Will the new Vikings’ defensive staff lead to good results in 2020?
By Dean Jones
The head coach
Of all the defensive experts on the Vikings coaching staff, head coach Mike Zimmer might be the best of all.
Zimmer is a much-respected figure when it comes to defense and he got the Minnesota job following a superb tenure as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He has carried this on into his head coaching role and made the Vikings defense a force to be reckoned with during his tenure.
2020 is a big season for the head coach, who is currently in the last year of his deal. Zimmer is expected to sign an extension before competitive action gets underway, but that does not take away from the need to keep things going in the right direction.
Having trusted figures around him to help with the defense should be beneficial at crucial moments of the upcoming season. Ultimately the key decisions will fall on Zimmer as the head coach and the self-designated play-caller in an area of the staff that has more than its fair share of options to hold that responsibility.
Only time will tell if this is a move that will bring Minnesota double-digit wins for a second straight year and the implications could be severe for Zimmer if it does not work out this way. Having a number of different people voicing their preferences is going to result in differing opinions and how the head coach will handle this is going to be crucial for the Vikings’ fortunes in 2020.
All the elements are in place and it is Zimmer’s job to ensure they are utilized fully to produce results on the field.