Zimmer cost the Vikings the game

[Cave_Johnson]

Christ people. Gotta love shitting on Zimmer for just trying to put the game away at the end. Even in hindsight I don't get the bitching. Wilson goes down that field either way and they likely get the two point conversion. Then it probably just comes down to who gets the ball first in OT, a coin flip. Zimmer went for what's gotta be a 85+ percent chance fourth and inches play to end it now.

I guess let's ignore the whole third quarter where he and his coaching staff went away from everything that was working for them on both sides of the ball. Let's ignore Kirk Cousins handing Seattle the game with his two awful turnovers. It's all Zimmer's fault for just trying to put the game away in a high percentage situation.

 

[Myles]

Christ people. Gotta love shitting on Zimmer for just trying to put the game away at the end. Even in hindsight I don't get the bitching. Wilson goes down that field either way and they likely get the two point conversion. Then it probably just comes down to who gets the ball first in OT, a coin flip. Zimmer went for what's gotta be a 85+ percent chance fourth and inches play to end it now.

I guess let's ignore the whole third quarter where he and his coaching staff went away from everything that was working for them on both sides of the ball. Let's ignore Kirk Cousins handing Seattle the game with his two awful turnovers. It's all Zimmer's fault for just trying to put the game away in a high percentage situation.

Just not the highest percentage route he should have taken.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Christ people. Gotta love shitting on Zimmer for just trying to put the game away at the end. Even in hindsight I don't get the bitching. Wilson goes down that field either way and they likely get the two point conversion. Then it probably just comes down to who gets the ball first in OT, a coin flip. Zimmer went for what's gotta be a 85+ percent chance fourth and inches play to end it now.

I guess let's ignore the whole third quarter where he and his coaching staff went away from everything that was working for them on both sides of the ball. Let's ignore Kirk Cousins handing Seattle the game with his two awful turnovers. It's all Zimmer's fault for just trying to put the game away in a high percentage situation.

Eh IMO take your points. Go up by 8. Wilson will PROBABLY march down the field and get a score, but in the end it took him two fourth down conversions to do it, and they didn't get the two point conversion.

I really don't understand the point of going for it there, unless your kicker came over to you and said "Because of wind/confidence/etc I don't think I can make this field goal" then go for it.... Field goals have been fairly automatic this year with no crowd, so I can't imagine that was the case. Get your points.... force the other team. Seattle was not playing well offensively for most of this game, let your defense try and force em'.

 

[CaptainStubing]

The analytics probably say to go for the 4th down there. They just didn't execute. And, typically you want to go for the win on the road. Not OT

 

[Cave_Johnson]

Just not the highest percentage route he should have taken.

If you're talking bad play call on fourth down there I get it. I don't get slamming the call to go for it in general.

 

[LambeauLegs]

If Zimmer would have kicked the extra point earlier in the game the Vikings win as well because Wilson could not go 95 yards in less than 2 minutes and score 9 points.

It just amazes me that everyone watching that game knew that there would be a great chance of Seattle winning and moving right down the field.

A question I have is why is that type of play not done throughout the game. Have 2 minute drives all the time. Why is this not done? What prevents it? If by chance it is prevented earlier in the game why is it not preventable at the end of the game.

It is clear how to beat Seattle run the ball and keep WIlson off the field and when you do have the ball do not turn it over. If Cousins has no turnovers the Vikes win by a big margin. They held Seattle to 0 points in the firt half doing that with no turnovers.

 

[VikingFan2k2]

Most people locally have said they agree to go for the jugular.

I said kick it at the time. I thought that having the full 8 point cushion (Which would have been a 9 point cushion if they don't go for 2 at the end of the third) would have been a better scenario than being up 5 and having the young secondary start to get tight and crack under the pressure.

I was pissed at the time, but I'm over it. I put it into perspective that I thought before the game that we'd get smoked. Also, in the first half we showed other teams (who have better QBs and OLs) how to beat Seattle.

As far as firing Zimmer goes, as Duck already pointed out, he just got a 3 year extension. Given the financial bath that all teams are going to take with no fans, I don't think that the Wilfs want to cut a 12, 15, 18 million dollar check to a guy not to coach for them and then pay a new guy too.

The only way Zimmer is fired is if the team quits on him. And as poor as the execution was in the second half of that game and especially in the last 2 minutes, I don't think anyone on the Vikings gave up. Just got beat.

 

[GNG]

The analytics probably say to go for the 4th down there. They just didn't execute. And, typically you want to go for the win on the road. Not OT

A FG would put them up by eight and force the Seahawks to get a TD and two point conversion. Going for it on 4th down was a reckless decision.

 

[Anointed One]

I did agree with Al and Chris that if the stadium was full, Zimmer likely kicks the chip shot there. I think the decision gets second guessed no matter what though.

I don't blame Zimmer's decision... They were 2-2 on 4th down and had converted both of them rushing the ball... They rushed for 201 yards for the game... Converting would've put the game away for the most part... Going for the win, while keeping the ball out of arguably the best in the game when the game is on the line wasn't a horrible decision...

 

[MHSL82]

As long as we are thinking in hindsight: Everyone thinks about the chances of converting the fourth down, but this boils down to how successful the two point conversion chances (and OT) were because in either situation, the Seahawks needed a touchdown and the defense knew they needed to prevent it and Seattle still scored a touchdown. I don’t imagine either team were affected by knowing they were down (or up) by eight points versus being down by five (or up). If anything being up by only five would push the defense even further than 8 because they know that there is no overtime. And Seattle still scored.

 

[returnofjakedog]

All I know is that I was sitting there thinking "They are going for it on 4th down?? This gives us a chance to win with a stop! Why tf aren't they kicking the fg?"

I was amazed in the moment at what I considered to be a stupid decision. No hindsight vision, just bafflement in real time.