How have the Vikings played after their bye under Mike Zimmer?

Do the Minnesota Vikings perform well with an extra week of rest?

On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings did not have a game for the first time this season. For some Vikings fans, a reprieve from watching their favorite team find a new way to break their heart was more than welcomed.

For the actual football team, getting the week off will allow some of Minnesota’s top players like Dalvin Cook to get healthier and potentially play in their next matchup against the rival Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings and Packers have already faced each other once this season, back in Week 1 when Green Bay didn’t have any trouble handing Minnesota a 43-34 loss. Will an additional week to prepare result in the Vikings possibly pulling off an upset over the 5-1 Packers next Sunday?

Are the Minnesota Vikings successful after their bye week since 2014?

During Mike Zimmer’s tenure as the team’s head coach, the Vikings have been able to experience a good amount of success. But how has Minnesota performed after their bye week since Zimmer was hired in 2014?

Under their current head coach, the Vikings are 2-4 in their six games that have come directly after their bye week. Minnesota’s last win during the regular season with an extra week to prepare came back in 2017 when they handed Kirk Cousins and the Washington Football Team a 38-30 loss.

Last year, the Vikings came up just short in a Monday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, and then in 2018, Minnesota suffered a five-point loss to the Chicago Bears in their first game after their bye week.

This season is also the first time since 2014 that the Vikings have entered their bye week with a losing record. That was Zimmer’s first year with Minnesota and during the game that followed their bye week in 2014, they ended up losing on the road to the Bears by eight points.

For some reason, the Vikings’ first matchup after their bye week under Zimmer seems to usually take place on the road. Minnesota will be traveling to Green Bay next Sunday and it’s the sixth time in seven years that the Vikings’ first game after their bye won’t be played inside their home stadium.

Luckily for Minnesota, they won’t have to deal with Packers fans screaming at the top of their lungs during next week’s matchup since Green Bay isn’t allowing fans to attend the game due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the Vikings have to go up against a talented Packers team that is coming off a 15-point win on the road over the Houston Texans.

Green Bay has been one of the best teams in the NFL this season while Minnesota has been one of the worst. Signs certainly aren’t pointing to a Vikings win next Sunday and the team’s record after a bye during Zimmer’s tenure isn’t going make anyone think differently either.