Next HC - Who Do You Want?

Mike Zimmer has a pair of NFC North titles, three total playoff appearances and 61 wins through six-plus seasons in Minnesota.

That's a strong résumé, but there's also an argument to make that the Vikings head coach has done his best work this season during what has been quite the roller-coaster ride in Minnesota.

With seven games to go, the Vikings have scratched and clawed their way to a 4-5 record after winning just once in their first six tries. The team can climb to .500 against the Cowboys organization that gave Zimmer his NFL start back in 1994.

Plenty in the organization give Zimmer credit for a determined approach to getting the ship steered in the right direction, although everyone knows the work isn't done.

"You saw that old-school Coach Zim' come out," said Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. "That, 'Let's get back to the basics, put the pads back and let's go back to work.' That was his demeanor of the whole bye week, leading up to the Packers week.

"When you win games it kind of takes that little pressure off everybody, and losing is not a good feeling," Cook added. "But you saw Coach Zim' go back to the basics and [say], 'Let's get back to the basics of football, knowing what we're doing, flying around, making plays.' That was our attitude."

Added quarterback Kirk Cousins: "I think it was coaching us, pointing out why we were losing and getting beaten, where we have to be better, but also pointing to a lot of positives and ways to be encouraged. I thought it was a good balance at that time of showing us why we can be a good team and dig ourselves out of the hole we were in. We still have a ways to go, but he was exactly who I would expect him to be and who we needed him to be for us to get back on the horse and get going again and putting forth a great effort."

Since the 1-5 start, Zimmer's squad has won three straight games, all against fellow NFC North teams.

And while Minnesota still has an uphill climb to reach the postseason, those within Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center said a main point of emphasis from Zimmer over the past month has been an increase in emotion and juice, both in practice and on game day.

"Energy. Not having fans in the stadium, we were lacking a lot of energy the first couple of weeks," said rookie Justin Jefferson. "But we found that energy, we found that swagger that we've been having and we came out ready to play football.

"The last three weeks, that's what we've been doing and we're looking to continue to do it," Jefferson added.

And ever since the bye, the unit has played with an increased swagger, setting a new season-low in points allowed per game in each of the past three wins (22 points to Green Bay, 20 to Detroit and 13 to Chicago).

"They're starting to mature a little bit, and obviously they're getting a little bit of confidence now," Zimmer said. "I think it's been three games here, the last three games, where the other team has had the ball with a chance to win the game and we've been able to put the fire out, I guess.

"The more times you do that, the more times you believe that you can do it," Zimmer added. "And secondly, I think they're starting to understand what we're trying to do conceptually with the calls and things like that as well."

Give plenty of credit to Zimmer for the recent defensive surge, as he has confused opposing offensives with his schemes and play design.

That evolution has taken time, Zimmer, said, because of the host of young players who have been thrust into prominent roles in 2020.

"It's very unique, I guess is the best way to say it, because you're always trying to figure out how to affect the other team," Zimmer said. "But on the same token, you're trying to figure out what your guys can do and how much they can handle and how you can work through that whole process.

"We'll put some things in during the week and throw them out by the time the game gets here because it's too complicated or they're not handling it well or whatever the reason is," Zimmer added. "But, yeah, it's been unique trying to fit all the different pieces and still affect the offense because that's the reason you do it, to affect the offense. But you still have to figure out who you are and how you can put that together."

"I think the job that Zim' has done with this team this year is exceptional. I mean, you look at some of the things we've been through," said Vikings Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak, a former head coach himself. "It was a different year all the way from the start of training camp, and you're sitting there sitting at, what were we, 1-5? But you keep everybody together, you keep everybody positive, you keep everybody working, and then good things happen to you.

"It's a credit to how he's held people together in this building, on the field, and the reward is coming out there when you watch what's going on the past few weeks," Kubiak added. "Having done that for a while, I know how difficult that is, and for me to watch him do it, I think it's been pretty special. Hopefully we keep it going."

Added wide receiver Adam Thielen: "We have a lot of faith in him and who he is as a leader, who he is as a coach, and we're going to trust that. We're going to trust that process, keep going to work for him, keep fighting for him, and I know he's doing the same. Everybody just keeps fighting, and it starts at the top."