Zim’s “brilliant” schemes were historically bad in the last two minutes of halves.
I think Zim was at one point a very innovative and capable defensive coach. But tactics get stale. That's the way things go. Throw in significant injuries on that side of the ball over the last couple years, and even a competent coach's scheme can look stagnant.
His control of the offense has always been a little suspect. How many offensive coordinators did he go through? Honestly, the offense probably shouldn't have been as good as it has been, these last few years. Hate on his contract all you like, but Cousins and the offense have done their part for the most part. And to emphasize the point you made, how many times did the offense put us in a position to win, only to have the defense buckle down the stretch?
In the end, Zim was not a bad hire. He just got stale. And if the reports out of the locker room are true, a lot of the players felt the same.
I personally don't think they need to blow it up next year, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to move on from Green Bay.
Adjustments definitely need to be made, but there's talent on the roster and they could definitely be a playoff team next season.