Vikings Coach Spills the Beans on Week 11 Mistake
The Minnesota Vikings lost on Sunday in the 4th Quarter because the special teams unit collapsed with the game on the line. Two days later, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels explained the gaffe.
Vikings coach Matt Daniels spills the beans on a key Week 11 mistake, offering new insight into what went wrong and how the staff plans to fix it.
He basically said his team’s blunder was so egregious that a middle school child could have returned the kick in the manner that the Chicago Bears did, the team that later won the game.
A Total Collapse by Vikings Special Teams, Per the Coach
Daniels did not hold back.
Daniels Says There Was Nothing Supernatural about the Bears’ Kick Return
The Vikings took the lead over the Bears late in the 4th Quarter on Sunday, only needing to prevent Chicago from getting into field goal range for a Cairo Santos game-winner. They didn’t do it. Minnesota allowed an obscene return to Devin Duvernay, and moments later, Santos ended it, sending the Bears to a 7-3 record and leaving Minnesota at 4-6.
Pressed about what happened, Daniels told the media on Tuesday, “I’ve been in the league now eight years, played football a long time in this league, and I’ve never felt the way I felt after that football game. A lot of respect for what the Chicago Bears, their unit, Devin Duvernay, all this and that, but I mean, it could have been anybody.”
“If you got a son or anybody, all he did was just catch it and run back to the field. Everybody just kind of got washed inside, and it wasn’t anything that they did more so than a lack of us maintaining our leverage and keeping the football inside shoulder is as a result of what ended up happening.”
Here’s the footage of the dagger return, although you may not want to relive the pain:
Going Forward? Just Better Execution.
Thankfully, the fix for Minnesota’s ailing special teams — on the Duvernay debacle, anyway — is better execution. Daniels conceded that three players blew their assignments. The repair is teachable. For the most part, the special teams have played well this year, ranking 11th per DVOA through 11 weeks.
With some simple coaching, Daniels can nip this in the bud and prevent game-losing mistakes.
Fans Put Daniels on the Hot Seat
But that didn’t stop social media users from complaining to high heavens. In the heat of the moment, X and Facebook users teed off on Daniels, calling for his job, mainly because the Duvernay return directly lost the game for Minnesota.
Meanwhile, special teams penalties have negated several impressive kick and punt returns from Myles Price this season, so much so that fans can’t even enjoy a Price return without scouring the field or television screen for yellow laundry.
Cooler heads prevailed, though, and Daniels’ job is safe. We shall see in the offseason.
Vikings on the Brink of Elimination
The fallout of Daniels’ unit’s flub? The Vikings are a game or two away from mathematical playoff elimination — and it’s not even Thanksgiving. The club spent over $340 million in 2025 free agency to construct a Super Bowl-contending team, and by the start of December, Minnesota could be completely wiped off the playoff map.
Daniels is nowhere near solely to blame, but the kick return stumble became amplified because of the “you had one job” nature.
Pro Football Network’s Take
PFN’s Ellis Williams noted on the special teams group: “Daniels explained that the noise inside U.S. Bank Stadium, the adrenaline of the go-ahead touchdown, and a season full of strong coverage snaps all fed into an emotional moment where players tried to do more than their assignment.”
“Instead of holding leverage and maintaining lanes, several Vikings sprinted downhill chasing the chance to be the hero. As soon as they collapsed inside, Chicago returner Devin Duvernay simply cut up toward the field and found a clear path. Daniels also noted that the decision to kick was based on confidence.”
The Vikings face the Packers this Sunday at Lambeau Field and are expected to lose by a touchdown, according to sportsbooks.
“Minnesota had produced a 94% success rate on returns tackled at or behind the 35. The staff trusted the unit. It just broke down when it mattered most. The fix, Daniels said, is simple and non-negotiable. Players must stop chasing plays and return to the foundation that made this group elite,” Williams added.
“The result cost Minnesota a divisional win and nearly dashed their playoff chances. According to PFSN analytics, the Vikings entered Sunday with a nearly 25% chance of reaching the postseason. That number dropped to 9% after the team lost to Chicago.”
Daniels has worked for the Vikings since the dawn of the Kevin O’Connell era in 2022.
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