Nov 7, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings are a good football team that cannot consistently win games.
Every week, head coach Mike Zimmer’s team keeps a game close — no matter the level of competition — convincing onlookers that the team just needs to “fix a few things.” But like clockwork, those few things are not remedied (they’re often repeated), increasing frustration with the ballclub.
The Vikings start like gangbusters on offense with scripted plays, scoring on the first drive — while creating false hope. In fact, in the last seven games, the Vikings put points on the board during the opening offensive drive. Yet, after that, the nosedive occurs, and the team retreats to conservatism rooted in a fatalistic dink-and-dunk approach. It’s a strategy that works when a team showcases the 2017 Vikings defense or owns a time machine set to the 1970s.
It doesn’t cut it in 2021, though.
Zimmer’s defense performed well for a lot of the game in Week 9, frustrating Lamar Jackson with a zone coverage scheme. It only lasted for so long. Because the Vikings stalled on offense, the defense was called upon to remain on the field, and they simply wore down. Containing Jackson — like a Michael Jordan or LeBron James — only works for a while. The greats always find a way to make a difference when it matters.
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Losing another one-score game when Minnesota probably should have won if a foot was pressed on the gas pedal — will be Zimmer’s punctuation mark for employment with the Vikings. A lot has brought the Zimmer’s Vikings to this point — consistently trashy offensive line play, alternating good and mediocre years, and questionable clock management — but these squeaker games that don’t pan out are brutal.
Camryn Bynum, in replacement for Harrison Smith who was plopped on the COVID list right before kickoff, played marvelously, stabbing an interception out of the sky from the aforementioned Jackson. That humongous play from the rookie was squandered by the Vikings loss.
Another rookie, Kene Nwangwu, returned a 98-yard kickoff touchdown and personally converted a fancy-dancy fake punt. His speedy theatrics were nullified by asleep-at-the-wheel playcalling on offense.
And then when the game was climaxing, the veteran warhorse Anthony Barr seized an interception from Jackson in overtime. It was followed by — you guessed it — offensive conservatism. Advantage Ravens.
Zimmer has done a terrific job keeping the Vikings relevant for eight seasons, never allowing the franchise to slip below a 7-9 record. However, a team loaded with talent since 2017 has not made serious inroads to a coveted Super Bowl since the letdown of the 2017 NFC Championship.
The countdown has begun. If the Vikings don’t win the next five or so games — unlikely because the contests will be close and the team will collapse if history is a reasonable indicator — Zimmer’s ticking clock in Minnesota will expire on Black Monday.
It could be sooner if the losses continue to pile up.
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).