How Mike Zimmer Has Transformed the Vikings Pass Rush

After his first regular-season game as a head coach, Mike Zimmer’s plan for the Minnesota defense has become a little clearer. Vikings fans got their first look at a transformed defense in a 34-6 rout of St. Louis. It’s just the start they were after.

A new system was on its way when the Vikings parted ways with Leslie Frazier and the rest of the defensive coaching staff following a disappointing 2013 season. Some derivation of the Tampa 2 had been the defense of choice in Minnesota since Mike Tomlin was hired as the defensive coordinator in 2006.

It was (and still is) a defensive system centered around the idea of limiting big plays. The cliche used was “bend but don’t break.” Zone coverage was a staple of the defensive system, though not an absolute rule. The passive nature of the defense, at least in terms of pressure, always seemed to leave Vikings fans wanting more.

In Zimmer, they just might have it. His defense is aggressive and not just in press-conference coach speak. He truly wants to run the field when his defense is on it, controlling the offense like a puppet.

His merits as a developer of defensive talent and game-planner are hard to question. Former player Scott Fujita had this to say after Minnesota made the move to hire Zimmer:

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Zimmer’s track record speaks for itself, and he should be judged exclusively on his merits. Since he first became an NFL defensive coordinator in 2000, his units have consistently ranked near the top of league.

Upon his arrival in Cincinnati in 2008, the Bengals defense improved from 27th in the league the previous year to 12th in his first season, and finished as a top-10 defense in four of his next five seasons as their defensive coordinator. The Bengals have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and Zimmer’s defense is the primary reason.

"

Zimmer’s former players have often given him glowing remarks, as can be seen in this article from Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Even current Vikings have expressed the joys of the new attack-minded defense. Rushing the passer is where Zimmer's scheme leaves its biggest mark too.

Looking back at his tenure in Cincinnati, the trends are easy to identify in terms of his ability to improve a defense into one of the league’s best. The following graph shows the league rank for Zimmer’s Bengal defenses over his six seasons there in terms of sack percentage, sacks per game, Pro Football Focus' pass-rush grade (subscription required) and opponent third-down conversion percentage.

Credit: TeamRankings.com and Pro Football Focus premium stats

The performance of his defense trended in the right direction over his tenure, despite a few ups and downs along the way. The 2013 Bengals were heavily affected by the loss of their most impactful player, defensive tackle Geno Atkins, which shows in these numbers.

Expectations are much higher for Zimmer in his first year in Minnesota in these categories in comparison to where his unit ranked in his first year in Cincinnati.

Some other circumstances affected his personnel with the Bengals back then. The 2008 team suffered major turnover in its defensive front seven with the departure of Justin Smith, Ahmad Brooks and young player David Pollack prior to the season. Zimmer’s front four was depleted.

In his Minnesota defense, one that’s been commonly called a rebuilding project, he possesses a much stronger defensive line. A potent pass rush is already expected with guys such as Brian Robison, Everson Griffen and rookie Anthony Barr on the field.

Immediate results were the expectation coming into Week 1 against St. Louis, and immediate results came.

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The #Vikings are tied for the NFL lead with Jacksonville with 5.0 sacks after Week 1.

— Vikings PR (@VikingsPR) September 9, 2014"

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As I wrote in today's print story, the #Vikings rolled deep on the defensive line. That group combined for 4 sacks and 20 total pressures.

— Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) September 10, 2014"

The defensive line did the legwork in the suffocation of the St. Louis Rams’ offense. Despite the aggressive nature of Zimmer’s defense, that’s not a big change from the Tampa 2.

The process of how Zimmer and his defensive staff go about creating pressure is quite different, however. This year’s Vikings have been slightly more apt to bringing the blitz through one week than the 2013 Vikings were.

To measure this, I took a sample of three games from 2013 (Cleveland, Washington, and Cincinnati) and compared how the two defensive systems aimed to bring pressure. A rush of five or more defenders was deemed a blitz.

	Rushers Per	3rd Down Rushers Per	Blitz %	3rd Down Blitz %
Zimmer	4.33	4.46	22.2	30.8
Frazier	4.33	4.33	25.2	21.4

One important distinction must be made. With such a big lead against the Rams, Zimmer cooled off on bringing the rush. If the tally had stopped after three quarters, Minnesota would have averaged 4.54 rushers per pass play and 4.63 rushers per third-down pass play. With similar circumstances, Zimmer’s defense will bring the blitz a bit more often than Frazier’s did.

The biggest difference is the way each treated third down. Zimmer wants to ramp up the pressure and force the quarterback to make a difficult play throwing into coverage with little time in the pocket. Frazier wanted to force quarterbacks to dump the ball underneath so his defense could swarm and make tackles short of the sticks. These numbers paint a picture of that.

So with the Rams down to their backup third-string quarterback on Sunday, how did Zimmer utilize the blitz to gain the upper hand?

Naturally, let’s start with the first third down of the season for the Minnesota defense.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Vikings have eight players on the line of scrimmage who are realistically rushing threats. That was unheard of a year ago. In the best-case scenario, mass confusion sets in among opponents' offensive line. In most cases, their decision-making slows because the information overload bogs them down.

Minnesota runs a zone blitz with Gerald Hodges, Captain Munnerlyn and Everson Griffen all dropping from their initial positions. That makes an overloaded rush on the right side of the Rams’ offensive line.

Gap discipline is what does the trick. Left defensive tackle Tom Johnson must engage the right guard for just a second, which he does. Then Anthony Barr takes a direct route to the right tackle, not pressing the edge. Doing so frees up No. 22 Harrison Smith to come around the corner untouched and put the heat on Hill.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Smith’s eyes get big as no help comes for him. The Rams didn’t have time to adjust and slide protection because of how aggressive the initial alignments were. Minnesota forced Hill into an inaccurate pass underneath that couldn’t net a first down.

Zimmer then likes to keep offenses honest with a little bluffing. On third downs, he loves to put two linebackers in the A-gaps and play his games from there. This play comes from late in the first quarter on St. Louis’ second drive.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Vikings put numbers on the line of scrimmage again, but this time the extras drop into underneath coverage, and the four defensive linemen rush. St. Louis had put two eligible receivers in the backfield to aid protection and Hill rid himself of the ball early, completing it short of the sticks. It was the adjustment to the adjustment, only Zimmer was a step ahead. This is Mike Zimmer controlling the Rams like a puppeteer.

Then in the fourth quarter, he really got his kicks in with a well-timed zone blitz, syncing up the rush and the coverage for a perfect combination.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Zimmer uses the blitz to bait the Rams and inexperienced quarterback Austin Davis. Five players will rush with Anthony Barr blitzing through the middle. The quality of the rush gives Davis little time. He dials in on the crossing route, the same one Harrison Smith is dialed in on.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

While Barr was busy burying Davis into the turf, Smith jumped the route and took his interception 81 yards for a touchdown. That's not a bad capper to Zimmer’s first win.

One of the immediate improvements that stood out from a holistic view was the third-down defense. The Rams converted four of 14 for a measly 28 percent. In 2013, Vikings opponents converted on 44 percent of third downs, so things are off to a great start. A third-down conversion percentage below 30 won’t be sustainable, but early signs point to obvious improvement in third-down defense for Minnesota.

Zimmer and the Vikings will have much more on their platter this week when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come to town. Keep an eye on how Zimmer’s defense keeps adjusting and evolving as the opponents change. He has terrific game plans for a variety of offenses, so a big letdown should not be expected.

What can be expected is a potent pass rush that comes from quality players and a scheme that’s tricky for offenses to anticipate. If Zimmer and his defense can build on their stellar Week 1 performance, even if the statistics naturally regress, Vikings fans can start appreciating the 2014 defense for what it really is: not a rebuild.