It would be the most significant car ride since Brad Childress picked up Brett Favre at the airport, if it happens. And it could.
If coach Mike Zimmer can’t fly for the Week 14 game, the Vikings may drive him. To Jacksonville.
That’s a 1,472-mile drive. At an average speed of 65 miles per hour, it’s a 22-hour trip.
Flying could be a problem due to the pressure on Zimmer’s surgically repaired eye. If so, driving becomes the option for getting Zimmer to the game.
And the 22-hour trip to Florida would also entail a 22-hour trip back to Minnesota, which would limit his availability to the team both in preparation for the Jaguars game and in preparation for the Week 15 home game against the Colts.
Why would Zimmer do it? Apart from the fact that he’s as committed as any coach to his craft, the Vikings aren’t dead, yet. If they run the table (which would include a win over the Packers in Green Bay) and if the Lions lose three of their final five games (they play at New Orleans, at the Giants, and at Dallas), Minnesota would win the division.