NFL Analyst Rips Kevin O’Connell
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is taking some heat. FOX Sports trashed his playcalling and offensive execution this week, one day after Minnesota fell by eight points at the feet of the Baltimore Ravens.
Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell is taking some heat for his playcalling in Sunday’s loss against the Baltimore Ravens, and one outfit isn’t shy about it.
O’Connell curiously called a passing play that resulted in an interception on a 3rd and 1, and some are wildly unimpressed.
FOX Sports Tees Off on Kevin O’Connell
They don’t have time for his playcalling tomfoolery.
Henry McKenna Lays into O’Connell
McKenna sized up observations around the NFL and laid into O’Connell.
“This week’s performance might’ve been the worst coaching performance of the Vikings coach’s career. And it led to a truly poor performance from his QB, whom O’Connell swore to protect from himself,” McKenna wrote this week.
“The biggest issue against the Ravens was a seemingly simple problem to fix, particularly at home: eight false starts. That’s a franchise record at home. After the game, O’Connell admitted McCarthy seemed to be having cadence issues that didn’t show up last week because they were using silent counts on the road. They ‘tried to simplify,’ but couldn’t figure out where the mistake was showing up.”
Rather than simplification, O’Connell called J.J. McCarthy’s number 42 times to throw the ball in a mostly competitive, tight game.
“The Vikings threw the ball (and committed penalties) on third-and-short. They tried to stay out of third-and-long but committed too many penalties. They checked off the ‘how to beat yourself’ list and, in turn, missed a major opportunity to beat a surging Ravens club,” McKenna added.
O’Connell Defends the 3rd and 1 Call
The head coach later explained that Justin Jefferson had single coverage in the main playcall that most protested. It was 3rd and 1, and O’Connell told reporters that he planned to go for it on 4th and 1 with a rushing play had Jefferson failed to catch the pass. McCarthy’s ball turned into an interception because Jefferson and Marlon Humphrey’s feet got tangled.
O’Connell said, “That ball has already left his hand when Justin and Marlon Humphrey’s feet get tangled up; things like that happen in football. And I’ll take Justin Jefferson one-on-one down the field and zero coverage as much as we can possibly do it. Especially when you’re going to have the ability to then take that shot, and then with the field position we’re at, go get that yard on fourth down in that throwaway.”
He’ll do it again, he says.
False Starts = Indefensible
On the false starts, there’s no explaining those. Right tackle Brian O’Neill committed three false starts and said after the game, “I’ve got to be better and I will, and we’ve got to be better as a unit to figure it out.”
O’Connell added, “Whatever was going on with the cadence, or whatever it may be, it’s just not acceptable in any way.”
Unlike the 3rd-and-1 playcall that turned into an interception, O’Connell plans to fix the false start plague.
Get Right against the Bears in Six Days
Thankfully, the club doesn’t have to wait long. The 6-3 Chicago Bears visit U.S. Bank Stadium in five days, and Minnesota must win to remain in the hunt for the postseason.
There’s a full week of practice ahead, and O’Connell can emphasize the penalty problem, in addition to deciding whether he wants to continue passing on obvious rushing downs. Almost oddly, sportsbooks believe the Vikings will figure out the issues, because they’re already predicting a three- or four-point dub for the purple team.
More from McKenna
McKenna continued his crusade: “Ahead of this season, the Vikings appeared to be the best coaching staff in the NFL. O’Connell was set to run the prolific offense, yet again. Brian Flores was set to run the heady, aggressive defense. And all would be well in Minnesota, particularly because O’Connell seemed to have a good plan in place for his young QB stepping under the microscope.”
“The Vikings absolutely could have and should’ve won Sunday, given that they were up 10-3 early in the first half. Their team is supposed to be built to hold the lead, with a strong run game and an amazing defense. But O’Connell wouldn’t quit the passing game — not even in short-yardage situations (where McCarthy ended up throwing a pair of deep passes for a pair of interceptions).”
Fans requesting O’Connell to run the ball more is a longstanding recommendation.
McKenna added, “And then as Minnesota slowly gave up the lead, he had to ask his quarterback to keep passing. By the end of the game, McCarthy had a frenetic energy that made life difficult for the Vikings. It showed up in every throw. After spending all offseason discussing an emphasis on layering balls and applying more touch to his passing, the QB began throwing fastballs, exclusively.”
“It was a clear regression away from a major point of developmental emphasis.”
Thankfully, the game was just McCarthy’s fourth, and a single forgettable outing won’t doom him for the long term.
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