Kevin O’Connell Did the Hard Thing in Dallas
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell loves to throw the football, and there’s just no denying it, hunting big plays downfield and tabulating points on the scoreboard. In fact, that tendency often lessens his emphasis on the rushing offense.
The box score begged Minnesota to abandon the ground game, but O’Connell stayed patient, protected his young quarterback, and kept the night from turning into a dropback-heavy mess.
But during an eight-point upset win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, O’Connell got the memo, read it, and executed it. He did not abandon the rushing offense, even on a night when the efficiency was futile.
O’Connell Refused to Abandon the Run in Dallas
Guy is starting to see the light.
Vikings’ Rushing Offense Isn’t Good at DAL; O’Connell Sticks with It
The rushing numbers for the Vikings were ugly in Dallas. Plain and simple.
Minnesota averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, the kind of stat line that usually sends play-callers scrambling for the eject button. O’Connell has done that before. On Sunday, he didn’t. He stuck with the run anyway, fully aware it wasn’t working, because the alternative was worse.
First-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy isn’t built to win games at 22 by dropping back 40 times and surviving the chaos, at least not yet. By continuing to run the ball, O’Connell kept the offense grounded, the clock moving, and the game from tilting into something it didn’t need to be.
The Vikings ran it 28 times and threw it 24. That’s not stubbornness. Instead, it’s understanding where your quarterback actually is — and coaching accordingly.
Usual Abandonment Not the Case
Under O’Connell, especially when things are not going well on the whole, the head coach will stop running the ball when his team is behind on the scoreboard. He did a couple of weeks ago at Seattle, when the Seahawks hopped out to a 3-0 lead.
It’s why the Vikings rank 25th entering Week 16 in rush playcall percentage. Put simply, O’Connell prefers to throw the rock.
Still, at Dallas, in a tight game that eventually bent in Minnesota’s favor, O’Connell remained steadfast about running the ball, even when his call carriers notched a measly 2.8 yards per attempt. It’s a sign of O’Connell’s coach maturation. At such a lousy rate, he usually says “the hell with it” and asks his quarterback to pass. Not this time.
Another Stepping Stone for J.J. McCarthy’s Confidence
McCarthy needs to hand the ball off frequently as he learns the ropes of the NFL. Almost all young passers need this treatment; it’s a rite of passage that works.
What’s more, McCarthy led a run-happy offense at Michigan, culminating in a 2023 National Championship, the springboard event that propelled him from a Round 2 prospect into Round 1.
McCarthy will probably develop into a pure passer down the line — fans sure hope so — but out of the gate, his team needs to run the football at least 50% of the time. Quarterback development just pops with a strong running game. Or, in O’Connell’s case last weekend, a run game that is not left for dead because of inefficiency.
Now — Run the Ball at NYG
You knew this one was coming.
In the last two weeks, the Vikings have faced wretched defenses. The Commanders and Cowboys have struggled profusely to stop nearly all opponents this season. Minnesota continued the trend.
Well, guess what? The Giants’ defense stinks, too. They are not good. New York’s defense ranks 28th in the NFL per DVOA. Also known as fifth-worst.
And here’s the kicker: the Giants’ rushing defense currently checks in at dead last. There is no worse rushing defense in the league than New York’s.
Committed to the run in the last two games, the Vikings’ ground attack should cook this weekend.
More on the Giants’ Sad Defense
SI.com‘s Bob Folger noted this week on the Giants’ reeling defense, “When it comes to the New York Giants, we’re just not sure we can blame injuries on what this unit shows week in and week out. Again, armed with a mostly healthy unit, stalwarts such as Dexter Lawrence, Bobby Okereke, and Jevon Holland, just to name a few, came up short when their team needed them most.”
“Week after week, there are big plays that neutralize any good. This week, there was the 51-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Terry McLaurin and a 16-yard touchdown run up the gut by Bill Croskey-Merritt. On the season, the Giants’ defense has allowed the second-most big-play runs of 20+ yards (16) and the second-most runs of 40+ yards (6).”
In fact, New York is in the running for the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Folger added, “The pass defense has allowed the 10th-most big-play receptions (44) of 20+ yards, and 55.9% of pass plays against them have gone for first downs, which is the sixth-worst mark in the league. About the only bright spot this week was the play of rookie Abdul Carter, who had something of a coming-out party after finally realizing that it takes work to be great and not pure talent.”
“But at this point, the defense, which is not the main reason for the loss, is what it is: a collection of talent with no direction or plan.”
The Vikings haven’t showcased an individual running back with 100+ yards in a game in over three months: Jordan Mason in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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