Mike Zimmer

[StumpHunter]

The offense scored 10 points today, the opposing QB threw for 163 yards and 0 TDs, and the very first thread created is about the defense.

I question the logic behind that.

It was not a shutdown D. They were missing their best LBer and their best corner. They gave up too many big runs and two bad penalties kept 2 of the 3 TD drives alive. I question both those calls, but they happened. Lets say the Vikes keep them out of the end zone on that third drive though. We still lose the game. Let's say they only give up 1 TD and hold them to 2 FGs. We still lose.

There is not enough talent on this D to win without any real offensive production against good teams, especially without two of their best guys. There is no Ray Lewis on this team, no Ed Reed, no Warran Sapp and no Von Miller. There are some very good players on the D, two of which were out for this game.

It is my opinion, a different coach coaching this team and the D would get worse, not better.

The question then is, does a different coach make the offense better? I think a good OC, like we had last season, can make it work with Zim, but when it is clear that the OC is the reason for the offensive success, your OC tends to become a HC somewhere, like he did. So do we need to let Zim go to get better on offense? Maybe, but I don't think it matters.

I for one am okay with letting Zim go now. I don't think we can win with this GM, this oline and this QB. Whether it is this year or next who cares when he is fired? Lets just move on and see if we can find his replacement sooner rather than later.

[PacificNorseWest]

I'm curious what Zimmer and Spielman were talking about on the bench at the end of the game. Seems like a weird place to have a conversation that went on for a few minutes as Buck mentioned.

[MikethePurple]

I'm curious what Zimmer and Spielman were talking about on the bench at the end of the game. Seems like a weird place to have a conversation that went on for a few minutes as Buck mentioned.

I thought he mentioned that was footage from a discussion taking place before the game?

[PacificNorseWest]

I'm curious what Zimmer and Spielman were talking about on the bench at the end of the game. Seems like a weird place to have a conversation that went on for a few minutes as Buck mentioned.

I thought he mentioned that was footage from a discussion taking place before the game?

Oh.

That explains it. I was obviously partly checking out at that point, but thought it was ominous that they would have a sitdown conversation at that point int he game.

[Mothman]

The offense scored 10 points today, the opposing QB threw for 163 yards and 0 TDs, and the very first thread created is about the defense.

I question the logic behind that.

I think it makes sense. They struggled to get off the field on third down.They struggled to stop the run. Trubisky may have only thrown for 163 passing yards and 0 TDs but we both know passing isn't the entirety of offense. The Bears ran for 169 yards and 3 TDs! The Vikings have now allowed 100+ yards rushing in each of their 4 post-bye losses to playoff teams. That's a key reason they won't be playing in the postseason.

[PurpleMustReign]

The offense scored 10 points today, the opposing QB threw for 163 yards and 0 TDs, and the very first thread created is about the defense.

I question the logic behind that.

It was not a shutdown D. They were missing their best LBer and their best corner. They gave up too many big runs and two bad penalties kept 2 of the 3 TD drives alive. I question both those calls, but they happened. Lets say the Vikes keep them out of the end zone on that third drive though. We still lose the game. Let's say they only give up 1 TD and hold them to 2 FGs. We still lose.

There is not enough talent on this D to win without any real offensive production against good teams, especially without two of their best guys. There is no Ray Lewis on this team, no Ed Reed, no Warran Sapp and no Von Miller. There are some very good players on the D, two of which were out for this game.

It is my opinion, a different coach coaching this team and the D would get worse, not better.

The question then is, does a different coach make the offense better? I think a good OC, like we had last season, can make it work with Zim, but when it is clear that the OC is the reason for the offensive success, your OC tends to become a HC somewhere, like he did. So do we need to let Zim go to get better on offense? Maybe, but I don't think it matters.

I for one am okay with letting Zim go now. I don't think we can win with this GM, this oline and this QB. Whether it is this year or next who cares when he is fired? Lets just move on and see if we can find his replacement sooner rather than later.

First, it's more of a Mike Zimmer thread. Second, the offense has been talked about ad nauseum. Zimmers biggest selling point to his supporters is the the defense... If his defense can't stop an average (at best) offense, why keep him around?

[PacificNorseWest]

Zimmer and the defense disappointed tremendously today. Again looking unprepared against Chicago and got out-coached and out-hustled. Tackling was bad, 3rd down coverage was to lax and the team could not corral Trubisky when given a few opportunities to sack him.

And though not a defensive point, the offense yet again received the ball first and went 3 and out. That has been the case in just about all of their losses in the 2nd half of the season. That reflects on Zimmer as much as it does Stefanski, Cousins and the offense as a whole. I don't care that they didn't run the ball that first drive at all and this doesn't necessarily have to do with the 3 and outs on the two subsequent drives. It specifically pertains to how they come out of the gates and it's unacceptable. It also took the defense a drive to get settled in as well...again, inexcusable for a team posing as a Championship contender.

[StumpHunter]

The offense scored 10 points today, the opposing QB threw for 163 yards and 0 TDs, and the very first thread created is about the defense.

I question the logic behind that.

I think it makes sense. They struggled to get off the field on third down.They struggled to stop the run. Trubisky may have only thrown for 163 passing yards and 0 TDs but we both know passing isn't the entirety of offense. The Bears ran for 169 yards and 3 TDs! The Vikings have now allowed 100+ yards rushing in each of their 4 post-bye losses to playoff teams. That's a key reason they won't be playing in the postseason.

So they gave up fewer yards in this game than the 2015 Broncos averaged in the playoffs? Horrible, just horrible.

It wasn't great defense, but it was pretty good and it was without its best run defending corner (replaced by a guy who kinda sucks at tackling in Hill) and its leading tackler. The Bears were also aided by two really tough calls that extended drives...on third down. That is after they lost arguably their third best CB for the year.

I know I have said this before, but when your offense sucks, teams run the ball more, your defense gets tired and teams will run for more yards on you. Do you think the Saints are really that good against the run, or is it that teams have to pass to keep up with them? I wonder what happens to those rushing stats if the Vikings actually scored on offense and made Mitch throw the ball? I guess we will never know.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

I see that some are trying to give the defense a pass of sorts by blaming the offensive inabilities for having the defense on the field too much. As true as that is, how many times, like today, does the opposing team take their opening drive down the field against the Vikings? They're not tired at that point are they?

[Raz]

I don't know there is enough blame to go around but this defense is good enough in my opinion to win it all in the modern nfl. The offense is beyond inept all year no run game, no key third down completions and bad timed turnovers. I don't think that the death of Sparano can be over looked with the loss of Easton and Beager the o line play was positively horrible. When you can pick up a third and one you suck.
I'm sure that the 2019 team will mostly be the same but god help us they had better upgrade this line and find a o cordinstor and o line coach.

[S197]

I think it makes sense. They struggled to get off the field on third down.They struggled to stop the run. Trubisky may have only thrown for 163 passing yards and 0 TDs but we both know passing isn't the entirety of offense. The Bears ran for 169 yards and 3 TDs! The Vikings have now allowed 100+ yards rushing in each of their 4 post-bye losses to playoff teams. That's a key reason they won't be playing in the postseason.

So they gave up fewer yards in this game than the 2015 Broncos averaged in the playoffs? Horrible, just horrible.

It wasn't great defense, but it was pretty good and it was without its best run defending corner (replaced by a guy who kinda sucks at tackling in Hill) and its leading tackler. The Bears were also aided by two really tough calls that extended drives...on third down. That is after they lost arguably their third best CB for the year.

I know I have said this before, but when your offense sucks, teams run the ball more, your defense gets tired and teams will run for more yards on you. Do you think the Saints are really that good against the run, or is it that teams have to pass to keep up with them? I wonder what happens to those rushing stats if the Vikings actually scored on offense and made Mitch throw the ball? I guess we will never know.

To be fair, if you're going to play the injury card you need to acknowledge the Bears were decimated at WR and also absent their own top corner.

I agree Trubisky wasn't very impressive today but the Vikings were beat in the trenches and that started on the first drive when they were fresh. There were some tough calls and non-calls on the defense that extended drives but it's a bit of a stretch to insinuate today's defense was similar to that Broncos D.

[StumpHunter]

First, it's more of a Mike Zimmer thread. Second, the offense has been talked about ad nauseum. Zimmers biggest selling point to his supporters is the the defense... If his defense can't stop an average (at best) offense, why keep him around?

It is a Mike Zimmer isn't good enough at coaching defense thread from what I am reading. In a game where his defense gave up only 3 scoring drives despite being on the field nearly the entire game.

If people were posting about how Mike Zimmer doesn't know offense, fine, valid argument, but that isn't what it is about, is it?

I think what this thread is actually about, is people knowing this team isn't good enough, seeing the limited cap space, knowing that there is only so much you can do in the draft, and hoping that a coaching change can fix everything. After all, it doesn't take cap space or draft picks to replace your HC.

I hate to break it to you all though. It aint the coach, it is the players, we are screwed next year, the year after that and probably the year after that when we draft Cousins' replacement and he starts as a rookie.

And why are we in this spot? Because in 2016, instead of investing in our future, our idiot GM traded away the only thing that was ever going to get us a franchise QB in this decade. That is why we won't win a SB this decade. Not the HC, not the ownership, not the fans, our idiot GM panicking and trading a 1st for garbage.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

I also get that the defense isn't AS important in modern football as it used to be, but modern football rules or calls hasn't affected the defenses abilities to stop a run. But notice that when the Bears had the football 1st down on the 1 yard line, it took ONE run up the middle to score. Not much of a goal line stance attempt there.

[Mothman]

So they gave up fewer yards in this game than the 2015 Broncos averaged in the playoffs? Horrible, just horrible.

I didn't say it was horrible. However, it was a losing effort.

It wasn't great defense, but it was pretty good

"Pretty good" from a unit that's been the team's primary focus for 5 years didn't cut it. Continually allowing opponents to run for 150+ yards a game is simply not winning football. The Bears had a 148 yards rushing in their first meeting with the Vikes this season. SEA, NE and now CHI today all easily topped 150.

I know I have said this before, but when your offense sucks, teams run the ball more, your defense gets tired and teams will run for more yards on you.

... and when opposing teams can control the game on the ground, they win time of possession and it helps keep your offense on the bench and out of sync. It cuts both ways. The defense wasn't terrible today but they didn't play winning football and they're supposed to be this team's signature unit.

A defense also doesn't get worn out if they get off the field. It's not like the Bears hammered away at the Vikings and eventually started doing damage on the ground after they wore the defense down. They opened the game gouging the Vikes on the ground and scored a TD on their first possession!

[TSonn]

The most telling thing for me is we as a team played worse today with the playoffs on the line in our own stadium with the Bears resting guys in the 2nd half than we played in Chicago. That sums up Zimmer to me - no ability to fire up the team and unprepared for big games.