The Minnesota Vikings‘ offense is coming off its best performance of the year in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. They scored 48 points, looked efficient on the ground and through the air, all while no single playmaker went above and beyond.
The best part? The team did it with their backup quarterback, Carson Wentz, under center.
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Maximizing the potential of his quarterbacks is nothing new to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. However, he didn’t hesitate to heap praise on his starter during a spot on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. He said, “I’ve always been a fan of Carson Wentz… He has a lot of experience and he can help our whole team.. He can do a lot of things at a really high level at the quarterback position.”
O’Connell is no stranger to seeing the best in a quarterback to the point he believes he can make his meals with them, so to speak. He did it with Sam Darnold, and now he is getting paid big-time money with the Seattle Seahawks, same with Daniel Jones, and he didn’t even play for the Vikings in 2024.
Speaking about Sunday specifically, O’Connell talked about what he saw, saying, “Carson Wentz can see the whole field, and I thought he played with great fundamentals on Sunday… He was really comfortable and I was really happy with the way he played.”
While Wentz deserves some praise, O’Connell is once again showcasing his ability to build systems for his players versus making them fit into his alone.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Kevin O’Connell gives Carson Wentz praise following Week 3 performance