What IS wrong with the Vikings?

You raise a lot of good questions but I'll address the two I highlighted above:  Ownership was mesmerized by the win, but many of us were not.  It was said that somehow sealed the renewal of Zim/Rick.    It was a game that could have gone either way, a coin flip basically.     I knew in January they'd made the mistake of extending Rick/Zim this year, it was only a matter of when not if.   Maybe they flip a coin too for those decisions but it's got two heads - heads do the same thing, tails try a change.  Hey look it's heads again!

They have never made very good hires (Rick hired Zim and he was ok for a few years but the jig is up so to speak) going back to Foley, Chili, Les.  Let Tomlin go, they could have made a bold move right there, dumped the obviously in over his head Chili and promoted a guy whose defense has been top notch for all those years since and has a SB ring.   Rooney at Pittsburgh saw the potential, do you think he would have hired a fraud like Chili?  Now Wilf recently says they want to "be like the Steelers."  Umm, you had the chance years ago buddy.   Of course when they bought the team it was "be like the Giants".   Who will it be in 15 years?  Cuz at the moment the trend is "be like the Lions."  

I think they know how inept they are at managing football related anything and are afraid of change.  Besides, the money flows in to their pockets win or lose and the p.r. machine keeps the fans believing in their fool's gold approach, the whole brain-dead "we're so close" mentality that drives the various win now moves that characterized this off-season and cemented the reality of the unfolding disaster before us.   

They had a golden chance this off-season - plenty of cuts to open cap space, lots of draft choices, a g.m./h.c. pair that have clearly run their course and need to be replaced.   The time to act is when the opportunity arises.  Instead, it's more of the same.  Locked into bad contracts like Kirk's mammoth extension and various deals pushing cap liability into the future, stuck with extensions on the two guys who aren't getting it done.   And now the whole organization can see how it stepped in sh*t.   Or maybe it can't, maybe they still believe "we're so close!"  

As for Zim, 6 years, one miracle-aided trip to the NFCC, lots of questionable issues with him that I've seen and documented here and elsewhere, but people love the "tough guy" bit.   He's got literally the exact same record in 6 years that Jason Garrett had in those 6 years and all you ever hear is Garrett sucks why did they hang on to him so long blah blah blah.   Zim?  What a tough guy, he swears at practice and stuff!   Never mind those multiple losses in division and almost every big game, disregard that failure behind the curtain!!!  The great and powerful Zim is our coach, do not argue, heathens!!

But ownership doesn't want to hear the bad news, face the facts, deal with reality or make tough decisions.  It's not in their dna.  They aren't the builders of the empire they inherited, they are it's stewards.  The bold risk-takers were the generation before - dad and uncle.  Mark and Zygmunt are the comfy 2nd gen rich kid bean counters, entitled, privileged and never had to face a hard time economically in their lives.   Running a gravy train they can manage, but building a champion?  It's pretty clear after 15 years that they've never really even come close - not even a trip to the SB let alone a win.

So we are stuck with this.  Timid, delusional ownership that doubles down on failure and expects you to invest emotionally and financially.  I am still a fan because my fandom goes back 50 years and it is what it is, but I don't make those investments in this group.  I watch for entertainment without any serious expectations at this point.  

Now they'll probably beat Tennessee and proclaim "We're so close!" lol   

Bright side Vikings should be an upset pick this week in the pick six.

Team is just going through the motions, no emotion or direction.

Zim comes off to me as he's been "broken", not sure what to do to turn this team around based off his post game presser.

This team's problem seems to be the leadership (or lack there-of).

I think the Vikings chose to pay the wrong players. Zimmer's teams have always been known for their defense, but we've overpaid for some players on offense that have put the team in cap hell where they've been forced to have 6 new faces on defense. The OL has been neglected too often. I don't blame the Vikings for the Diggs situation. The team got better all around and he wanted to leave because that meant less passes thrown to him. I think Cousins is relying too much on Thielen and needs to trust his other receivers more. The team has lost its main identity (defense) and now is paying for their mistakes in managing the salary cap.

I'll go with no emotion. No leadership and coaches getting out schemed. Defense is scared to blitz because of inexperienced DB's. Can't create pressure with a standard front. Zimmer is at a loss.
The good news is he's doing better then Kubiak. So when is Gary going to be sacrificed for the greater Zim?

We can't have a bad season till the OC is walked out. Pick 6 means by game 6.

I agree on your first points.  I was very hopeful that Kirk's finish over the Saints was a turning point on all fronts and he really made himself "the Vikings QB".  yet at the same time, my position on that day was still to let him ride this final year of his contract.  Reason being, the demand for Kirk would be low since he has such a poor reputation that I wasn't worried we'd lose him.  and it's not like they got Kirk for some money-saving price this summer.  unnecessary extension...

I completely forgot that Tomlin came from MN.  yes, big mistake.  and very well said all around, as far as the big picture problems with the Vikings!