Under head coach Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings inarguably alternate successful seasons with mediocre campaigns. It began with his hire in 2014, a season that he was applauded for stimulating the team into defensive respectability. During Leslie Frazier’s final season as boss, 2013, Minnesota finished 32nd in the NFL for points allowed – dead last. A draft, free-agent class, head coach, and one year transformed the Vikings into the NFL’s 11th-best defense via points allowed. Indeed, Mike Zimmer can coach defense.
But not one defiled by injuries as is the case amid the 2020 season, at least not to his established archetype.