Mike Zimmer among Hottest of Hot Seats for NFL Coaches
After the Minnesota Vikings grounded the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, head coach Mike Zimmer’s job security received some slack.
It didn’t last long.
The Vikings lost to the Cleveland Browns at home in a lifeless offensive effort one week later. Unsurprisingly, the heat on Zimmer’s buttocks ratcheted exponentially. Where the general public was with Zimmer for job satisfaction after the Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals – is precisely where they’re at now. Again. Defeating the Seahawks only granted one week of reprieve.
The hot seat reality is confirmed by sportsbooks. Per SportsLines.com, Zimmer is currently the third-most-likely head coach to be fired (or resign) his position first in 2021. These are the top seven:
- Urban Meyer -200
- Matt Nagy +200
- Mike Zimmer +500
- Joe Judge +700
- Brian Flores +1200
- Mike Tomlin +1500
- Frank Reich +2000
Zimmer isn’t quite embattled like Urban Meyer – the man filmed grinding with a young woman at the club – but he’s also not terribly far off that pace. In the middle of the two, Chicago Bears skipper Matt Nagy marinates at +200. Nagy has failed to cement the Bears quarterback position, oddly committing to Andy Dalton to start 2021 – then calling curious plays for the rookie Justin Fields when he saw action in Week 3. Chicago always fosters a good defense, so the pressure is on Nagy – an offensive-minded coach – to finally birth a competent offense. So far, 2021 has not been a venue for that.
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On the Vikings, Zimmer just needs to win games. It’s as simple as that. The first two losses of the season were mired by heartbreak and flukiness, situating the Vikings at the bottom of the NFC North. The problem? Zimmer’s roster is indicative of a team that should be significantly better than its 1-3 record. And it’s his job to prepare those players for gamedays. When the excuses are subtracted, Minnesota is left with three losses in four games, off the steam of an underwhelming 7-9 season in 2020. The time to win is now.
Before the season, at the start of the season, and now – Zimmer needed to escort the Vikings to the playoffs and probably win some games in that tournament. That forecast looks bleak right now. Indeed, teams can rejuvenate from 1-3 – the Vikings did it in 2008 – but those are merely best-laid plans.
Thankfully, Zimmer has the Detroit Lions at home this week. Since Kirk Cousins joined the Vikings, Minnesota has experienced absolutely no problems with Detroit. In fact, Zimmer’s Vikings have rolled the Lions seven consecutive times.
It must be eight straight times after Week 5 – with eager eyes set on the Carolina Panthers on the road in Week 6. If Zimmer can get to the bye week with a 3-3 record, well, he gets some “it’s a new season” relief at .500.
Ultimately, however, there is no more room for error in the two upcoming games. And that’s what happens when the hot seat is piping.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).