Zimmer Gets a Wee Bit of Shade from Beloved Vikings TE
Dustin Baker
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During the eight seasons of Mike Zimmer’s leadership in Minnesota, the Vikings, via points allowed, are the NFL’s sixth-best defensive team, allowing 20.9 points per game.
Prior to Zimmer’s arrival in 2014, the eight seasons before his tenure showcased the NFL’s 21st-best defense in terms of points allowed (2006-2013). Zimmer transformed the Vikings into a defense-first team — and he did it with a climb of 15 spots in the NFL’s pecking order.
Yet, some folks believe his emphasis on defense is a singularly-focused. That is — he’s a glorified defensive coordinator, according to some Zimmer detractors.
To a slight extent, former Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph echoed this sentiment back at Giants training camp. He said, “To me, it’s the first time I’ve had a head coach who’s not a defensive coordinator. So, it’s a head coach that’s in charge of the entire team.”
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Rudolph, drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2011 NFL Draft, spent ten seasons with the Vikings. Zimmer, the topic of his critique although not mentioned by name, was the skipper for seven of those seasons.
The New York Giants, Rudolph’s new team, now led by second-year head coach Joe Judge, own the same win-loss record as the Vikings, 0-2. Both teams lost in Week 2 because of last-minute special teams devastation.
The most memorable Rudolph moment with the Vikings occurred in the 2019 season. Minnesota trotted down to New Orleans for a playoff date with the Saints as heavy underdogs. The Saints could find no offense continuity on that afternoon, only making plays via trickery conducted by hybrid quarterback-tight end, Taysom Hill. When the game was on the line, quarterback Kirk Cousins found Rudolph for a touchdown in overtime, walking off the Saints in the Superdome, a moment existing eternally in Vikings lore.
It is unclear if Rudolph’s statement is an indictment of Zimmer — or merely a mundane observation that Joe Judge has a broader grasp on football operations. Normally, head coaches oversee the entirety of the enterprise. So, if Rudolph is correct and Zimmer seemingly ignores the offense in favor of the defense, the dynamic would be peculiar.
And this would be a confirmation for a sect of Vikings fans. Those folks perceive Zimmer as a fabulous defensive coordinator whose game management and offensive brain flounder in comparison to other NFL coaches. Incidentally, the “he’s a coordinator!” batch of fans are generally the same crowd that prefer a change in leadership for the team. Today, the “move on from him” group pertaining to Zimmer feels pretty vindicated.
Rudolph ranks 10th in Vikings history via receiving yards and fifth all-time for the franchise in receiving touchdowns. His exodus from the organization last March was considered a cap casualty.
Since arriving Minnesota, Zimmer has a win percentage of .559 (66-52-1). That is third in franchise history behind Bud Grant (.607) and Dennis Green (.591).
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).