Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell preaches culture quite a bit.
From the moment he stepped foot in Minnesota last year, O’Connell has frequently discussed the importance of establishing a team-friendly culture. It’s not the kind of thing that can be measured on a spreadsheet or even a scoreboard. But football fans know it when they see it.
There’s a stark difference in the energy radiating from O’Connell compared to other head coaches. It’s a contagious positivity that clearly resonates with his players, fellow coaches, and members of the front office.
Of course, contagious positivity cannot always be easy to maintain. After Minnesota lost three-straight games to open the season, most people in O’Connell’s situation would start to lose some of that optimistic energy.
But he didn’t. He knew the Vikings were a better team than the record indicated, and he didn’t waver. In fact, he thrived.
Fast-forward to the present and the Vikings are 5-4 despite a plethora of key injuries that have hit the team. Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson has been on injured reserve for the last four weeks with a hamstring injury. Additionally, amid an MVP-caliber season, quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in a Week 8 win at Green Bay and will miss the rest of the season.
Despite these injuries, O’Connell has remained the same presence, at least in public media appearances. And one would assume he has maintained that same positivity in the locker room as well, given the results.
O’Connell and the Vikings have embraced the “Next Man Up” mantra since their star players went down with injuries. It’s like there’s a strong, authentic belief from O’Connell and the players in the locker room that the Vikings could be successful with basically anyone dressed in purple and gold.
The Vikings are 4-0 without Jefferson, which didn’t seem possible at the time. Rookie Jordan Addison has been the next man up in the passing game for the Vikings. He has filled in as a true No. 1 receiver who is not only reliable but can also make the supernatural plays that a player of Jefferson’s caliber makes.
Addison is only nine games into his professional career, but he’s caught seven touchdowns — good for second in the NFL. Meanwhile, K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell have stepped up admirably as reliable chain-movers for Minnesota.
Minnesota’s “Next Man Up” mentality was put to the ultimate test in Sunday’s win at Atlanta. The team prepared all week with rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall as the starting quarterback. He took first-team reps all week and was the only quarterback suiting up for the Vikings that had taken snaps from center Garrett Bradbury.
Near the end of Minnesota’s second drive of the game, Hall was knocked out of the game. In came Josh Dobbs, the journeyman acquired by the Vikings just days before. He had barely any knowledge of the playbook and hardly knew his teammates’ names. But he’s supposed to quarterback Minnesota to a road win against a division leader?
If there was any time to let pessimism soak in, that was it.
But that’s not who Kevin O’Connell is. And that’s not who the Vikings are.
After a few early miscues, Dobbs entered the game and played a ridiculously good game to help the Vikings earn the improbable win. He made clutch play after clutch play with the help of O’Connell’s calming and optimistic presence, coaching him through nearly every offensive play.
The Vikings were also without star left tackle Christian Darrisaw on Sunday, but fans who watched the game could hardly tell. David Quessenberry filled in seamlessly in Darrisaw’s stead, another example of the Vikings continuing to charge forward regardless of the circumstances.
The 2022 Vikings were a weekly example of what it means to fight regardless of the circumstances relentlessly. They won facing a 27-10 deficit in Buffalo. They won facing a 33-0 halftime deficit against the Indianapolis Colts. And they won several more games in 2022 after facing a fourth-quarter deficit.
That never-give-up attitude has clearly carried over into the 2023 season for the Vikings. It’s why there’s a real belief that this team could make a playoff run or even more. In a vacuum, the Vikings have no business flirting with the playoffs. Their starting quarterback is out for the season, and the first two backup quarterbacks (Hall and Nick Mullens) are hurt and unable to play. Their best player has missed four games, and there’s no indication he’ll return this week. And remember, Minnesota’s defense was the worst in the NFL a season ago by many measures.
Perhaps O’Connell picked up this knack for creating a winning culture in Los Angeles, where he served as offensive coordinator under Sean McVay during the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl-winning season. Or perhaps he learned it during his time as an NFL quarterback, learning as a teammate from the most prolific winner in NFL history, Tom Brady. Or maybe O’Connell just has a naturally inspiring personality.
Whatever it is, it’s working. And the Vikings are set up for success in the short-term and long-term with O’Connell leading the way.
