Tag: Mike Zimmer

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Danielle Hunter’s neck surgery was successful

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer spoke publicly about Danielle Hunter’s surgery, saying it was a success and that Hunter will miss 2020.

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The Vikings received a blow to the defense when their star defensive end Danielle Hunter went on IR.

Hunter required neck surgery, and he was reportedly going to be out for the 2020 season.

That’s bad news for this year, but the good news is that Hunter’s surgery went well, according to Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.

The coach spoke with reporters about Hunter’s situation recently. Zimmer said once Hunter got his MRI, the coach realized it wasn’t a tweak.

“Everything went well, so looking forward to him getting back. When you guys give me crap about this thing being a tweak, when it all started, he woke up, thought he slept on his neck wrong,” Zimmer said, via the Vikings Twitter account. “So that’s why it was a tweak.”

Hunter has tallied 14.5 sacks in two consecutive seasons before going down with an injury this year. Now that Yannick Ngakoue is gone, Hunter’s presence becomes essential to the Vikings defense.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer speaks publicly about the Yannick Ngakoue trade

You’ve got to appreciate Vikings coach Mike Zimmer’s honesty.

After the Vikings’ 1-5 start, the team decided to get rid of a premier talent on a one-year deal: Yannick Ngakoue.

Minnesota traded Ngakoue to the Ravens for ostensibly less than what it gave up for him originally. Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer recently talked about the trade.

“At the end of the day, we sat down and discussed it and we felt like this time it was best for the organization overall,” Zimmer said, via the Vikings’ Twitter account. “We’ve lost a few good players this year, so that part is just what it is.”

Zimmer saying that the team losing players contributed to the trade is pretty significant.

I mean, it makes sense when you think about it: Ngakoue is on a hot streak and the Vikings are struggling this year. But still, it’s refreshing to hear a team talk about how Minnesota losing other talent made it so that Ngakoue was expendable.

As great as it would have been to have Ngakoue and Danielle Hunter coming off the edge, if Ngakoue wasn’t going to re-sign, this move makes sense.

PFF suggests the Vikings trade … Mike Zimmer?

So crazy, it might just work? Do you think the Minnesota Vikings should trade coach Mike Zimmer?

Minnesota has already sent Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore via trade, and with the way the Vikings’ season has been going, the team might not be done.

The Vikings are already pretty much out of contention at 1-5, capped off by a humiliating loss to the Falcons.

Now that the team is in its bye week, it might be time to reassess and see who it can ship off before the trade deadline. Pro Football Focus’  Brad Spielberger recently took a look at people the Vikings could ship off.

The usual suspects, such as Riley Reiff and Anthony Harris, inevitably came up. But Spielberger also suggested something pretty unique: trading Mike Zimmer. Here’s what he said:

“What if the Minnesota Vikings explored a trade for Mike Zimmer?

The two teams he has an extensive history with — the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys — both could be interested given their current coaching situations. With both clubs potentially looking to sign Zimmer after the 2020 season, perhaps one realizes it shouldn’t wait until then to make a move. In a way, Zimmer’s recent extension probably helps facilitate this.”

While unlikely, Zimmer getting traded would help the Vikings acquire some assets for a coach that might not be here too many seasons down the road. I say do it for the right price.

Report: ‘No indication’ Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is in immediate trouble

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is reportedly not in any immediate trouble in regards to his job.

Mike Zimmer is coming off a playoff berth, a postseason victory and a contract in the offseason. But the NFL is a cruel league, and a hot seat for Zimmer might not be all that out of the question due to the Vikings’ start in 2020.

Despite Minnesota’s 1-5 record, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported that there is no indication from anyone reliable that Zimmer is in any immediate trouble.

Fowler and Graziano also reported that if things continue to go this badly, Zimmer’s recent contract extension isn’t likely to keep him safe. Here’s what else they said:

“Put Minnesota on your back-burner watch list, along with long-shot possibilities such as the Cowboys giving up on Mike McCarthy after only one year, or Bill Belichick retiring in New England. No concrete reason to expect it as of now, other than weird things happen.”

Zimmer hasn’t had a Vikings team this bad. But there’s no telling how this team will be in the coming years. Vikings fans will have to see how it plays out.

Russell Wilson said he understood Mike Zimmer’s decision to go for it

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appeared on Bill Simmons’ podcast to discuss Mike Zimmer’s decision to go for it in Week 5.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appeared on Bill Simmons’ podcast and talked about the team’s Week 5 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Specifically, he delved into Minnesota’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-inches in the red zone that ultimately got Seattle the ball back.

Wilson said he understood coach Mike Zimmer’s decision because of the position the Vikings were in at the time.

“It’s raining, and if they miss (the field goal), they’re in trouble,” Wilson said. “But also, if they get it there, they obviously get the first (down). I think the move by the coaches is honestly a sign of respect, them just saying, ‘Hey, listen, we got to end this game.’”

Fortunately for Seattle, Minnesota’s gamble did not pay off and the Seahawks were able to capitalize with one of the most memorable game-winning drives in recent history to move to 5-0. They are now on their well-deserved bye week and will play the Cardinals in Week 7 barring any postponements.

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Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Dalvin Cook is ‘feeling really good’

Well, that’s good news. Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer also added that Dalvin Cook will not rest before the bye week.

Not only did the Vikings lose a heartbreaking game in Seattle, but their star running back suffered an injury.

Dalvin Cook, who leads the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, was questionable to return with a groin injury. He later came back into the game, but he only played one snap.

Cook is reportedly not expected to play vs. the Falcons. Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer contradicted that report when asked if the Vikings are considering resting Cook before the bye week.

“No,” Zimmer said, via Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. “I talked to him today and he said he’s feeling really good, so we’ll see.” 
That said, Danielle Hunter’s injury started with a “little tweak” and put him on IR.  There’s always a chance that Cook could be out, and that Zimmer is just downplaying it. We’ll see what happens going forward.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talks about Dru Samia’s performance at guard

“It was really him being in bad position most of the time,” Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.

When Pat Elflein went on the IR, Dru Samia ended up being his replacement as the Vikings’ starting right guard.

It’s safe to say that Elflein has garnered a bad rap from plenty of Vikings fans for his performances in the past, but Samia has struggled as the fill-in.

Samia is ranked as the worst guard among qualifying candidates on PFF.

The Vikings also took three penalties on account of Samia in the loss to the Seahawks. He committed a fourth that ended up being declined. Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer recently talked about those penalties with reporters:

“It was really him being in bad position most of the time, or being over-aggressive,” Zimmer said, via Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. “You’ve got to keep working on being in the right position and understanding that on double teams, you can go ahead and be as aggressive as you want, but if you’re reaching a guy or cutting a guy off, you’ve got to make sure [you know] where your hands are.”

Samia was thought by many to be an eventual starter for the Vikings after the team drafted him out of Oklahoma in the fourth round. Based on these 2020 performances, it seems like he may need more time until he’s fully ready for that role.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says Dalvin Cook will undergo MRI

Minnesota Vikings starting running back Dalvin Cook will undergo an MRI on Monday, according to Mike Zimmer.

Minnesota had a lot of things not go its way against Seattle. The injury status of its star running back was unfortunately another nightmarish instance added to a long list of bad news.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook went down with a groin injury. He was questionable to return, and he eventually ended up coming back, but he only played one snap after the injury.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that Cook will undergo an MRI on Monday, per the Vikings Twitter account.

Cook currently leads the NFL in rushing with 489 yards on the ground. He also has an NFL-leading seven rushing touchdowns.

Expect Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone to take more carries if Cook is unable to play in any games. Mattison tallied 112 rushing yards in the Seattle game. Boone had 19.

Cook is coming off a tremendous 2019. There’s never been much of a question that he can produce when he’s on the field; it’s the injuries that have made for setbacks in his career so far. Cook has already missed 19 games in his NFL career.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talks decision to go for it on fourth down near end of the game

Vikings fans, what do you think? Was it the right call to go for it on fourth down near the end of the game?

Surprisingly enough, the Vikings gave the undefeated Seahawks a very good game on Sunday night.

Minnesota ended up losing 27-26 after quarterback Russell Wilson threw to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf on fourth and goal for the go-ahead touchdown.

Before that, though, the Vikings were left with a decision to make: Should they go for it on fourth-and-short to try and get a first down to all but seal a win, or should they kick a field goal to make it an 8-point game?

Minnesota decided to go for it, and well, it didn’t exactly close out the game like the team hoped. The Vikings were stopped short of the first down marker and the Seahawks got the ball back for their eventual game-winning drive.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talked about that decision with reporters after the game:

“I knew if we got the half-yard, we win the game,” Zimmer told reporters, via the Vikings’ Twitter account. “I was trying to win it. I told them in the headset, we didn’t come here for this, let’s go win it.”

And win it they didn’t. I’ll say this: I think that was probably the right call. But like so many times this season, the Vikings didn’t execute on the play, and now the team is in a 1-4 hole.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talks about safety Harrison Smith’s ejection

“Want to give us a penalty? Give us a penalty but don’t eject him.”

Minnesota got a close win with timely defensive stops on Sunday, but it had to do so without one of its best defensive players for much of the game.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith was ejected in the second quarter of the Texans game for using his helmet to initiate contact on this play.

After the win, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer spoke with reporters about the ejection:

“QBs can throw the ball in the middle of the field and no repercussions whatsoever. Harrison (Smith) is not a dirty player, has never been a dirty player. They told me the league office ejected him. Want to give us a penalty? Give us a penalty but don’t eject him,” Zimmer said, via Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune.

Here’s what Al Riveron, Senior Vice President of Officiating, said about the hit to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain (H/T Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).

“After we looked at it, there was nothing clear and obvious for us to overturn the ruling on the field, therefore the ruling on the field stood,” Riveron told McClain, via Tomasson.