“This was the hardest thing I’ve done in football. I respect Zim so much. I don’t want anyone to think I am bailing. It just wasn’t working.”
That’s what former Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner said hours after he told the Vikings he was resigning, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“I think it’s just we have different views on where the offense was going,” Turner added to ESPN’s Ed Werder. Who “he” is wasn’t clarified in the story.
Clear takeaway from Norv Turner: He has a lot of respect for the coaches currently on the #Vikings staff. Believes a turnaround is possible
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 2, 2016
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was “very, very surprised” by Turner’s decision. Now the Vikings are regrouping and handing the offensive play-calling duties to Pat Shurmer, the tight ends coach who previously worked with quarterback Sam Bradford as an offensive coordinator in St. Louis and Philadelphia.
The offense has struggled entirely the past two weeks and the running game has been a problem all season, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
