Yes, Vikings Fans Panicked for a Day.
The Minnesota Vikings tied the NFL record in 2021 for games decided by eight points or less (with 14 such games).
The withdrawal of suspenseful doings was brief. Jim Harbaugh was credibly linked to the team for five days, establishing a reality the University of Michigan coach would lead the Vikings in a post-Zimmer world. But that didn’t pan out as Minnesota’s ownership relented on offering Harbaugh the gig. Fans grimaced.
But while Harbaugh was traveling back to Ann Arbor, the Vikings tentatively hired Kevin O’Connell, the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, a team playing in Super Bowl LVI versus the upstart Cincinnati Bengals. It took about 48 hours for Vikings loyalists to navigate the Harbaugh hangover. Eventually, the news of O’Connell’s hire was universally embraced.
Well, there was a blip.
And that blip occurred on Friday night when reporting suggested Sean McVay wasn’t necessarily committed to Rams for the long-term.
Why does that matter? Because, in theory, if McVay won a Super Bowl this weekend and wanted more time with family via retirement — boom, Los Angeles would need a new head coach. Naturally, the Vikings presumptive new head coach would be a common-sense candidate. He’s the second in command for the offense, young, and successful to date.
Would O’Connell uncommit to the Vikings in the event of a McVay retirement to lead the Rams? Maybe.
Fans on social media panicked a bit as “their man” backing out at the last minute would closely mirror 61 years of heartbreak already beset upon the franchise. “Of course, he’d back out on us,” was the mentality.
The panic didn’t last long, though. The noise surrounding McVay’s hypothetical retirement was deafening — that’s what this digital machine does — and he was forced to clarify his career plans. He effectively put the word out on Saturday, stating he isn’t going anywhere.
McVay isn’t walking away. If O’Connell wiggles out of his coaching devoir in Minnesota, it won’t be due to a McVay retirement.
This mini-O’Connell panic was short-lived — good news for a fanbase accustomed to cynicism and borderline apathy at times. Indeed, Minnesota is still on course to snuggle into an offense-first era of football, peppered with youth from general manager to head coach.
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Yet, the fleeting anxiety was palpable. What if O’Connell backed out? In all likelihood, the Vikings would pivot to Raheem Morris, the defensive coordinator from the same Rams team. Los Angeles can’t have two head coaches.
Or they might’ve called Harbaugh back for a second interview.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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