Offensive Issues: Difference In OCs and QBs

It’s standard across the NFL for a head coach and offensive coordinator to disagree at times. It happened in Minnesota between Zimmer and former OC Norv Turner, who resigned in the middle of the 2016 season. Just last week, Zimmer said the Vikings probably didn’t use former Minnesota wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who is now with the Patriots, the right way.

With four games left, including a pivotal test against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, the dynamic between Zimmer -- an old-school defensive mind -- and DeFilippo -- a young offensive talent whose name has been brought up for head coaching jobs -- is at a critical juncture.

Right now, it’s about fixing the inconsistent offense, which starts with the head coach.

The last few seasons of Zimmer’s tenure have been marred by challenges (a new QB every season, three offensive coordinators in three years, eight eye surgeries, a 27-yard missed field goal in a 2015 wild-card game, just to name a few).

This season, however, has arguably been the most difficult of his career.

Zimmer has had to soldier on after losing a close confidant in former offensive line coach Tony Sparano before training camp. His defense struggled early, and in the process of restoring his unit to its vaunted form, he’s dealt with a slew of injuries along with the absence of Everson Griffen for five weeks due to mental health issues. Kirk Cousins' up-and-down season is new territory for Zimmer to navigate. He’s learned to step in when things have looked bleak, like he did prior to a win over the Green Bay Packers.

Given what he’s battled, this season could end up being Zimmer’s greatest achievement in coaching, but also his most challenging.

On Monday, Zimmer said he needs to do a better job of communicating with DeFilippo during games. He has to divide his attention between calling defensive plays and monitoring everything going on around him. But even Zimmer said there are ways he can be better about balancing the roles.

"Maybe letting (defensive coordinator) George [Edwards] do a little bit more of the adjustments on defense, maybe," Zimmer said. "But I don’t know, I haven’t decided that yet so we’ll have to see. When things are going smooth, it’s no issue. I can go talk to the offense all I want. When things are helter-skelter on defense, then I am spending a little bit more time with them or the special teams. That is just part of it."

The concept seems simple: If Zimmer wants the run game to be a certain way and he’s not seeing it, it’s on him as the head coach to fix it. The Vikings rank 29th in rushing attempts (21.1 per game); overall, they’re 25th in the percentage of drives that result in scoring points. If the run-pass ratio isn’t cutting it, Zimmer has to put his stamp of approval on this next offensive game plan.

But the tricky part comes with toeing the line between offering constructive help and micromanaging. The game’s greatest coaches are able to empower those around them to do their jobs while providing the support to know that when things go wrong, everything is shouldered by their leader.