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Minnesota Vikings: Mike Zimmer should win NFL Coach of the Year

By Collin Kottke

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Vikings are overachieving and it is time to give head coach Mike Zimmer some recognition for that.

The Twin Cities are turning into a town of, maybe not champions, let’s say, highly competitive teams. The main teams that are overachieving have so far been the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings. So far Twins manager Paul Molitor was recognized as the American League Manager of the Year and it is coming to the time that Viking head coach Mike Zimmer should get the same sort of recognition in the NFL.

There’s about five different organizations that award an NFL Coach of the Year award, but the one that is most recognized is the Associated Press’ awarding. The AP has given out the award every season since 1957 and only once has it been given to a Vikings head coach. Bud Grant was given the award in 1969. Mike Zimmer should join him in that group.

It hasn’t exactly been an easy road for the Vikings while also being the best team in the NFC. Zimmer has led a team that is on it’s third option at quarterback in Case Keenum, lost their star rookie running back in Dalvin Cook and have had the ups-and-downs of Kai Forbath as the kicker. Throw on top of that, Zimmer is the mastermind of the Vikings defense which is a defense that is currently dominating every top offense it goes against.

It is almost Zimmer’s world and we are all just living in it and rightfully so.

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Zimmer has some flaws, but most NFL coaches do. Zimmer has had some questionable clock management, but that seems to be an epidemic across the NFL and not just singularly with the Vikings. Someday every team in the league will realize they should all hire nerds like me who have spent way too much time playing Madden to simply specialize in clock management.

The never totally backing Keenum thing is weird too, but maybe it’s so weird that it is genius. Crazier things have happened.

The moral of the story is that after seemingly losing the locker room last season at this time in the season, Zimmer now has his team seeded as the current number one team in the NFC despite major some major hurdles. That’s great coaching.

Next: What could the Twins lineup look like in 2018?

Zimmer and the Vikings will have a tough road test again on Sunday. The Vikings are scheduled to take on the Carolina Panthers at noon on Sunday.

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