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Leading up to the Minnesota Vikings taking on the New England Patriots last week, we took a look at how star quarterback Tom Brady had fared during his career against defenses coached by Mike Zimmer over the course of his career. Brady didn't have great numbers against the Vikings last Sunday. . .he went 14-of-21 for 149 yards and a touchdown. But, when your team's quarterback can't stop handing the ball to the other team, it's a formula for losing, and Brady walked out of TCF Bank Stadium with the victory despite not having gaudy numbers.
This Sunday, the Vikings will get to take on another star quarterback, as they take on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. And, as an added bonus, they get a Saints team that has unexpectedly started 0-2 in their home opener.
So, how has Brees done over the years when Mike Zimmer has been standing on the other sideline? Well, let's take a look. Be forewarned. . .it's not terribly pretty for us.
| Season | Zimmer's Team | Brees' Team | Completions | Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Sacks | Score |
| 2005 | Dallas Cowboys | San Diego Chargers | 18 | 35 | 209 | 2 | 2 | 2 | L 28-24 |
| 2006 | Dallas Cowboys | New Orleans Saints | 26 | 38 | 384 | 5 | 0 | 1 | W 42-17 |
| 2007 | Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints | 22 | 34 | 219 | 2 | 1 | 0 | W 22-16 |
| 2007 | Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints | 28 | 41 | 328 | 3 | 0 | 0 | W 34-14 |
| 2010 | Cincinnati Bengals | New Orleans Saints | 24 | 29 | 313 | 2 | 1 | 2 | W 34-30 |
| Totals | 118 | 177 | 1,453 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 4-1 |
So, Brees has had some pretty solid success against defenses run by Mike Zimmer, winning four out of five games and not losing to a Zimmer-led defense since becoming a member of the Saints. He's also thrown multiple touchdown passes every time he's seen a Mike Zimmer defense, while getting sacked just once per game on average.
Sadly, I'm not sure if we can expect a dramatic change of course on Sunday at the Superdome. The Saints, despite being 0-2, have still put up a ton of points, and they're going to come out angry after two close losses in what was supposed to be an easy path to the top of the NFC South. Yes, the Vikings' defense has been solid through two games, but the Saints at the Superdome are an entirely different animal.
Still, there's a chance that Mike Zimmer and George Edwards have seen something that this team can take advantage of and make this game closer than a lot of folks. . .yours truly included. . .are expecting.
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