Mike Zimmer helping Minnesota Vikings offensive line anticipate defenses
By Adam Carlson
Head coach Mike Zimmer is known for having a great defensive mind and he’s using that knowledge to help the Minnesota Vikings offensive line improve.
The Minnesota Vikings had a huge turnaround as soon as Mike Zimmer arrived to be the team’s new head coach. His aggressive style of defense and input into bringing in talent developed a unit that became number one in the league last season in yards allowed per game.
While Zimmer’s defenses should strike fear into the hearts of opposing teams, the head coach can also use his defensive knowledge and talented players to help the offensive line become stronger as well.
Considering how long Zimmer has been coaching in the NFL and how passionate he is about his job, he has likely seen a plethora of defenses doing different things to confuse opposing offenses. By taking that information and repurposing it, the Vikings head coach can use his knowledge to put offensive players in better positions to make plays.
In a recent article on the official website of the Minnesota Vikings, offensive lineman Tom Compton spoke about how Zimmer brings a defensive perspective to how the team executes their pass and run blocking.
"“He’ll come over and tell us stuff from a defensive perspective that really helps us out that we might not be thinking about – us getting to the ball fast sets the tone, and the defense has to respond to that. He definitely has a lot of wisdom when it comes to that.”"
Also, starting guard Nick Easton talked about the team’s practices and how Zimmer will make sure to challenge the offensive line in order to ensure they are prepared for anything when game day rolls around.
"“The looks we get in practice are oftentimes harder than anything we see in the game,” Easton said. “So if you can make it through a practice against our defense, the games [can] feel pretty easy.”"
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If the Vikings offensive line can be an average or above average unit during the 2018 NFL season, the sky could be the limit now that Minnesota has quarterback Kirk Cousins to compliment a number one ranked defense.