7 things the Minnesota Vikings should be thankful for in 2018

The Mike Zimmer effect

It feels like forever ago that the defense was a weakness for the Minnesota Vikings. Using an archaic formula, teams used to exploit the schemes and personnel the team put on the field and were forced to score a lot of points to stay in a game.

That all changed when Mike Zimmer arrived in 2014. Immediately, Zimmer took notice of players who had talents that weren’t being used to the best of their ability and sought after players who could make their team even more imposing on game day.

In four seasons with the Vikings, Zimmer has led this team to a 44-28-1 record with two playoff appearances and two NFC North championships. Considering the former division dominance of the Green Bay Packers, it is great to see Minnesota being competitive.

For as much as credit needs to go to the front office and the players on the field, the things that Mike Zimmer does to make this team competitive and amazingly tough on third downs.