Steve Young says that Cam Newton will have to put his "Superman cape" on against a tough Vikings defense, while Case Keenum leads a more balanced attack for Minnesota. (0:39)

Editor's note: This piece originally ran on Dec. 8, but the first paragraph could have been written Monday night after Mike Zimmer reviewed the mistakes his team made during its miraculous win over the Saints. Zimmer's focus and the mettle this team forged by overcoming so many obstacles over the last two seasons have the Vikings one step from a Super Bowl berth.

The Monday after the Minnesota Vikings beat the Detroit Lions played out just like any other morning dedicated to going over film. The Vikings would look at what went right, what went wrong and how to correct those errors for the next game.

The magnitude of that win didn't affect Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's process. It didn't matter that they had all but locked up the NFC North at that point; if his players didn't execute an assignment, they were going to get an earful.

"Doesn't matter if you're 9-2, 11-0 or 2-9, he's going to focus on what we're not doing well," Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph said. "That's just kind of the way we go about things here. It's always better to go back and make corrections after a win. They're a lot easier to make after wins. Wins don't cover that up [mistakes]."

Mike Zimmer has seemingly used the obstacles he and his team have faced since last season to toughen up and thrive. Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports

That age-old saying that "winning cures all" can be heard in every sport. A string of victories can seemingly change everything by sparking a season's turnaround, allowing people to keep their jobs and erasing the gut-wrenching feeling perpetrated by losses.

The Vikings are eyeing a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs in the thick of an eight-game win streak and have reaped the benefits of winning often en route to a 10-2 record.

It has put everyone in good spirits, even Zimmer. The wins appear to have smoothed his rough edges, as seen in a hilarious interview with Deion Sanders following the Vikings' win over the Los Angeles Rams. He'll crack a smile on occasion and joke around with his players.

Zimmer even felt comfortable enough to talk about the Super Bowl after the win against the Lions in front of broadcast cameras in the locker room, something he typically plays close to the vest.

"We're not playing to get in the tournament," Zimmer said. "We're playing to win at home."

Zimmer might be in a better mood these days, but that's about as far as he'll let the success penetrate. At his core, the hard-nosed coach hasn't changed.

"Hell no," Vikings cornerback Terence Newman said. "The only thing is he's a little happier because we're winning games. He's still grouchy, but he's the same guy."

Running back Jerick McKinnon also hasn't detected much of a change.

"Not as much mean, because we're winning, but mean enough," McKinnon said about his coach.

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Not long ago, the Vikings were in the midst of their darkest hour, battling through a 2016 season riddled with calamity -- for the team and Zimmer personally.

It was something different at every turn: injuries, losses, Zimmer nearly losing sight in his right eye. But the coach didn't fall victim to the challenges thrown his way. They might actually be responsible for this team reaching its fullest potential.

"What he tries to convey to our team [about] being smart, tough, physical, disciplined -- we see that out of him," defensive end Brian Robison said. "Being disciplined for him is making sure that he takes ownership in what he does. I think that's very indicative of the person he is, and he's transferred that to this football team."

Parade of obstacles

Before his former assistants moved on to become head coaches, Bill Parcells would impart a piece of wisdom he had gained over the course of his 23-year Pro Football Hall of Fame career.

They were words of advice meant for the person whose shoulders would bear the heaviest weight; a mentality he would pass on to Zimmer after the two forged a relationship in Dallas.

"There are going to be five things that happen every day in that job that you wish didn't happen," Parcells said. "If you can't deal with that, then you need to get another job because it's assured that's going to happen."

But even Parcells couldn't have foreseen what was in store for Zimmer in his third year as a head coach. The road to 10-2 for the Vikings and their head coach did not come without its share of obstacles.

In a four-month span in 2016, Zimmer:

Watched as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury without taking a hit during a preseason practice. Bridgewater was viewed as a possible franchise quarterback in his second year, but suddenly his future was in doubt.

Suffered a detached retina after he accidentally scratched his eye with the plastic play sheet on Halloween. Eight surgeries later, Zimmer still battles blind spots and says his vision fluctuates between 60-80 to 20-5.

Accepted the resignation of offensive coordinator Norv Turner during Week 9.

Watched the Vikings waste a 5-0 start by losing eight of their next 11 to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. One of those losses included a controversial decision by Newman to cover Jordy Nelson, initially ignoring a game plan that called for Xavier Rhodes to shadow the Green Bay Packers receiver.

This season has included losing running back Dalvin Cook, the rookie who exploded on the scene and appeared to be the heir apparent to Adrian Peterson, to a season-ending torn ACL in Week 4; and quarterback Sam Bradford's body breaking down to the point that backup Case Keenum was given the keys to the offense.

"Maybe it's good we went through some of those issues that we had last year," Zimmer said.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say the mettle forged by overcoming those obstacles has helped the Vikings power their way to this juncture, where talk of being the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its own stadium is not hyperbole.

"We may not have overcame it at the moment [in 2016], but it built us stronger for moments like these," linebacker Anthony Barr said.

Maybe that's because the man at the helm is equipped to deal with these challenges; and Zimmer knew they would come.

It has helped him find ways to not harp on the past but rather use those experiences to remind his team how to avoid and overcome what happened last season.

"I think that's why we're having the success we are," McKinnon said. "He's done a great job of bringing up the things that happened last year and making sure we're prepared for it if it happens again."

Pressure stays the same

During the offseason, Zimmer made it a point to get more involved with the offense. As a former defensive coordinator turned head coach in 2014 at 57 years old, Zimmer wanted to learn more about the other side.

"I don't think Gronk is as great as people think he is. Any time Gronk has been matched up with a corner, he's had a very bad game -- and that corner has had a very good game." Jalen Ramsey

to ESPN The Magazine

It's nothing more than "just two guys talking," according to Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, but it has helped Zimmer appreciate the inner workings of the fifth-best offense in the NFL, while the Vikings No. 2 defense continues to hold its own.

"I think Coach Zimmer and I have a healthy flow in terms of how we talk," Shurmur said. "Each week, we'll both kind of watch our sides of the ball and then we'll kind of compare notes. I wouldn't say it's really defined throughout the day. I kind of walk by the office and we'll sit down and talk. I'll let him know what we're doing. Every once in a while, he'll say, 'You know, against this coverage, this is a tough concept.'"

As with every head coach, experience yields accumulated knowledge and provides a retrospective view. At the center of the Vikings' turnaround isn't a man who has changed. It's a leader who has adapted.

His core group of players has made it easy for him. Those players look prepared to face anything, because they are.

"They've been like that really since the day I walked in the door," Zimmer said. "I thought I was going to have to get after their ass the very first day I came in here, and I was like, shocked. It's been like that all the time. I just talk to them about when they're not doing it the way I want it done, I remind them."

All month long, the Vikings have harped about the importance of playing their best football in December leading to the success they're aiming for in January. Even with his team in prime position for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket, Zimmer doesn't feel any less pressure now than he has previously.

Maybe he's being cautious, and that's totally understandable, given how fresh the past feels. It's a sentiment most head coaches share.

Speaking in Spanish out of the blue, Parcells turned to an old saying: "No cuenta las gallinas."

Come again?

Don't count your chickens (before they hatch).