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NFL midseason awards: Tom Brady takes hardware

By Staff

Oct 11, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) takes the field as sunbeams cut across the field during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) takes the field as sunbeams cut across the field during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 25, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Coach of the Year: Mike Zimmer

At the midway point of the 2015 NFL season, a number of teams have set themselves apart from the pack in the NFL. While it would be easy to hand this trophy off to one of the four coaches still guiding undefeated teams (Bill Belichick, Ron Rivera, Gary Kubiak, or Marvin Lewis), it is also just as prudent to examine the full context of what these teams have to work with and what the expectations were for their squads coming into the season.

That said, finding a coach that has exceeded those expectations and turned around a franchise is often a better sign of a top coach than a perennial winner is. In that regard, the NFL Coach of the Year comes down to two men; Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings and Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons. And between those two candidates, Zimmer’s achievements with the Vikings stands out above the rest.

At 7-9 a season ago, the Vikings were somewhat of a mess. Embroiled in the Adrian Peterson scandal, they couldn’t get out of their own way and struggled to put together any sort of consistency. A year, and a recharged Peterson later, the Vikings are sitting pretty with a 5-2 record in the NFL North.

While it would be easy to pin their success on the return of Peterson, that doesn’t necessarily tell the whole tale. While Minnesota does rank 5th in the league with an average of 131 yards per game on the ground, the true merit of this football team has been the rebound of the defense. The Vikings have surrendered an NFC-low 122 points on the season, and the 334 yards per game they give up to opposing teams ranks 7th. To put that into contrast, this squad surrendered 343 points (11th) and 344.7 yards per game last season (19th).

There’s a lot of talk about a potential run to the Super Bowl for the Vikings, although they’ll face some stiff competition as the season wears down. However, that speaks to the belief that this football team feels it can win on any given Sunday. That’s the power of a good coach and Zimmer has instilled a winning attitude that the Vikings have missed for quite some time.

Next: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

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