A Look Back at the Mike Zimmer Era
Abhy Venkat
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Mike Zimmer is most likely moving on as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings after the season ends.
He’s been the coach since 2014, and in his eight-year tenure, there have been some great moments. While it is time to move on, Overall, Zimmer has been one of the best coaches in Vikings history. He took a team that was in disarray after the end of the Childress and Frazier eras and had immediate success. While the Vikings prepare to move onto a new chapter, let’s look back at the best moments of the Vikings under Mike Zimmer.
Week 1 of the 2017 Season
The Vikings entered the 2017 season with a disappointing 8-8 record in 2016. However, the first week of 2017 had a lot of hype. It was Monday Night Football. Adrian Peterson played for the Saints in his first game against the Vikings. Randy Moss would be inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor. And the Vikings gave their fans a reason to be excited. Sam Bradford was electric as he passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Adam Thielen had 157 yards while Stefon Diggs had two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook had his debut for the Vikings with 127 rushing yards. The Vikings cruised to a 29-19 victory and set the tone for what would be a magical 2017 season.
The US Bank Stadium Home Opener
The Minnesota Vikings faced the Green Bay Packers in week 2 of 2016 at home on Sunday Night Football. But this wasn’t a normal home game. This was the home opener for the newly built US Bank Stadium. This was also Sam Bradford’s first game as a Viking. It was a decent debut for him, but the star of the offense was Stefon Diggs, who had nine catches for 182 yards and a touchdown. However, the play of the game was Trae Waynes intercepting Aaron Rodgers in the final two minutes to seal a 17-14 win.
This game is memorable not only for it being the first game in US Bank Stadium but also as a statement win over the Packers. The Vikings were the defending NFC North Champions and beat the Packers, their greatest rival. At the time, it seemed like it was the start of a special run for the team.
2019 Wildcard Round
The Vikings came into this game with rumors of Mike Zimmer being on the hot seat. Reports had come out that if the Vikings had a quick playoff exit, they would likely be moving on from Zimmer. The Vikings had limped to the 6th seed in the NFC after a 10-4 start that finished 10-6. And they were up against the 13-3 New Orleans Saints, who were coming off an insane hot streak. They averaged 40 points per game in December, and Michael Thomas had broken the single-season receptions record. The Vikings went into the Superdome with nobody expecting them to be competitive.
Instead, the Viking’s defense had a masterclass on the Saints’ offense. Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter combined for three sacks, three tackles for losses, and 6 QB hits, as the Saints’ offense sputtered. On offense, Dalvin Cook rushed for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings had a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead. The Saints began a ferocious comeback, however, until Danielle Hunter saved the Vikings’ season.
The game eventually went to overtime, and we all know what happened next. Kirk Cousins threw a bomb to Thielen for 47 yards, which set the Vikings up at the 2-yard line. A few plays later, Kyle Rudolph caught the game-winning touchdown that advanced the Vikings in the playoffs.
Winning the Division at Lambeau Field
Going into the final week of the 2015 season, the Vikings and Packers were both 10-5. The Vikings went into Lambeau Field with a chance to win the division. On a January day where neither team could do much on offense, it was the Vikings’ defense that carried them to victory. Everson Griffen had two sacks on Rodgers that day, but the highlight of the day goes to Captain Munnerlyn. Griffen forced a fumble, which Munnerlyn picked up and ran 55 yards for a touchdown. This put the Vikings up 20-3 and all but sealed the division.
This game was the culmination of Zimmer’s first two years with the Vikings. He had turned the worst defense in the league into a game-changing unit that could slow down Aaron Rodgers. With young players on both sides of the ball, such as Teddy Bridgewater, Stefon Diggs, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter, the future looked extremely bright for the Vikings.
The Miracle
This needs no introduction. The Viking’s magical 2017 season came down to this moment in the playoffs. Despite having a 17-0 lead, the Vikings had blown it and were now staring at defeat. However, Stefon Diggs etched his name into NFL History with a walk-off touchdown against the Saints and led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game.
Every Vikings fan remembers where they were when this play happened, and for most fans, it is likely their favorite Vikings moment. While things may have only been downhill since that play, it’s still a moment all of us can cherish for a lifetime. Mike Zimmer has given a lot to the Vikings as our head coach. From leading the team after Teddy’s knee injury to coaching the team despite losing vision in his right eye, he was a lovable coach. When looking back at the Zimmer-era of the Vikings, these moments are what we should remember. We can be angry at how the team has performed under his coaching the last couple of seasons, but don’t forget the good moments he brought to the Vikings. He was a coach who would have done anything for this team.