4 reasons why Mike Zimmer is close to being done in Minnesota

Zimmer’s defense is no longer feared

When Mike Zimmer first became the head coach of the Vikings, his job was to rebuild a defense that was the worst in the entire NFL during the season before he arrived.

During Zimmer’s first four years with Minnesota from 2014 to 2017, his defenses ranked 11th, fifth, sixth, and first in points allowed. It was quite the improvement compared to what the Vikings were doing on the defensive side of the ball in 2013 before Zimmer arrived.

In 2018 and 2019, Minnesota’s defense still ranked inside the top 10 in points allowed. But last season is when things really started to unravel.

The Vikings experienced a lot of changes with their defense during the 2020 offseason, both to the players on their roster and to their coaching staff. The turnover combined with significant injuries to several notable players led to Minnesota ending the 2020 campaign with an abysmal ranking of 29th in points allowed.

This season, not much has really improved when it comes to the Vikings’ defense. Minnesota’s ranking in points allowed has improved to 24th, but that’s still far below the standard that was set by the units that took the field during Zimmer’s first few years with the team.

If the guy in charge has a defensive background and his defense is performing poorly, then what is the point of keeping him around?