Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife died unexpectedly and tragically last week. Vicki Zimmer’s cause of death has not yet been announced, but she was only fifty years old, and leaves behind not only her husband but three children. Vicki was discussed briefly on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ this season, when Mike Zimmer talked about how she baked cookies for all the defensive players, and would chide him to go easy on the guys. Anyone who’s watched ‘Hard Knocks’ or been a fan of the Cowboys or Bengals in recent years knows the guy is something of a hard ass, and it seems clear that his wife definitely kept him grounded.

Unbelievably Mike Zimmer decided to coach Sunday afternoon, saying Vicki would have wanted it that way. The Bengals rewarded him, beating the Ravens with a game winning touchdown drive in the final minute of the game, but more importantly featuring an inspired defensive performance, holding one of the NFL’s top 5 offenses to only 7 offensive points. Our condolences to Zimmer on the passing of his wife, it’s impossible to even imagine what the guy is going through, but he certainly has a great family (his father and two of his three children were at the game in Baltimore yesterday – his other son is an NFL assistant coach) and a big extended family in the Bengals to help see him through.

Video of Mike Zimmer receiving the game ball after the Bengals win over the Ravens on Sunday

Photos of Zimmer and his family on Sunday