5 bold questions for the Minnesota Vikings defense in 2020

Can Mike Zimmer adapt on the fly?

The Vikings have new co-defensive coordinators in Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer, but everyone knows that the teams’ defense will go through the man running the controls.

Mike Zimmer has not relinquished play-calling duties despite the changes, so his old-school approach will be put to the test with a crew of younger players.

But this could also be to Zimmer’s advantage. A lot has changed since he took over in 2014 and some of his previous mistakes that left players sprinting for greener pastures could come in handy while trying to mold his new defense.

An even better advantage for Zimmer should be the number of impact players that are still on this defense. Eric Kendricks was an All-Pro last season and Danielle Hunter continues to be one of the best pass-rushers in the league. Even the eleventh-hour decision to keep Anthony Harris looks great when he’s the perfect compliment to Harrison Smith.

Zimmer will have to adapt when it comes to building his defense, but he definitely won’t be alone. The question is if the Vikings have made too much change, too quickly which would bury their chances in 2020.