Tag: Kevin O’Connell

Kevin O’Connell shared glowing words of encouragement with Anthony Richardson after Colts QB’s recent benching

Kevin O’Connell is still one of Anthony Richardson’s biggest fans.

One of the toughest things to overcome as a struggling NFL quarterback is how you grapple with your confidence. If you’re someone like the Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson, who recently got benched, it’s very easy to dwell on your failures and think you won’t be able to make it in the league if someone’s “giving up” on you this early.

But Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t going to let Richardson fall by the wayside. He can still see his talent and moxie and doesn’t want him to get down on himself.

In a new video from Inside the NFL/NFL Films, O’Connell is recorded sharing some strong words of encouragement for Richardson after the Vikings beat the Colts last Sunday night. For someone like O’Connell, who isn’t remotely obligated to be this candid with an opposing player, it’s a great show of grace and understanding of the bigger picture:

It’s probably hard right now, but Richardson need not keep his head down. He will likely get another opportunity sooner rather than later to start, hopefully, to reach his immense potential in the NFL. And he can rest easy knowing that coaches like O’Connell everywhere will be in his corner.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell playfully roasted Tom Brady over his recent 40-yard dash improvement

Kevin O’Connell got a pretty hilarious dig in at his old Patriots pal Tom Brady.

Back in 2008, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was an NFL rookie and a New England Patriots teammate of Tom Brady.

Now, he’s a coach in the league poking fun at his old pal Brady while talking with NFL Network during the combine.

While appearing with Daniel Jeremiah and Rich Eisen during Saturday’s broadcast of the NFL combine, O’Connell joked about the legitimacy of Brady’s recent 40-yard dash run being quicker than it was when the future Hall of Famer was doing his own combine testing back in 2000.

O’Connell clearly is kidding about the video being fake, but it is a very hilarious way for him to mess with his old Patriots teammate.

Brady being able to run a faster 40-yard all these years later is genuinely impressive, but it’s also the perfect thing for his longtime friends to roast him over. Wouldn’t you if your pal was the greatest quarterback of all time?

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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was lost for words at how impressive Joshua Dobbs was on touchdown vs. Saints

Josh Dobbs is even leaving Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell speechless with how well he’s playing.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs continues to wow his new team, as he’s 2-0 leading the franchise after it lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to injury for the season.

On a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Dobbs stunned even Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell with how he was able to use his mobility to escape a potentially busted play and turn it into a touchdown.

All O’Connell could do was just smile and happily shrug with Dobbs for how genuinely impressed he was that the journeyman quarterback has been able to run the Minnesota offense as effectively as he has in just two starts.

Dobbs is beginning to write himself quite a story with the Vikings, as the team sits 5-4 on the season after an 0-3 start.

While things looked grim for Minnesota after Cousins went down, Dobbs has provided the kind of lifeline that few people could’ve expected at this point in the season.

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Vikings’ HC Kevin O’Connell told T.J. Hockenson to ‘go down’ on the field with an injury during key drive

ESPN cameras showed Kevin O’Connell telling his tight end to get down on the field with an apparent injury.

ESPN cameras caught a weird moment between Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and his tight end T.J. Hockenson.

During Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings were holding a 7-0 lead with over eight minutes left in the second. Minnesota was driving the ball down field, ending up with a first and goal after Cam Akers was brought down on a nice catch and run. Unfortunately, Hockenson was injured on the play, as the tight end started limping off the field before the next down.

Cameras then caught O’Connell telling Hockenson to ‘go down’ on the field, presumedly so the tight end’s injury could get looked at without him aggravating it more.

Some NFL fans called foul on the play, stating that O’Connell was cheating by having Hockenson go down to get additional time for their red zone play calling. However, it’s not illegal to be told to go down on the field in the event of a real injury. In fact, it’s encouraged so the player in question doesn’t hurt themselves more!

Hockenson was able to get up and continue playing and the Vikings ended up settling for a field goal on the drive.

Which Washington offensive coordinators do you recall?

Looking back at some of Washington’s previous offensive coordinators. It’s a pretty good list.

As a little kid following the team as closely as I could, I recall hearing for the first time of an offensive coordinator. George Allen was a defensive-minded head coach for Washington, but I was learning they had this coach in charge of the offense (to some degree), and he was Ted Marchibroda (1971-74).

I learned in just a few years that Marchibroda really knew offense when as head coach of the Colts, his teams were exciting on offense, winning the AFC East. I began hearing how Allen had actually been too conservative, handcuffing Marchibroda.

Charlie Waller (1975-77) was the next Washington offensive coordinator. I naturally thought he must be great. Until a couple of years later and I heard Joe Theismann praising then-offensive coordinator Joe Walton (1978-80) for being his most organized ever, coordinating the quarterback pass drops with the timing of the offense.

I was a teenager (didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did) but have always remembered this Theismann comment because it struck me, causing me to wonder what Waller had been doing with the offense the previous seasons.

When Joe Gibbs was the head coach, Joe Bugel (1981-89) was listed as the offensive coordinator, but it was Coach Joe always calling the plays. Steve Spurrier didn’t have an OC, either. That time it didn’t work out so well.

When Coach Joe came out of retirement, he determined he needed not one but both Al Saunders (2006-07) and Don Breaux (2004-07) as his offensive coordinators.

Sherman Smith (2008-09), Kyle Shanahan (2010-13), Sean McVay (2014-16), Matt Cavanaugh (2017-18), and Kevin O’Connell (2019) all brought their own backgrounds and philosophies to the role.

Frankly, I don’t know what type of OC Scott Turner (2020-22) was. I heard all of the complaining about the play-calling this season. But I do know this. When I watched the All-22 viewpoint, I often saw guys schemed open and Washington quarterbacks not getting the ball to them.

Yes, it is important whom they hire, but in 2023 they are going to NEED better offensive line play and better quarterback play.

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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has fond memories of Terry McLaurin

Kevin O’Connell recalls seeing Terry McLaurin at Ohio State’s pro day and thinking “we’ve got to get that guy.”

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell always knew Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin would be a star.

O’Connell, who spent three seasons with Washington as an offensive assistant from 2017-19, including as the offensive coordinator in 2019, scouted McLaurin at the 2019 Senior Bowl and his pro day at Ohio State.

Now, in his first season as head coach of the Vikings, O’Connell is set to square off against McLaurin and Washington this Sunday in a big NFC matchup.

O’Connell met with the media Thursday and fondly remembered McLaurin.

O’Connell has the Vikings at 6-1 with former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. McLaurin is coming off his two best games of the season since Taylor Heinicke moved into the starting lineup at quarterback.

O’Connell’s recollection of McLaurin matches what former head coach Jay Gruden has said in the past. Gruden knew McLaurin was special from the moment he saw him work during the week of the Senior Bowl, as he told John Keim this week on his podcast.

The Vikings and Commanders are one of the premier matchups on the Week 9 slate.

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Commanders DC Jack Del Rio pleased with his defense

Jack Del Rio praised his defense and coaching staff, but understands the challenge Minnesota presents on Sunday.

Jack Del Rio knows this week’s opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, presents his defense with many challenges. Yet, he did offer plenty of praise for his defense as a whole Thursday when he met with the press.

Del Rio has employed a five-man front at times in several games this season.

“That was our approach based on last week’s opponent (Colts) and our game planning. Every week we try to put together a plan to stop the people that we’re going against and utilize those we have available. I thought the guys handled it well.”

The Vikings (6-1) winners of five straight certainly have offensive weapons that concern Del Rio. Regarding WR Justin Jefferson, “He has a lot of talent, size, speed, athletic ability, route running, hands. He’s a good player.”

“I think [Vikings HC] Kevin [O’Connell] has done a great job up there. Kirk’s a good player. He’s been a good player for a long time. The right head coach at the right time for Kirk and his career.  They can run it; they can throw it, the boot game, and play action games. It’s legit.”

Del Rio praised his defensive coaching staff.

“The position coaches are breaking down our next opponent already. So they’re working ahead in their respective areas. It’s the power of the staff, the group working on what is best, thoughts, ideas within our system. We like to bring a plan together and take it to the players.We’re still in the middle of it as we get this red zone and third down day in today, it’s a big day. It’s a lot of work.”

A position coach Del Rio singled out was DL coach Jeff Zgonina. “Well, Jeff has to get some credit. I mean the group’s responded well to him. We brought a young guy in that ended up playing. JR [Jon] Ridgeway. To bring him along and have him play as big impact as he did last week in the game, that’s gotta be a credit to the coach to get him ready.”

Del Rio a fine former linebacker himself, really likes his defensive line play.

“Big Jon [Allen] and Daron [Payne]  have been playing terrific and played very well in last week’s game. The entire group is prepared to understand what the responsibilities are and we’re working well together, playing with good efforts. We roll them all throughout the game.”

Ridgeway has shown Del Rio some promise to plug up the inside.
“That was big Phil’s [DT Phidarian Mathis] role until he got hurt. He [Ridgeway] stepped in; we were fortunate to be able to pick him up on waivers and added a guy that we liked in the draft coming out. He’s been a great addition for us.”

Del Rio named two defensive backs deserving praise last week. Kam Curl was given the green dot last week in the absence of Cole Holcomb. “He’s the guy we want to have on the field all the time. Also, Benjamin St- Juste, “He has done great; he’s matured. He’s been really good throughout the offseason. He’s very professional and working the right way, playing good football for us.”

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Former Washington offensive coordinator is expected to be the new head coach of the Vikings

Kevin O’Connell is expected to be named Minnesota’s next head coach.

The Minnesota Vikings apparently have a new head coach. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Wednesday that Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell will be Minnesota’s next head coach.

Per Pelissero, the deal cannot be finalized until after the Super Bowl.

O’Connell is finishing up his second season as the Rams offensive coordinator after spending three seasons in Washington, including his final season — 2019 — as offensive coordinator.

One of the biggest topics for the Vikings is what will they do with quarterback Kirk Cousins? O’Connell spent the 2017 season as Washington’s quarterbacks’ coach when Cousins was playing on his second consecutive franchise tag.

After O’Connell’s expected hiring, that leaves four coaching vacancies in the NFL: Jacksonville, New Orleans, Houston and Miami.

 

Former Washington offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is a wanted man

Kevin O’Connell was Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and spent three seasons in D.C.

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Could Kevin O’Connell be the next former Washington offensive coach to mean an NFL head-coaching position in 2022?

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Jacksonville Jaguars would like to speak to O’Connell about their head-coaching vacancy. O’Connell, the current Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator, cannot interview with the Jaguars until after the Super Bowl.

O’Connell’s Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game to earn a trip to Super Bowl LVI. Since the Jags didn’t do a first interview with O’Connell during divisional playoff week, they must now wait.

Last week, the Jaguars were expected to hire Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, but that hasn’t happened for various reasons.

The Jaguars aren’t the only team interested in O’Connell. The Minnesota Vikings already interviewed O’Connell and are expected to seek a second interview sometime this week, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.

O’Connell spent three seasons in Washington (2017-19). Former head coach Jay Gruden hired O’Connell as quarterbacks coach after McVay left for Los Angeles. In each of the next two offseasons, O’Connell received two promotions, and in 2019 he served as offensive coordinator.

Current Washington coach Ron Rivera was interested in keeping O’Connell on staff but it was believed O’Connell wanted to have a say in his offensive staff. Washington chose to go with Scott Turner and O’Connell signed with the Rams to serve as McVay’s offensive coordinator.

A former NFL quarterback, the 36-year-old O’Connell has long been viewed as a fast-riser in the coaching ranks.

If O’Connell lands a head-coaching job, that would mean both of Gruden’s offensive coordinators in Washington went on to serve as a head coach.

 

Steven Sims Jr. can become highly successful under new OC Scott Turner

Turner had great success in Carolina when fitting his gameplan to a player’s talents, which bodes well for Sims’ increasing role on offense.

One of the biggest issues for the Washington Redskins over the past several years is their inability to match the offensive scheme with offensive personnel. While the talent on the roster may have been able to play things out one way, the offense was often catered to a different type of playstyle.

With Kevin O’Connell as the play-caller in 2019, that started to change a little bit, and we will likely see is continue under Scott Turner, the Redskins’ newest offensive coordinator.

In his brief time as the OC with the Carolina Panthers, Turner was able to take the same problem and find a solution that fit his personnel. One of the best examples of how he did so regards wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who is a dynamic player when he gets the ball in his hands. Before Turner took over the play-calling duties, Samuel was often sent on deep routes where he could gain separation from the defense, but the quarterback was unable to get him the ball. Turner switched the mentality of the offense to get Samuel the ball out of the backfield and let him do what he does best — make people miss.

“He understands where his players win,” RotoWorld’s Josh Norris said of Turner, via NBC Sports Washington. “If they’re not getting the ball enough, [Turner] seems willing to draw up plays each and every week to get his players the ball.”

It’s hard to think of anyone other than Steven Sims Jr. when trying to picture who will benefit the most from Turner’s addition to the coaching staff. Sims is a bit of an anomaly, as he was the last player to make the team in 2019 after being signed as an undrafted free agent, and his talents on the kick-off return team impressed the coaching staff so much that they gave him a role in the offense. After getting him the ball a few times in the quick passing game, Sims showed how special he can really be, finishing his rookie season with over 300 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

We started to see O’Connell gameplan around Sims a bit near the end of the 2019 season, as he tried to get the ball to him in space and let the rookie go to work. It was highly successful. Now, we will get a chance to see Turner continue down the same path with Sims in year two, and hopefully help him realize much more offensive success.

Who knows, he may just turn Sims into the next Curtis Samuel.

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