In his NFL debut as a defensive coordinator back in 2000, Mike Zimmer’s squad was torched by Duce Staley and the Philadelphia Eagles, giving up 201 rushing yards in a lopsided 41-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The game went down in history as the infamous “Pickle Juice” game, as the Eagles used the salty liquid to combat cramping in the scorching Texas heat.
Fast forward to the present day, Zimmer found himself reliving a similar nightmare as he watched Alvin Kamara tear through his defense, racking up 180 total yards, with 115 of those coming on the ground in the New Orleans Saints’ dominating 44-19 victory. The Saints as a team rushed for 190 yards, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry.
“Yeah, I talked to [the defense] for a while,” Zimmer reflected on Monday, as reported by Patrik Walker of the team website. “We watched film together. We talked about things we need to do better, things I need to do better and we’ll just keep working on it. My first game here as coordinator was the Pickle Juice Game. I saw how to fix it after that. If I didn’t fix those, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Taking full responsibility for the porous defensive performance, Zimmer pointed to a breakdown in the scheme as the primary issue, dismissing Micah Parsons’ suggestion that effort was to blame.
“I don’t know that’s the case,” Zimmer responded. “I think we got lined up fine. We were trying to move the front some, and they caught us a couple times, and when they were moving guys, so I’ve just got to do a better job. . . . I said, ‘I’ve watched you guys for over three months now, right? I’ve never seen us at one practice like that. I’ve never seen us [give up] plays in a practice like that.’ I mean, these guys, typically, they are on point and do everything the right way. They play very, very hard. They like to compete.
“Again. I didn’t allow them to use our strength, which is being able to get him into some third down situations and passing situations. So I’ve got to do a better job.”
The disappointing performance against the Saints served as a wake-up call for Zimmer and his defensive unit, as they look to regroup and improve heading into the next game. With Zimmer’s experience and track record, the hope is that he can once again find the solutions needed to turn things around and get the defense back on track. As for Zimmer, he knows the weight of his responsibility and is determined to set things right, learning from past mistakes and striving for better results in the future.
