The Vikings owners declined to make a coaching change after the team performed a belly flop. That wasn't the wrong decision.
Here's change that should be considered, though, for Mike Zimmer. He should look inward and consider adjusting his coaching style after overseeing an outfit that claimed first prize among the NFL's biggest disappointments this season.
Teams need coaches to lower the temperature in stressful times, not raise it. You wonder if Zimmer's penchant for being short-fused didn't rub off on his team.
The Vikings played skittish in their biggest games. Too often they looked emotionally tight and not ready for the moment. That reflects poorly on Zimmer's leadership.
Now is a time for serious organizational soul-searching. This season never felt right. Something was amiss. The heated sideline exchange between Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen after a failed third-down pass in the finale became a snapshot that defined the season.
Some might brush that moment off as two competitors letting their frustration boil over in public view. That wasn't frustration. It was panic. Panic that a season that began with championship optimism was about to go up in flames and they couldn't stop it.
Nobody expects Zimmer to be Mr. Sunshine, but there has to be better coaching methods than going for two-point conversions in a huff after a rookie kicker misses one field goal in a preseason game. Or offering repeated public rebukes of his offensive coordinator's play calls. The whole vibe this season just felt … uptight.
Zimmer's players showed passionate support of him the day after the season ended. In no way has he lost his locker room. He remains a savvy defensive strategist who has instilled a culture of accountability throughout the entire organization.
