The 2017 NFL Coach Power Rankings Are Out, Did Mike Zimmer Rise or Fall After an 8-8 Finish?

It’s an NFL offseason tradition like no other, the annual “NFL Coaches Power Rankings” list dropped yesterday at NFL.com and the ripple effect could be felt miles away…okay maybe not but it’s something to nibble on for the one month of the year where there is legitimately no NFL action.

For the most part, people here in Minnesota have a general if not excited fondness towards our head coach Mike Zimmer. He’s holding players accountable, getting accolades from his peers and seems to have this team moving in the right direction.

One year ago, when the “2016 NFL Coaches Power Rankings” list dropped, Zimmer jumped up 11 spots from 2015 with a very respectable 13th overall ranking (out of 32 total coaches). He was heading into his third season as the head coach of the Vikings, was coming off of a brief playoff run and a division title. It appeared as if the sky was the limit for Mike Zimmer, Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings.

Then 2016 happened…yuck.

Despite Teddy Bridgewater’s career up in the air freak knee injury, the Vikings started the year 5-0. Then the wheels fell off. The team started eleventy billion people on the offensive line, the Super Bowl caliber defense showed its limitations and our high praise coach was now displaying that there was indeed a few chinks in his armor along the way. Through his first two years in Minnesota it appeared as if Mike Zimmer could do no wrong. His attitude, his scheme and his approach were winning fans over right and left and it appeared to be the same way inside the locker room with players hanging on his every word and buying into whatever it was that he was selling. Even that faded in 2016 as Norv Turner jumped ship, off the field distractions (“fat cats get slaughtered”) were surfacing and our once invincible head coach was showing that he too was mortal. All of this leading to an 8-8 final record after starting the season 5-0.

So where would all of that land coach Zimmer on the newly released “2017 NFL Coaches Power Ranking list? Whether it was continued faith in what he’s putting together at Winter Park or the poor performance of other coaches, Zimmer continued to move up the list this year landing at the number 10 spot.

Here’s the write up on coach from Elliot Harrison, Although the Vikings went 8-8 last season, Zimmer did his job. Remember that the Vikings’ two most important players — Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson — were non-factors. Zimmer kept the ship afloat, even starting the season 5-0. While the slow finish was not optimal, without Zimmer’s panic-free attitude, it’s doubtful Minnesota would have finished at .500 in a division with two playoff teams.”

Looking around the rest of the league, coach finished ahead of some heavy hitters including Dan Quinn who led the Falcons to the Super Bowl, Jason Garrett who flashed big with the Cowboys and Jack Del Rio in Oakland…all three of which are considered to be some of the league’s fastest rising coaches.

It could be argued that this 2017 season is going to be a make or break year for Mike Zimmer and his coaching staff. Not as if they’re going to lose their jobs if they don’t figure it out, but more so the excuses are gone. You’ve been here for three full seasons now, this team is fully ingrained in your scheme and the players have been brought in because they fit your plan. You have the tools you’ll need (for the most part) now you need to go work your magic.

We’ll see the first full season under Pat Shurmur on the offensive side and George Edwards could start calling the plays on defense so this is not to say there won’t be any changes. In fact, all of these moves should be viewed as improvements, otherwise why would you do them?

As interested as I am to see what the team can do on the field this year, I’m interested to see how that level of success or (hopefully not) failure impacts the way that the fanbase looks towards their beloved head coach. It’s always been said that the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league…another step in the wrong direction won’t be met with hugs and kisses no matter what the national media is writing about you.

Share: