Vikings: Kevin O’Connell is the right man for the job
The Minnesota Vikings kicked off the Kevin O’Connell era with a 23-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers. After just one performance, we’ve seen his impact, and it’s clear he is the right man for this job.
The Vikings finally decided to let Mike Zimmer go after he spent the last eight years with the team. His final record was 72-56-1, but his time was coming to an in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Minnesota needed a new voice, someone who can connect with the players and properly utilize Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins. This team has a lot of weapons, but they weren’t used to their fullest advantage.
O’Connell came in and completely changed the way fans view this roster. The talent was always there, but many people were calling for a rebuild. Which isn’t a bad stance, considering how poorly this team has looked in the past.
Zimmer played with a conservative offense and a hard-nosed defense. It worked for a while, but the offense couldn’t compete with a broken defense.
In O’Connell’s first drive, the Vikings marched down the field and scored a touchdown on fourth down. Not only did this new-look offense cap off the drive with a score, but they did it with such ease. Zimmer probably would have kicked a field goal on fourth down, but not O’Connell.
Despite not scoring a touchdown in the second half, the Vikings held it together defensively and picked up first downs when they needed it most. They did hit a little lull when the Packers scored seven in the third quarter, but a pivotal sack ended their momentum.
Minnesota outscored the Packers, finished with more yards and played better defense.
- Minnesota:
- Offense: 395 yards, 269 passing yards, 126 rushing yards
- Defense: 4 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble
- Green Bay:
- Offense: 338 yards, 227 passing yards, 111 rushing yards
- Defense: 1 sack, 0 interceptions, 0 forced fumbles
The Vikings in their previous era did a lot of run plays and quick five-yard passes. Cook finished Sunday’s performance with 20 carries, but we didn’t see this team run in any late down situations.
Cousins also stretched the field and routinely threw deep passes, which is something fans have been calling for for years.
There have been numerous reports that Cousins and Zimmer didn’t get along. Zimmer created a toxic work environment and held this team back towards the end of his tenure.
One thing is clear: this team loves playing for O’Connell.
The O’Connell era is off to a great start, and this team’s ceiling is high. It’s still early, but Minnesota has a bright future with their new head coach.
