Kevin O’Connell: In No Way, Shape or Form Can We Play Offensive Football Like That

Kevin O’Connell: In No Way, Shape or Form Can We Play Offensive Football Like That

got a uh couple injury updates here in a second, but uh you know, just in no way, shape, or form uh can we play offensive football like that and try to and try to win at a place like this. Um I did think our defense um played a uh played as well as they could considering the amount of lift that they had to do today. Um forced the seven negatives and a takeaway. um you know thought uh you know we had some moments in the kicking game field position wise we we just did not uh you know have a type of an offensive performance that uh is ever going to be acceptable uh you know at the Minnesota Vikings organization and that obviously starts with me and it’s not about any one particular player or position. It’s a collective group thing right now where we just are not um good enough and to uh overcome some of the things that we’re doing, overcoming some injuries up front and overcoming some of the things that are happening. Uh we’ve got to find a way to put the game plan together as simple as it needs to be or as tight as it needs to be from a play uh count standpoint just to get a little bit better execution and get some of the things that winning football looks like. uh and try to play our part offensively with the other two phases on our team. Um Ryan Kelly had a hip flexor. He did uh not return to the game when he when he came out. Aaron Jones um you know aggravated his shoulder a little bit. Um he’s uh going to be evaluated. Josh Matelis and and Jonathan Gennard didn’t finish uh the last drive, but no uh no injury. Uh those guys had been dealing with some things, but they uh was not injury related. Um and Jordan Jordan Mason, you saw him go down there late later in the game. He evalu was evaluated in return. So um really Kelly and Jones would be uh the names that we’ll we’ll be uh evaluating here. Kevin, why I mean as best as you can see today at least, why was the offense so poor? Well, I think early on in the game you know we had we had our struggles running the football to try to stay efficient. Uh we had some screens and some kind of plays that kept us in manageable D andDs and and then um you know some plays where I I thought uh early on Max was you know honestly maybe processing too quickly. There were some moments there where he was getting back to some things where we had some explosive chances uh for either Jordan on a backside in cut catch and run or um even on some of the third downs where uh you know he just a little sped up like a normal young player can be in his first start. um and and we just never could really make that one or two or three in a row kind of play. And then when we did move it, um you know, we weren’t able to sustained it long enough to to get in the end zone. And then obviously the the low red zone play there on fourth down. Um when totally flips on, you know, getting a getting the turnover we’ve been so desperately waiting for and our defense does that. Um and then that sequence ends with them getting seven points is is losing football. On the fourth down, what are you trying to get done there? Yeah, it was uh you know it was a little it was a little over um you know a little thought we might have had a little bit better spot on the the third down play where Addison caught the ball um and ends up being a little bit one one plus whatever it ended up being. We had struggled to run it up until that point you know at the point of attack and things like that. So wanted to try to see if we can get Max out on the perimeter um with a you know kind of a run pass option and they ended up kind of having a a looping player kind of in his face right away and uh you know fourth down he’s trying to make a play and and just ends up you know being you know obviously catastrophically bad cuz you know one of the reasons why you go for that in that moment is um even if you don’t get it the field position um is going to be on your side with a defense playing really well. So, um, you know, got to call a better play there. Got to, uh, you know, decide, um, the the the best option for us, uh, to try to limit that ever being the outcome in that scenario, um, but also give us a chance to score. Uh, cuz we knew we’d have to score some points, um, to, uh, to win the game and to try to capture the momentum off that turnover with seven, I thought was critical. Um, you know, critical sequence to try to have a chance to win it. Kevin, in general with those third and fourth third and short, fourth and short type plays where you guys do throw it as much as you do. What’s the Yeah, you know, Ben, we’ve we we have run it. Um we we we have run it as, you know, much as uh we’ve you know, I know that’s been a well doumented thing, but um I just got to call a better play there and it’s all going to be results based and and that was about as bad of a result as you can have on that sequence. Um and like I said, you know, early on in the game it was it was a struggle. you know, I think we were under 10 yards, you know, close to our first 10 or so attempts and and just kind of trying to find that yard with a physical front. And uh, you know, it it it felt like a chance to maybe have an opportunity to uh try to get the quarterback out on the edge, not drop back pass or anything in that situation or um, you know, see if we could have multiple options besides just um, seeing if we could hammer it up in there. felt like it was the best option for us at the time, but obviously it was not a good option. Going back to the second half of last week, does it feel like the offense is pressing right now? Just I I it just feels like between some of these throws and and potential throwing catches that we’re just not getting. Um you know, whether it’s uh location, timing, rhythm, it does there’s no question we’re pressing. Guys want to make those plays. Guys want to make the throws. Um, you know, we’ve we’ve got to do a better job early on in games, you know, where it’s really not there’s no excuse to be made. We get a third and manageable when we’re moving it third third and three or four, whatever it was. And um, you know, going to have a chance for Oliver on a play we’ve earlier on in the year we we uh, we had success with. scored on a very similar D and D, a little tighter down in against Cincinnati, but um have the same coverage, same look, same everything, and we we give up a you know, an immediate sack there that for a young quarterback can have an impact and maybe speed you up, you know, the next few sequences of drives, and it all is connected. Um, but yeah, we’re I know how hard and and how hard our guys are preparing and trying and and uh we just uh can’t quite seem to catch the rhythm of positive plays with all 11 guys executing right now. And that’s guys maybe trying to do too much. Uh maybe we’ve got to try to limit what we’re what we’re asking of the group as a whole, especially with some different guys stepping into the lineup. Um just to try to get some more consistency um at the very least to try to give ourselves a better chance. Kevin, um, every road place is a hostile environment, but this one’s rather unique. Yeah. Um, how do you think Max’s kind of held the enormity of trying to I mean, he uh, you know, pre- snap he made a couple uh, I can think back to uh, you know, there was a couple uh, early down kind of they were sending some uh, sending some pressures which you kind of come in here knowing between their defensive scheme and and that Mike has. She does a great job with it, but also a young quarterback that they’re going to try to activate some of those things. He got the play uh made the adjustment to the play, slid right into the pressure and and just gets sped up a little bit and Jordan’s on kind of a a backside read, which we knew would probably be the primary on that play and and he just gets sped up and throws it just a hair early. Going to the right place, doing all the right things. Uh just uh you know, could fall into in in alignment with a a young guy that we wanted to allow him to you know, function in our offense because he showed the ability to. Um, but yeah, it’s a it’s a tough ask obviously and I thought from a procedural standpoint running the huddle and making some of the calls that he did and we tried to take as much of that off his plate as possible. Uh, I thought he was functioning um at a high level. It really, like I said, I mean, I we’ll go back and watch it and and and spend the time with him going through it, you know, on a deep dive, but uh if anything, it was him playing quickly and processing. I mean, he was getting back to his checkdowns. he was getting to Aaron Jones on the back side of of uh you know some progressions early on just putting in play and and kind of checking a lot of boxes where hopefully you can get him settled in and then he starts kind of finding that rhythm and timing to be you know in alignment with the the concept called when eligibles might be open. Does he rather deal with that issue than the other the opposite end of that? You’re always you know I I you know that’s what I told him after the game is is this is great experience for him. it it won’t get harder than going to Seattle for your first start against that defense. Um, and he’s such a competitor and wants to uh wants to obviously come out here and lead this team to a win. Um, but I told him that’s great experience and unbelievable learning op knowing what it felt like, knowing, um, you know, how you were, you know, seeing it and maybe, you know, even able to as you get maybe more experience, uh, which Max is going to play a long time in this league, you’ll start to be able to the game will slow down a little bit even though he is, uh, what we believe to be a fast processor. Kevin, is it just coaching to get guys to slow down when they’re younger or is it a matter of reps? I think it’s I think it’s reps and it’s it’s also, you know, you think back on a couple of those plays and they seem uh they seem very much long ago when you’re when you see the score kind of get to where it is and we don’t end up scoring on the day. Um, you know, you you forget about those plays, you know, early on in the first or second quarter where, you know, you’re all you’re all those plays matter for a young quarterback of very much like seeing the ball go through the net and and when you’re going to the right guy and maybe it’s just a click early or you get moved off the spot with an NFL kind of pocket and all those things can have an effect just like the positive effect of, you know, those those plays being thrown and caught and maybe a catch and run and we get our playmakers involved. D and um and then I thought he made some nice plays too. TJ up the seam and making some nice check down throws on some play actions where we were trying to be a little bit more explosive today and and uh you know he he was you know we were moving the ball at times without a very consistent run game. We got it going a little bit later on in the game, but um just it was a tough ask and and and probably needed just a little bit more all 11, you know, guys doing their job and playing with a little more physicality up front early to try to set the tone for how we wanted to play. And I I thought uh you know took us a little bit too long to get some of those uh functioning early down plays to just stay efficient and and try to you know once again I think we had a few too many third and 10 pluses where uh whether it’s a penalty or if it’s a negative run um those are hard those are tough for us right now and uh you know we’re not going to just dive into the world of you know continuing to just throw the ball over and over again. We’re going to try to see if we can manage it with some ball out plays, screen game, um or trying to stack some runs to to get back to manageable if we can. JJ still in concussion? Uh he is as of right now. Uh but that’s that’s uh you know, we’ll see how he does tomorrow. You know, our goal is to he clears and he can have a good week of practice and and have an opportunity to play next week. And last thing on on Adam Thielen, um was that a healthy scratch? Yeah, it was coaching kind of I just file it under a coach’s decision looking at where we’re at um at some other positions around our roster. You know, you’re uh you’re uh you’re just trying to do what you think is best to win and and make sure you’ve got some depth at at uh some other spots where guys were dealing with some things and um that receiver position is one that has, you know, stayed pretty remarkably healthy this year. How close was Christian Darasaw to being able to go today? Uh yeah, I think it was I think it was close. uh you know, it was just a combination of the ankle, some discomfort there, and then just kind of the uh we’re still, you know, we’re still in a world where um you know, his his knee is something that he’s working through every week. Um I think uh he’s obviously such an important impactful player to our to our offense that uh we’re we’re always going to try to get him out there and and CD wants to be out there. He just couldn’t quite get there uh to play today. and you know having Donovan out as well just starts dipping into um you know some things Ryan Kelly eventually going out and we had some guys step in there and um we’ll we’ll uh we’ll take a look at it this week and hopefully get him back and hopefully get uh the best five we can to go you know go go back home and try to win a game this week. uh thinks that we’re whole matching.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the media from Seattle after the Vikings’ Week 13 26-0 loss to the Seahawks.

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