When the clock hit zero at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, it was a familiar scene in the Kevin O’Connell era. The game-winning field goal went through the uprights. The team celebrated on the field. Fans eagerly waited for the postgame speech, and game balls were handed out like Halloween candy.
The only difference? The opposing team was following Minnesota’s script.
The Chicago Bears, a team synonymous with dysfunction a year ago, were living their best life right in front of the Vikings. As the Bears ran around on the turf in celebration, O’Connell had to wonder if he was looking into a mirror. In their current state, the Vikings are facing the toughest test of O’Connell’s culture since he arrived in Minnesota.
In 2022, the vibes were much different. The Vikings were looking to move away from the “fear-based” culture that Eric Kendricks had described in the final years under Mike Zimmer, and even Brian O’Neill suggested that something needed to change with the new head coach. O’Connell made the Vikings a more collaborative, player-oriented organization. Most importantly, he always had them fighting until the bloody end.
In his first season under O’Connell, Kirk Cousins led eight fourth-quarter comebacks, including the largest comeback in NFL history against the Indianapolis Colts. When Cousins tore his Achilles tendon the following year, the team still won with Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens until they finally succumbed to a 7-10 record.
Last year was the ringing endorsement for O’Connell’s culture. Sam Darnold had been regarded as one of the biggest busts in NFL history before coming to Minnesota. However, he found his rhythm and led the Vikings to a 14-win season. Even a three-interception performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars couldn’t slow the Vikings’ momentum, and they were in the mix for the best record in the NFC in the final week of the season.
The Vikings rewarded O’Connell with a contract extension for his efforts after winning the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award. But things have shifted over the past 11 months.
Aaron Rodgers was a hot name when the Vikings were deciding on a quarterback. Many Minnesota fans would rather drink Miller Lite than see Rodgers in a Vikings jersey, and the biggest reason was the culture that O’Connell had built. When the Vikings decided to go with J.J. McCarthy, everyone from fans to teammates rallied around him, but some cracks began to form.
The Vikings volunteered for a 10-day trip to Europe, and judging by Alec Lewis’ report in The Athletic that highlighted the challenges with that trip, they probably will never do that again.
Carson Wentz’s issues playing through a shoulder injury may have hampered the team. At the same time, other injured Vikings, such as Christian Darrisaw and Ryan Kelly, returned too early from their injuries. Those decisions may have affected trust among players, the coaching staff, and the trainers in the locker room. It may also have affected the good vibes O’Connell brought to OTAs. They appeared to be gone by the time McCarthy returned from an ankle injury three weeks ago.
McCarthy did his best to bring it back, but his victory over the Lions feels like an eternity ago. He threw multiple off-target passes against the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago, turning the normally raucous home of the Vikings into a library. Even Sunday’s game had the feeling of It can’t get much worse before McCarthy’s performance screamed, Hold my beer.
Passes sailed throughout U.S. Bank Stadium as McCarthy showed the control of a minor league pitcher. His footwork was a mess, and Justin Jefferson‘s childlike enthusiasm began to fade from the sideline.
A lot of pressure will rightfully be placed on McCarthy for his performance. In five starts, he has completed 52.9% of his passes for 842 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The pressure will continue to mount as Rodgers, Darnold, and even Daniel Jones look poised to lead their new teams to playoff berths in the coming weeks.
But the biggest thing chipping away at Minnesota’s culture at the moment may be the outside noise finally getting inside the building.
Think of it this way: If you’re sick of Twitter doctors, soft-benching conspiracists, online trolls, talking heads, and everything else, there’s a good chance that the players in the locker room are sick of it too. It’s easy to shrug off when you’re winning. But when you’re losing, you get the team that you saw on Sunday.
McCarthy was not perfect, but the infrastructure the Vikings created to prop him up didn’t do him many favors. Minnesota’s receivers dropped six passes. When McCarthy led a go-ahead drive late in the game, the special teams unit instantly gave up a 56-yard kickoff return to Devin Duvernay, setting up Santos’ 48-yard field goal as time expired.
The shot of the sideline said it all as O’Connell screamed at special teams coordinator Matt Daniels in the same way that Zimmer screamed at Marwan Maalouf on the Soldier Field sideline nearly five years ago.
Minnesota’s players looked defeated, and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if many began booking trips to Cancun after Sunday’s loss gave them a 2% chance of making the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator.
Still, the Vikings must keep forging ahead while McCarthy works out the kinks in his NFL career. However, with the playoffs out of the question, the team can look forward to a long offseason.
It’s a similar vibe to what the Bears experienced a year ago, playing out the string for former head coach Matt Eberflus. While Johnson has turned Chicago’s culture around, O’Connell is trying to keep his intact. It led to a bizarre sight on Sunday afternoon and could have the Vikings making sure things don’t get worse over the final seven weeks.
