Vikings Coaching Staff Grabs Sweet Ranking from ESPN
Since taking over the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, head coach Kevin O’Connell has a 20-14 (.588) record, the NFL’s ninth-best mark during the timeframe.
Vikings Coaching Staff Grabs Sweet Ranking from ESPN
O’Connell replaced Mike Zimmer 2.5 years ago, and according to most fans, it’s “so far, so good.”
This week, ESPN ranked all NFL coaching staffs with the regular season two weeks away, placing the Vikings at No. 10, an impressive mark for a club that finished 7-10 in 2023.
“I found the Vikings challenging to rank. I want to put O’Connell’s name right next to that of Matt LaFleur or Mike McDaniel as an offensive innovator, but I can’t honestly say his branch of the McVay/Shanahan offense is as prosperous as those. McDaniel and LaFleur have both modernized the offense for young quarterbacks, moving to the gun and integrating RPOs and motions — with Kirk Cousins at the helm, O’Connell has stayed committed to under center dropbacks and static offensive looks,” ESPN’s Ben Solak explained.
Before turning to Brian Flores, Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, Solak added about O’Connell: “I think he made the right decision for his quarterback, and he’ll push the boundaries of the offense when J.J. McCarthy finally hits the field. For now, I can’t put him in that echelon of offensive playcaller.”
O’Connell’s foremost task this season will be unlocking the Vikings’ ground game, which has ranked 27th per DVOA in back-to-back years.
On Flores — probably the reason for Minnesota’s Top 10 placement — Solak opined: “If I could, the Vikings would have leapt up the board on the back of Flores, one of the league’s best defensive coaches. He is a havoc-wreaker, a madman at the wheel. No team rushed with at least six bodies more than Flores’ Vikings last season, which he did on a whopping 26% of dropbacks (the next closest was 11%). And no team sent only three rushers more frequently than Flores’ Vikings, which he did in another 20% of opponent dropbacks (next closest was 11%).”
Flores’ defense was world-renowned for its tendency to blitz quarterbacks last year, and there are no indications that 2024 will be any different.
“I don’t know if the league will give it to him, but Flores deserves another crack at a head coaching gig. For as long as he doesn’t get it, the Vikings will be huge beneficiaries,” Solak concluded.
The Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff, led by Andy Reid, and the Detroit Lions’ group, with Dan Campbell in charge, topped Solak’s list.
The Vikings’ regular gets underway in 17 days with a game at the New York Giants.
Vikings Sign 4 New Players in 2 Days
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.