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Mike Zimmer back with Vikings, expected to travel with team to face Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was forced to miss the team’s Week 13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but it appears he’ll be back this week following eye surgery.
The Vikings announced that Zimmer is expected to be back this week. In a statement from Vikings GM Rick Spielman, Zimmer “has returned to his coaching duties and is expected to travel with the team to Jacksonville for this weekend’s game.”
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The Vikings face the Jaguars on Sunday, Dec. 8. After starting 5-0, the Vikings have fallen to 6-6. There have been four teams to start 5-0 or better and missed the playoffs since 1990 — the 2009 Denver Broncos, 2009 New York Giants, 2003 Vikings and 1993 New Orleans Saints. The 2009 Broncos and 2003 Vikings both started 6-0.
Zimmer first experienced difficulty with his eye following the Vikings’ Halloween night loss to the Chicago Bears, which was later discovered to be a torn retina. The condition worsened over the coming weeks and Zimmer was forced to hand the team off to special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer to coach the Vikings against the Cowboys after emergency surgery, which was required with the risk of potential blindness if Zimmer didn’t have it done immediately.
The Vikings are tied in second place with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, with both teams two games behind the 8-4 Detroit Lions (who swept the Vikings in the season series).
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
