O’Connell and others can lean on their experiences with the 2021 Rams, who fell to 7-4 after going 0-3 in November but rallied to a 12-5 finish that was good enough to claim a competitive NFC Wets that sent three teams to the postseason (Arizona was the first Wild Card at 11-6; San Francisco was the second at 10-7), which sounds much like the current NFC North, which features three of the NFL’s seven 10-win teams entering Week 16.
He also noted the deep playoff runs that Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores experienced while with New England. He was part of Patriots teams that won Super Bowls XXXIX, XLIX, LI and LIII.
“Whatever we can do to get our team ready to roll tactically, but also physically for 60 minutes every week is what we’re going to do,” O’Connell said. “There’s no perfect way to do it. A lot of communication with the players on a 1-on-1 level, group level, team level, me laying out the expectations of the week. Then like these guys have always done, they meet those, and then some.”
Here are all the ways to catch the Week 16 action.
FOX (KMSP FOX 9 in the Twin Cities)
Sideline reporter: Kristina Pink