Vikings

It's Time For the “Quarterback Killer” To Become A Mediocre-Team Marauder

Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Kevin O’Connell was speaking in front of a large audience at St. Philip the Deacon Church when he admitted to committing a cardinal sin.

For a couple of years, I’ve been kind of known as the “quarterback killer” when it comes to the draft in Eagan, because the feeling that everybody that I feel from our fan base is when we get this next guy, he’s gonna be the guy. And I feel it. I know you guys all feel it. So I have had to in a lot of ways, fight off some mistakes from being made, mainly because of the evaluation process I go through.

O’Connell then gave a thorough explanation of his quarterback evaluation process. Still, it’s pretty brazen for him to admit to a capital crime outside of the confessional. However, fortune favors the bold, especially in the NFL. Faking a punt or going for it on fourth-and-three in your own territory is hardly intimidating for a cold-blooded killer.

However, O’Connell no longer needs to flatline signal-callers now that he has his guy. The Minnesota Vikings traded up for J.J. McCarthy in the draft, and they have continued to handle him with clean hands after he tore his meniscus in the preseason.

O’Connell no longer needs to think about curdling Will Levis’ mayonnaise; he’s already spoiled. It’s time for O’Connell to look inward to best serve his team. He must transform from the “quarterback killer” to the mediocre team marauder.

The 5-1 Vikings have made it through the most challenging part of their schedule. They’ve defeated three Super Bowl contenders and won in London. They also played a close game against the Detroit Lions, who Vegas favors to win the division. The oddsmakers had them winning six games this year. They might reach that number on Thursday.

To capitalize on the soft part of Minnesota’s schedule, O’Connell must instill a sense of bloodlust in his players. He told the Star Tribune in late September that he has a dark side. Now, he must embrace it.

“The best coaches coach hard without players taking offense,” O’Connell told Mark Craig in an exclusive interview. “They don’t feel they’re being attacked. The way you do that is to build the relationships on the front end. That gives me a ton of runway when things aren’t up to the standard I want.”

The New England Patriots took O’Connell in the third round of the 2008 draft. He was the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator before the Vikings hired him in 2022. O’Connell has said that Belichick and McVay, who will be on the other sideline on Thursday, are two of his biggest coaching inspirations.

“I saw Bill [Belichick] do it,” O’Connell told the Star Tribune. “Then I watched Sean [McVay] do it. Sean has a personality more similar to mine. But make no mistake, there’s a dark side to Sean, too. … I might not always use the best language, and I never want things to be demeaning. But these players are going to know when I don’t think things are good enough.”

Minnesota’s next four opponents have a combined record of 9-17. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve known this is the soft spot in their schedule. Injuries have hampered the Rams. The Indianapolis Colts have an inexperienced quarterback and poor run defense. Doug Pederson is on the hot seat in Jacksonville, and Levis helped tank the Tennessee Titans.

The Vikings are a top-three team in DVOA. They have a plus-61 score differential. This year’s team is for real. They need to go out and run up the score on the NFL’s mediocre teams. O’Connell has openly admitted to murder; it’s time for him to embrace the seven deadly sins.

  • Take pride in winning the games they should win.
  • Get greedy. The Vikings are in the league’s toughest division and have to play the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit to close out the season.
  • Play with a bit of wrath. Blitz mercilessly against the inexperienced quarterbacks of Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Tennesee.
  • Be envious of the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and the Lions, who many consider NFC North’s best team.
  • Develop a lust for winning.
  • Become a glutton by feasting on teams that are lower in the standings.
  • Act like sloths on the 10-day break. It’s time to recover after a short week.

There’s no time for prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. The NFL is America’s gladiator sport, and the Vikings must become Spartacus. O’Connell has told us he has a dark side. Now, it’s time for him to show us.

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Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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