Minnesota Vikings: Mike Zimmer will not Coach vs. Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will miss Thursday Night Football against the Cowboys due to an emergency eye surgery.
In Zimmer’s place, special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will take over interim head coach duties for the Minnesota Vikings.
As if the Minnesota Vikings hadn’t sustained enough injuries and adversity, one of the league’s best up-and-coming coaches will be out for perhaps the most pivotal game of the season.
Both Pat Shurmur and Tony Sparano have past head coaching experience, so the move to promote Mike Priefer is an interesting one. However, Priefer certainly deserves a shot as his special teams units for the Vikings have consistently been a disciplined and impactful force.
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On top of that fact, Shurmur and Sparano have their hands full with their respective units of the sputtering offense and porous offensive line.
Perhaps Priefer’s firey personality will inspire the troops ahead of their toughest match up of the year. Either that or a “do it for Zimmer” mentality might arise.
Make no mistake, the Minnesota Vikings will inherit no advantage with Zimmer out. His masterful grasp of game plan and defense have kept Minnesota in most of their games this season. Still, it may be refreshing to see a different mind set in certain situations of the game.
Next: Minnesota Vikings vs Cowboys: Keys to the Game
Mike Priefer was an excellent choice for the interim, and he may provide the Vikings with just the spark they need to beat the Cowboys. On the other hand, losing a top head coach in Mike Zimmer is never a good thing. What adversity is next in line for the Vikings? Get well Zimmer.