St. Louis - In Mike Zimmer's debut as the Vikings' head coach, he delivered.
His defense overwhelmed the St. Louis Rams.
His offensive coordinator found ways to use Cordarrelle Patterson, perhaps the most-underused player of the 2013 NFL season.
He won his debut, 34-6, and while the opponent was underwhelming, the victory remains impressive.
A year after the Vikings finished 5-10-1 largely because of defensive blunders, they earned this one the way Vikings fans had to hope it would be earned - with Zimmer getting the most out of his defensive players, and with the Vikings proving it is possible to hold a lead.
There were too many penalties for any coach's taste, but while the game was ugly, you could see signs of intelligent design in Zimmer's defense.
A guy recovering from a gunshot - Linval Joseph - had a sack.
A guy recovering from a season that threatened to make him the team's next cornerback bust - Josh Robinson - made a spectacular interception.
