistants further their careers. Guys like defensive backs coach and former Packers cornerback Al Harris.

“Zim is genuine, so guys buy into him,” Harris says. “If you don’t know him, you’d think, ‘Oh, man. Old grumpy guy.’ But Zim’s all right, bro. He has his way of saying things. He’s direct. No filter. Just coaching ball.”

Redemption year ‘24?

“I don’t know,” Zimmer says. “Part of the reason for coming back is I have to do this for me because I don’t want people thinking I was a lousy coach. Somebody told me, ‘You don’t have anything to prove after Minnesota,’ but I felt like I did.”

Kendricks is asked if he thinks Zimmer could be a head coach again in the NFL considering how poorly things ended in Minnesota.

“He and I talked about the past and this year and the future,” Kendricks says. “Forgiveness for the past is a big thing in my life now. I believe in second chances.

“As for the future, Zim and I are on the same page. We agreed to focus on this year. He goes and coaches his butt off, I go play my butt off, we put a smile on our faces and see where it takes us.”

Mike Zimmer and Eric Kendricks, together again, both wearing smiles? Now that was a strange sight indeed for that familiar face from Minnesota.

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#1 · Aug 31, 4:00 AM
purplefaithful
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Bad, bad fit with KC and no longer HC material with this gen of players...

2015-2018 was his zenith. Feel bad he had to bury a kid.

I think DC is the perfect fit for him.

edited Aug 31, 2024 7:44 AM

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#2 · Aug 31, 4:22 AM
MaroonBells
Joined Jan 2014
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Wow, I feel bad for the guy, I really do. Really good defensive mind and the amount of shit he had to go through (injuries, eyes, wife's death, Adam's death, etc) with was just mind blowing. But I have to say he comes off as petty and defensive in this. Parcells would probably say "Zim, nobody wants to hear about the labor...." 

So happy we moved on.

#3 · Aug 31, 4:32 AM
JR44
Joined Aug 2017
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I really like Zimmer, he is a football guy. One of my favorite teams was the year we had to play outside for all our home games at UM. Teddy's first year starting and Barr/Kendricks really came into their own that year. It was a special team that felt really close, remember they would post pics every week of their donut club. There was a lot of team unity and so many stories of how loved Teddy was and how he elevated the play of his teammates. We won the division, played one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history against an experienced Seahawks team and had a great game winning drive to win the game only to have a fluke miss take it away. We came back to camp the next season headed into a new stadium as a Super Bowl favorite until a brutal injury to Teddy really changed the course of the team and was a pivotal point in Zimmer's tenure. The Cowboys are one of my least favorite teams by far, but I will be rooting for Zimmer.

#4 · Aug 31, 5:01 AM
purplefaithful
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i am happy too...

It was overdue. So far, I like the OC minded HC we have now.

The interesting thing about KOC is his tenure here will be ultimately be defined what gets accomplished with JJM - which hasn't even started yet.

edited Aug 31, 2024 5:04 AM

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#5 · Aug 31, 5:01 AM
Vikergirl
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I mean it is what it is. He went through a lot but it was time to move on. He is still grieving the loss of a child (I can't even imagine). He is definitely a defensive coach, that's his forte. He won't get another chance not because of age but because he is not the type of head coach that is needed now

You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. — Robin Williams

#6 · Aug 31, 5:38 AM
purplefaithful
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Vikergirl wrote:
I mean it is what it is. He went through a lot but it was time to move on. He is still grieving the loss of a child (I can't even imagine). He is definitely a defensive coach, that's his forte. He won't get another chance not because of age but because he is not the type of head coach that is needed now

I agree in theory; it's also interesting to look at where those 6 first rounder qb's went this past draft:

Defensive HC's: Caleb, Daniels, Maye and Penix
Offensive  HC's: Nix & JJM

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#7 · Aug 31, 5:44 AM
comet52
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The personality issues were apparent to me by 2016 and I wish they would have moved on a lot sooner from the guy. Making a speech to your players where you laud your own record as a HC? Really insecure, weird stuff, but not surprising, just one example from a bunch of them. He's a guy who can flourish when someone else is the boss, but he can't flourish being the boss.

#8 · Aug 31, 6:54 AM
Vikergirl
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purplefaithful wrote:

I agree in theory; it's also interesting to look at where those 6 first rounder qb's went this past draft:

Defensive HC's: Caleb, Daniels, Maye and Penix
Offensive  HC's: Nix & JJM

Fair enough. Mayo is 38 and Eberflus is 54. It might be a good opportunity for Zimmer to help his reputation, especially with Kendricks standing up for him now. Who knows. Time will tell. It will be interesting to see how Williams and Maye develop.

You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. — Robin Williams

#9 · Aug 31, 7:46 AM
Zanary
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Zimmer kinda said it all with his first major point of pride being the #1 defense, because...when he had to focus away from that, his weaknesses got very obvious.

He can blame Cousins' pay all he wants, but none of the CBs he drafted amounted to jack s***. Waynes, Hughes, Hand, etc...plus his stubborn insistence on starting Breeland despite him costing us tons of scores/yards and being rated the worst CB in the league.

He caught some lightning in a bottle, but I wonder if Frazier's remaining influence didn't have as much to do with it as Zimmer's coaching did.

KOC, JJM, Flores...make a good plan, or you'll be following Kwesi....

#10 · Aug 31, 7:54 AM
supafreak84
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I was and am a Zimmer fan. Was it time to move on, yeah probably, but he did some really good things in Minnesota and I can't think of a more snakebitten coach. It really makes you wonder if Bridgewater never wrecked his leg, what could have been? I'm guessing the Zimmer narrative probably changes alot with fans. The rift in the Cousins signing never happens, we retain more of the key guys on defense, and Kellen Mond pick (which was the deal breaker with Spielman), also never happens. As Viking fans we know sometimes the fates don't smile upon you and that was certainly the case with Zimmer. I'd probably be a bit red ass'd too

#11 · Aug 31, 8:37 AM
greediron
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JR44 wrote:
I really like Zimmer, he is a football guy.  One of my favorite teams was the year we had to play outside for all our home games at UM.  Teddy's first year starting and Barr/Kendricks really came into their own that year.  It was a special team that felt really close, remember they would post pics every week of their donut club.  There was a lot of team unity and so many stories of how loved Teddy was and how he elevated the play of his teammates.  We won the division, played one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history against an experienced Seahawks team and had a great game winning drive to win the game only to have a fluke miss take it away. We came back to camp the next season headed into a new stadium as a Super Bowl favorite until a brutal injury to Teddy really changed the course of the team and was a pivotal point in Zimmer's tenure.  The Cowboys are one of my least favorite teams by far, but I will be rooting for Zimmer.

Me too.  Zim was a football coach.  The Viking curse conspired against him.  

To me it sez a lot that Kendricks would come back specifically to play for him.  After what he said, he then had to play without Zim as his DC and saw what a difference it was.  It is easy to criticize when things don't go well, but Zim was the only NFL coach he knew.  Now he returns to play for the coach that made him a star.

#12 · Aug 31, 11:15 AM
purplefaithful
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Willkommen back Greed...

Just in time for some football

edited Aug 31, 2024 11:41 AM

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#13 · Aug 31, 11:31 AM
Kentis
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Zim seems a tad bitter…  :cool: :angel:

edited Aug 31, 2024 11:59 AM
#14 · Aug 31, 11:57 AM
pattersaur
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supafreak84 wrote:
I was and am a Zimmer fan. Was it time to move on, yeah probably, but he did some really good things in Minnesota and I can't think of a more snakebitten coach. It really makes you wonder if Bridgewater never wrecked his leg, what could have been? I'm guessing the Zimmer narrative probably changes alot with fans. The rift in the Cousins signing never happens, we retain more of the key guys on defense, and Kellen Mond pick (which was the deal breaker with Spielman), also never happens. As Viking fans we know sometimes the fates don't smile upon you and that was certainly the case with Zimmer. I'd probably be a bit red ass'd too

I like Zim too, and have no issue with anything he said. He’s earned the right to say what he wants. I was chuckling today reading the quotes.

Zim absolutely got dealt a bad hand at times, but that’s life. Everyone everywhere works with people they don’t love, but most are grownups about it. Oh well, just classic Zim. I wish him the best and I’m glad the Vikes moved on. They could have done it a year earlier and still been justified.

#15 · Aug 31, 2:26 PM
MA
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Zanary wrote:
Zimmer kinda said it all with his first major point of pride being the #1 defense, because...when he had to focus away from that, his weaknesses got very obvious.

He can blame Cousins' pay all he wants, but none of the CBs he drafted amounted to jack s***. Waynes, Hughes, Hand, etc...plus his stubborn insistence on starting Breeland despite him costing us tons of scores/yards and being rated the worst CB in the league.

He caught some lightning in a bottle, but I wonder if Frazier's remaining influence didn't have as much to do with it as Zimmer's coaching did.

Frazier's last defense was the worst in the NFL and worst Vikings defense all-time.  Let's not pretend that Zimmer wasn't a defensive guru.  He was and still is. 

I'm not going to hate on Zimmer, I liked him and still do.  I'm not a fan of his grudge holding.  Definitely think that had the biggest impact on his ability to go from a good HC to a great one.  

I think Dallas will have a stronger defense under Zim than they did under Quinn.  He has a bunch of guys to work with there.

#16 · Aug 31, 2:35 PM
purplefaithful
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So....

No accountability
Throwing players under bus again (i.e. Boyd)
Didnt even say goodbye to the players (its their fault he was fired)
Walks out during the draft

C yah...

edited Aug 31, 2024 3:10 PM

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

#17 · Aug 31, 3:09 PM
HO
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So he got fired and is miffed about it. I suspect most people would be.
So he has character flaws. Every coach does.
I don't agree with this old school new school crap. Zimmer gave his best to the Vikings and it wasn't good enough.
Failed head coach. It's a common tale.
I wish him well. But rehashing Zimmer's beef with anything is a waste of time. I do feel for him given all of his personal losses.

#18 · Aug 31, 4:16 PM
HA
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His pettiness is off putting, but there are things I like about Zim. I think part of it is I didn’t mind coaches like him at all.

He is right in that it wasn’t all him. I wanted Spielman out well before him and it’s funny he brought up those picks. I too wanted to see a different direction.

Where I disagree is the idea that Cousins was the issue. The issue was poor player development and poor drafting. You can succeed with a higher caliber QB and his salary, but you have to be good at filling starting roles with draft picks or UDFA’s and you have to be good at developing them. As I screamed for pretty much all those drafts, go for quality not freaking quantity! Drove me crazy. Spielman is a nice guy, but I hated him as a draft guy.

I wanted them to draft Derek Carr. He was the best of the bunch in an overall weak class. My point was you can win a lot of games with a guy like that if you have a defense. They would have had 5 years of pretty decent play for a small contract.

What could have been.

#19 · Aug 31, 5:47 PM
Vanguard83
Joined May 2013
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Was a Zimmer fan when hired, kinda like his "crap or get off the pot" mentality. Don't coddle these guys, youre supposed to be a professional. If you can't take hard coaching, there's the door, I'm not here to give you a participation trophy.
But honestly this situation sounds more like Spielman's "control issues" played a part. Wasn't it Parcells who said something like "If you want me to do the cooking, then let me do the shopping"
I totally agree, and If The HC has no say in who the franchise drafts, that's a MAJOR problem. Two narcissists in a battle of ego's.

#20 · Aug 31, 8:48 PM
Bullazin
Joined Jul 2013
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StickierBuns wrote:
Well, sure looks like Z spreads the blame to everyone but himself. He's highly critical, yet has complete onion skin about others being critical of him. Mr. 'Don't tell me about the labor, show me the baby' has a very fragile ego it appears. Are we forgetting this about this guy? Ol' Case Keenum had a 'horseshoe up his ass'....its like, shut up Z. Mr. "No Excuses" sure has plenty of them now.

Unfortunately it’s this ^^

It’s a one way street in Zimmerville and that will never change. It’s great until it doesn’t work. 

It was a good hire. Speilly showed he was not afraid to work with old school hard ass EGO, gave us a chance for success, Keenum year was unexpected, but Blair effing Walsh killed the shot at greatness, that game was won and we were playing damn good. 

Biggest thing I hold against Zim is Barr over Donald.  He’s where he needs to be playing second fiddle

#21 · Sep 1, 3:47 AM
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