Kevin O’Connell on Run Game Struggles, Christian Darrisaw’s Recovery, J.J. McCarthy’s Looming Return

Kevin O’Connell on Run Game Struggles, Christian Darrisaw’s Recovery, J.J. McCarthy’s Looming Return

Yeah, good afternoon, guys. Um, as I as I kind of mentioned last night, um, you know, there’s really not much, uh, if if anything to really take positive out of the game other than, you know, upon, you know, getting a chance to view the film and our coaches, you know, being uh, you know, really being here since we we arrived back here. um really attacking looking at it from a lens of of things that that we can improve. Um many things on the film are correctable and and the the the easy seeking comfort answer of short week or guys battling uh different injury adversities, you know, are not uh going to be part of uh that discussion either here today or or uh you know, internally here. It’s about uh using the time we will have on the practice field next week uh time as a staff uh today and this weekend to you know create a plan moving forward that will allow us to match the intent of scheme and technique and fundamentals accordingly uh to give our players a chance to to have success. and um we’re going to get to work immediately on that and and when we get an opportunity to get on the grass next week next week with our players that’s going to be uh the plan of attack. So um obviously you know a tough watch in all three phases but um some some as in many cases when uh you have a uh a result in a performance like that uh you know you can see um places where we clearly can be immediately better and we need to be and uh it starts with us as a coaching staff and that starts with me and then I know our players know that the confidence level that I have in the group and our group as a goal um to to press onward, push forward and uh you know go put our best foot forward to uh play a divisional game on the road against a really good team and um you know we’re one and0 in the division right now and and we need to try to attack these division games with the importance that they always are but knowing where we’re at in the season obviously critical at this juncture. Don’t really have a lot of injury updates uh at this time. We did get in um back to the facility close to, you know, about 5:00 a.m. and uh our players and treatments have been ongoing. Uh I’ll be able to circle back on a lot of those things next week. But I do feel um you know I do feel positive about where both Brian O’Neal and Christian Daraw um you know are today and and and and hopefully in regards to their uh work week next week and leading into uh being available um feel positive at this time and and hope to update you more uh next week on that and the same can be said uh for JJ McCarthy uh at the quarterback position. Um, you know, he uh he will get some work in. Got some work today and and we’ll hopefully get some work uh throughout the early part of the week uh which will lead him into a full week of preparation and and uh feel positive about where he’s at as well. Turn it over to you. Hey Kevin, I just wanted to ask about just with the run game. I think you guys had lost Darasaw and Oliver before you had even played a 10th snap on offense. just how much did that affect how you called the game and then with the opportunities the run game did get how did you evaluate those? Yeah, I think uh you know I think Jo um Jo might have been on the eighth snap and then um CD might have been uh you know on the ninth snap. Uh so you’re right on that. And um looking at it, I think over the course of the first, you know, 10, there weren’t many obviously, but 10 run rushing attempts we had um in in a variety of different reasons, including a a holding call, you know, I think we we ended up right around, you know, 8 to 10 yards of of total production um out of that. So, when you’re in a game where you’re down um some linemen uh that make those known passing downs a little bit more difficult, uh the lack of uh ability to get some of those plays going, not of you know, we were we found ourselves in second and uh you know behind the chains too many times in the game and and we were able to overcome uh minimally with some some you know play making by uh either Justin or or you know, some of our other skilled players um in the pass game, but it’s just not the formula uh for success when you are trying to mitigate some other areas that are concerning based upon the matchups and and and some of the things you’re trying to work through uh as a group all while knowing um you know getting guys like Justin and Jordan and TJ and uh going a little bit can can you know do lightear do wonders do for your for your offensive rhythm um when you can you maybe get things opened up a little bit via the pass, but we just were never really able to put it all together and consistently um look like the offense we want to look like. and and there’s a lot of reasons for that and we’ve identified um some of those on the tape. But I do think the fundamentals and technique of of guys uh you know in the run game um making sure we you know both schematically have the best angles we can have and and the the identity of plays matching with then the technique and fundamentals of of being able to go cover guys up and get things started for our runners. But, you know, not having CJ and then losing Josh early, he’s such a critical part um of our of our run game there at that Y, true Y position. And obviously, you know, uh when Christian Darol is in the game, um he’s always been a major major f major focal point for us to run behind. Um so, you know, we were we were missing some pieces, but at the same time, uh the film, you know, does clearly show that we can be better and we need to be better. Hey, coach. I was just wondering um there were three or four veteran players in the locker room last night that reiterated what you said about no excuses, but also kind of pointed to the positive of the closeness of the team um in this situation and really belief in one another rather than anyone pointing fingers. Um, I don’t want to ask an obvious question, but just wondering if from your perspective if you can comment kind of on on that aspect of it and how impactful that is to have the closeness when you guys are trying to figure things out here. Yeah, I I love our guys. I love the makeup of our guys. Um, we clearly didn’t um have the performance or the result and that’s all of us um last night. and uh everybody uh to a man in that locker room and our coaching staff, we have to acknowledge that. Um we can’t run from it. Um, and at the same time, I think all of the things that those players have built in their locker room and um, the principles that we’ve we’ve built a lot of our team building and uh, and and the foundation of this building on is for these moments where we’ve got to um, you know, be even more connected, even more um, of a group that can work through this together. Um, and and I and I know that that’s the type of leadership we have. Uh that’s the type of uh team that that our guys have have formed and we’re going to need to lean in on that and and I don’t think you uh can just sit back and say it’s because of this this and this and and and use anything other than um the facts of the season is long. There’s certain aspects of the schedule that can be more challenging than others, but for the totality of the season um and where we’re at right now, we need to improve in all three phases of our team. We’ve got the players to do it. Uh we should continue to see, you know, the original intent of of hopefully this team from a from a a depth standpoint and and and what we thought uh the the the 22 guys on the field on offense and defense would look like. We’re going to work our way continuously back towards that. But at the same time, what are we doing on the practice field? What are we doing in the meeting rooms? What are we doing to ensure uh that, you know, every stone is being uncovered and and and we’re making sure that we’re on top of every detail, um every fundamental, technique, scheme, what is the identity of our team, and how we continue to press forward to finding that and then seeing that. And that is something with some of the things that do come up throughout the season. And it just so happens we’ve we’ve navigated a lot of those things early on in our season from, you know, players being out to start the season to losing players in game to losing players for um you know, uh you know, consecutive weeks uh for for us as a team. Um that can be something that is ongoing, but there is only so much time. There’s uh got to be an urgency to find uh solutions and there’s got to be urgency to then match those uh solutions with the work that we put in and our preparation to then make those uh practice field solutions and and plans of attack uh become a reality on game day. And then it’s about that word of consistency. Um, and consistency can’t just be tied to whether Isaiah Rogers interception early on in the game for a touchdown gets overturned or not. Um, we can’t let those plays go from seven points for us on a huge, you know, start fast, strike first kind of mentality that you need in those Thursday games where it can be that. Okay, it’s not. Um, now as a team, we need to respond. We need to uh find a way to you know get a stop on defense and then offensively sustain some sort of rhythm um to allow complimentary nature of football to to take place and and we did not do that and I know our guys will commit and they will understand that there’s a ton of football left in front of us and although 10 games gives us an opportunity to to to dig ourselves out of this you know temporary hole we’re in um it’s going to be only done by work and and rolling up our sleeves and going to work on this. Kevin, with the run defense specifically, I’m just wondering um how much you see so far through seven games that’s maybe quickly fixable um and how much of it might need more of a a deeper dive, I guess. Yeah, I think uh you know coming out of the the bigger by week a couple weeks ago um you know where we took that deep dive you know there was there was definitely a an emphasis by Flo and his staff of really taking a look at you know what we had been and what we wanted to be and there was a lot of positives that showed up um in the Philadelphia game that you know in in the aspect of stopping the run we were we were clearly able to do that and then you look at when you’re doing that is Is it uh is it uh you know calls by Flo? Is it uh our group of 11, you know, playing totally connected and and everybody doing their job? And I think what we saw is it’s a combination of both and and and it’s a mixture of scheme but understanding that um fundamentals and technique and and and players uh you know overcoming whatever the offensive scheme is that’s trying to take advantage of either how we lined up or the call that we’re in. Uh we just got to get uh the ability to sync that all together a little bit more consistently. Um I do think there’s been some bright spots like a Jaylen Redmond continuously showing up on the tape and I think Jonathan Gernard’s doing a lot of really good things on the edge. You know, a lot of those runs are going away from him and and he’s trying like crazy to chase some of those things down, but what are we doing uh as far as setting edges? What are we doing as far as defeating blocks, playing the cut back, and then continuously trying to chase improvement from a tackling standpoint uh to be able to get people when we do arrive at the football, we do arrive with numbers at the football. Can we get that uh get that player on the ground for the for the most minimal gain we can possibly do to then allow our defense to set themselves up in DNDs where they can be aggressive and pass likely situations to try to maybe you know cause some chaos or cause some issues for the offense and and then like you saw on the Isaiah Rogers play that didn’t end up being an interception um upon uh review as they determined but um that was caused by uh you know an early down uh stop in in the run game that forced a negative and then we forced people to play on less comfortable terms. Um and uh that’s when our defense has been at their best. But uh we’ll have time here to kind of continue along that deep dive and really um attach a lot of the the principles of of of playing good football, you know, that all three of our phases of our team need to do. But defensively, a lot of confidence in the group we have, a lot of confidence that we can, uh, you know, as a coaching staff, um, you know, I think Flo and his staff do a great job continuously trying to seek and search, uh, for the best possible solutions and then presenting those to the players and then matching those things up with the techniques and fundamentals. Um, and we’re going to get an opportunity to do that with uh, you know, a normal practice week and then some, um, for some time on task to make things right. Uh Kevin, with with Christian, um from what you’re being told, do you do you anticipate um needing this need to be a maintenance situation for an extended period of time? In other words, where a heavy workload in one game could affect his availability in the next. Do you view these situations as unique um and potentially behind you or where do you kind of see this going from what you’re being told? Yeah. So, you know, the information I have, especially from a standpoint of some of the unique factors of of what our ear early season slate kind of looked like, Kevin. Um, I think uh that was you, Kevin, right? Yeah, I see a lot of faces there. Um but yeah, Kevin, I I I think it’s something that now we should be in a pretty um consistent Sunday to Sunday type approach. Um with with with some limited factors there for for you know the foreseeable future. I think the next eight weeks uh I believe in some capacity and until uh right around the holidays. Um, but yeah, I I think it’s something where hopefully we can get back into a a consistent rhythm of what Christian’s work week looks like, a rhythm of what his recovery looks like coming off of uh a Sunday game, and then try to consistently get him turned over because he’s, you know, it’s it’s no secret how critical, you know, he’s been to our success, how critical he’s been to, uh, our consistency. And I would go, you know, along the same route with what Brian O’Neal has meant to our offense as well, um, as those two pillars on the outside that allow, you know, so much to go for our offense. And um you know, I would I would sign up for having those guys out there every single play for the rest of the season, but at the same time, we’ve got to find ways to continue to build in a way uh with our depth, with our scheme, with our management of some of those unique circumstances where um those guys might not uh be in the game. We still have to find production and move the football. So, um, like I said, I feel good about where those guys will be at, uh, coming out of this, uh, you know, weekend and then the ability to get into a normal practice week. Um, but but yeah, as far as Christian goes, I’m I’m hoping this Sunday, um, you know, Sunday to Sunday schedule for for the foreseeable future will help, uh, hopefully with uh, getting a little bit more of uh, you know, of uh, 71 out there on a consistent basis. Kevin, how how close do you feel like Andrew Van Ginkle is to returning? Yeah, I think he’s a guy that’s been able to kind of continuously, you know, get the get the limited work in on the practice field to try to continue to stay sharp as he kind of uh tries to get back into a place to be available to us. Um, I’m encouraged, you know, by the fact that we’ve got a little bit more time this week and and how uh how Gink can possibly turn over. Um, and when he’s available and and we can get him back out there, uh, he’s one of those guys that, uh, is a critical part of of how we want to play defense. So, um, when we can make that happen and when that happens, we’ll be uh will be a huge boost for us. I don’t really have an update right now on on that for for next week um in any kind of concrete way, but uh my hope is that we we we get to see Gink uh sooner rather than later for sure. Devin, what is uh your just mindset with the offense with JJ McCarthy coming back and and how you approach that with obviously a an inexperienced younger quarterback, but also wanting to maximize and improve what you’ve had offensively the last couple weeks. Yeah, I think uh you know really outside of uh yesterday over the past you know four or five weeks we’ve seen the ability uh to to move the football to do some of the things that that uh we’ve kind of been accustomed to for the better part of three years of of being able to you know find uh you know find completions, move the football. Um and then we’ve just had lapses at times in different instances of either third down or uh red zone. Um specifically against the Philadelphia Eagles that were kind of setbacks to ultimately getting the points required to win games yesterday. Uh we didn’t do much of of you know much of those things at all. So we can’t look at it as an outlier. Uh we’ve got to try to find a way to uh find our rhythm, find our uh identity as a group. Um, and with JJ, um, he he he’ll play an in integral part of that from a from a standpoint of of his ability to, uh, throw completions, his ability to, uh, get our playmakers involved, and his ability to use his athleticism, um, that, uh, that we saw, you know, early on in the season, stealing some first downs here and there, using his legs, creating some plays, um, potentially out of the pocket to go along with, uh, hopefully finding a rhythm and and a completion. based feel with a ability to find those explosives that have kind of defined, you know, what our offense, you know, can be when we’re working at all cylinders. But it’s got to be an all 111 thing. We’ve got to protect them. Um, we’ve got to find a way to uh provide the quarterback with time to find those those open players. And then for JJ, it’s going to be about uh the commitment that he’s made um throughout his rehab to, you know, getting back to the um those concrete fundamentals and techniques that allow his feet and eyes to work together and find completions, you know, to any one of our five eligibles. Uh whether it’s a receiver, whether it’s TJ or one of our tight ends, uh or even, you know, Aaron Jones or Jordan Z, you know, out of the back field. All of those things can be valuable. And then um you know just all the complimentary tiers of plays whether it’s the screen game, the RPO game, um you know different variations of of getting the ball into playmakers hands with blockers out in front. Um, all of those plays come down to uh obviously the the defenses you’re calling them against, but then the execution level of uh the details and the things that make those plays that maybe end up as three four yard gains or or not even so, you know, as we saw on the first play of the game, you know, the ability to get a drive started in a positive way. Um, and and and we’re not able to make that throw and catch there. And then we’re second and 10 and able to convert on a third and longer. But you don’t want to live in that world consistently. Uh you know, and especially looking ahead um to to how well Detroit’s playing defensively. We’re going to have to be able to uh sustain some early down success. And I think JJ will play a role in that as well as, you know, getting that all 11 feel of no matter what the scheme is, um, getting the execution to the line, uh, so we can allow our, you know, our playmakers and and and coinciding with that, our run game to to work hand in hand. Last one to Dane. Kevin, just going back to Christian real quick. Um, conversations on the sideline, like is that him coming up to you guys saying, “I can’t go.” or like how does you know the chain of command work when when he does come out of the game um you know yesterday and then get same thing against the Browns too. Is that him saying I I need it or is that kind of working in concert with with kind of everybody involved? Yeah. So, you know, from a standpoint as coaches, um you know, we go into the game uh kind of knowing where Christian’s at. you know, he he was able to work out before the game and and feel like he could give it a go and then it’s really kind of an unknown um in many ways. Um and and that leads to Christian’s dialogue with the medical staff and kind of where he thinks um where he thinks he’s at and his ability to go out and do his job um ultimately is is is the most important thing. and and we want to always allow the medical staff and and the player uh to kind of set the precedent for that. But at the same time, we’ve got a plan accordingly. We did have nine linemen up for the game and and as we did for uh the Cleveland game as well when when it was a possibility that we might not have him maybe for the whole entire game. But at the same time, there’s no preset uh number. There’s no preset uh kind of management plan as much as we’ve got to listen to the listen to the player and the player’s got to listen to his body and and then ultimately the medical staff and and the player making a determination on can they go out there and function and do their job and and that’s kind of been the situation in in some of those uh kind of unique uh either you know turning over from a lot of plays against Pittsburgh to a uh you know another uh game there in uh in London where you know there there was time um but maybe not the most uh standard week of preparation with some of the circumstances there and then obviously the Thursday game is its own um animal that that all 32 teams have to deal with. It just so happens that Christian’s coming back from a significant injury that that has kind of um you know required a certain level of uh you know I I would just say a certain level of understanding about where he’s at and and and and how that arrow you know we keep that arrow pointing up um and progressing throughout the season as he gets it further and further away um from that injury. Thanks everyone. Thanks Ko. Thanks guys.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center on Friday after Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

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