Finding Success

John Bitz

Robinson

English 1117

November 14, 2019

With a record of 7 wins and 3 losses in 10 games, this season would be considered a successful start for the Minnesota Vikings. There has been some highs and lows along the way to get to this point but right now things are looking up for the Vikings. Head Coach Mike Zimmer, who has endured many ups and downs during his time as coach recently gave high praise to assistant head coach and offensive advisor Gary Kubiak. He said hiring Kubiak was “the best thing that’s ever happened to me since I’ve been here.” This is a rare bold statement from Mr. Zimmer. However, it is true statement and the statistics prove it. Since Gary Kubiak joined the Vikings staff this season, the Vikings rank ninth in points scored and eighth in offensive yards after finishing 19th and 20th in those metrics last season. A further testament to why Coach Zimmer is very high on Mr. Kubiak.

Still, where would they be without the main person who is the focal point of the offense on the field. The main person who has been responsible for this uptick of offensive production on the field is none other than running back Dalvin Cook. Currently, Dalvin Cook leads the NFL in rushing yards with 991 yards and has scored 10 rushing touchdowns. For Dalvin, the main key has been staying healthy. In his first season he suffered a torn acl and had his rookie year cut short. In his second season, he suffered a hamstring injury that made him miss a few games and hindered his ability to be an elite running back. However, this season he has stayed healthy and has showed why the Vikings commitment to him as the focal point of their offense was a smart decision. I believe that if he maintains this production he will be able to not only lead the Vikings to the playoffs but also go to the Pro Bowl and be a first or second team all-pro at the running back position.

Overall, there are many more people who deserve credit for this successful start. However, while starting off strong is great being able to finish the season strong is of much greater importance. The Vikings will attempt to defeat the Denver Broncos this week before heading to on their bye week. Be sure to follow my blog this week as I will be doing a Vikings and Broncos game preview soon. Have a good rest of your week.

Works Cited

Alper, Josh. “Mike Zimmer: Gary Kubiak Probably the Best Thing to Happen since I Came Here.” Mike Zimmer: Gary Kubiak Probably the Best Thing to Happen since I Came Here, NBC Sports, 13 Nov. 2019, www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/mike-zimmer-gary-kubiak-probably-the-best-thing-to-happen-since-i-came-here/ar-BBWHOYr.

Smith, Eric, and Organization. “Presser Points: Zimmer Says Hiring Kubiak Is ‘Best Thing That’s Ever Happened to Me’.” Minnesota Vikings, 13 Nov. 2019, www.vikings.com/news/presser-points-mike-zimmer-says-hiring-kubiak-best-thing-ever-happened.

“Statistics.” National Football League Stats – by Player Category | NFL.com, 2019, www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&d-447263-s=RUSHING_YARDS&tabSeq=0&season=2019&experience=&Submit=Go&archive=false&statisticCategory=RUSHING&conference=null&qualified=false.

“Statistics.” National Football League Stats – by Player Category | NFL.com, 2019, www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=0&season=2019&seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&statisticCategory=TOUCHDOWNS&d-447263-s=TOUCHDOWNS_RUSHING.