It’s Not Just Surprising Expectations for Kevin O’Connell
Typically, NFL awards follow a pattern. The player who wins the MVP often is the quarterback who outperformed everyone else.
It’s Not Just Surprising Expectations for Kevin O’Connell
The player who wins the Comeback Award often overcomes previous adversity or poor performances in their career. The Coach of the Year award is often given to a leader who elevates their team beyond expectations.
This season, the Minnesota Vikings weren’t supposed to be good. Kevin O’Connell certainly elevated them beyond their wildest expectations. His deservedness and ultimate reality in winning the award are so much more than a schism between what was projected and what actually happened.
It’s not as though Kevin O’Connell hasn’t previously coached good teams. Sure, this is just his third season with the Minnesota Vikings, but he came out of the gates strong and won 13 games after taking over for Mike Zimmer in 2022. Winning isn’t new for a coach who left a Super Bowl team to join Minnesota.
The Vikings’ last season didn’t go well, but it wasn’t because they were poorly assembled. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, and no quarterback swapping would compensate for his absence.
This offseason, the opportunity to reset the quarterback position presented itself. It was never certain when first-round pick J.J. McCarthy would make his debut. When Minnesota signed Sam Darnold, though, they believed he could be good enough. O’Connell ensured that and then some.
Although the Vikings won only seven games last season, they should have been in line for substantially more than that. O’Connell isn’t winning Coach of the Year award this season because he doubled the win total. He’s doing it because there isn’t another coach who has helped their team realize potential more than the one that Minnesota employs.
It won’t take long for O’Connell to establish himself as among the best in the league. The Vikings made sure he was never leaving the organization. He’ll be back next year and for many years to come. He may not win Coach of the Year each season, but his abilities as a talent developer and leader should consistently serve the organization well.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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