MINNEAPOLIS — In the 207 days between Kevin O’Connell’s hiring and his first game, the new Minnesota Vikings head coach has talked about a lot of things he wants to implement when heading into the final game against the Green Bay Packers. He wanted to be innovative and aggressive, uniting a group that had grown dissatisfied with the previous regime.
Sometimes plans come together.
The Vikings’ offense totaled 395 yards on an impressive 6.5 yards per play in the 23-7 win over the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Playing to Kirk Cousins’ strengths was also a major part of the conversation between O’Connell’s joining the Vikings and Sunday’s game. Cousins impresses as he leaves the stadium with his QB rating of 118.9, and considering the conditions of the game, he posted a mark (80.7) that would be his fourth-best performing QBR last year on ESPN. did. His comfort was proven by his 64-yard pass to Justin Jefferson. The veteran QB stepped up into the pocket and found his star his receiver wide open.
“Kirk had some great moves in the pocket to keep an eye on, and I thought it was a great opportunity,” O’Connell said. “His presence in the pocket today was really, really good…a few times I thought they were close to grabbing him. He checked the ball when he needed to, but he I pushed the ball into the field. [opportunities] Presented himself and was really, really happy with the way Kirk played. ”
Since day one of the offseason, Jefferson has been thrilled with his new offense, revealing plans to become known as the best receiver in the NFL by the end of the 2022 season. He certainly did those quotes from the opening kickoff well. He converted a third down and scored a touchdown on the opening drive. And even after his quick start, the Packers had no answer. you may have noticed.
“We moved him around a lot and asked him to play multiple spots,” says O’Connell. “He’s not just an X receiver lining up here to direct coverage. We’re not going to let that happen. Thanks to Adam and KJ and Jalen and obviously Irv and the rest of the group.” They play a complementary role in helping Justin open up a few times.
Going into the game, it was expected that Jefferson would face Packers star corner Jaile Alexander more often. Instead, Alexander’s chances of shutting down Jefferson seemed limited.
“That’s what I love about our offense,” Jefferson said. “We are attacking so many players that we cannot stick to one player.”
Irv Smith Jr., who said he played limited snaps because the team had a “game plan” for him coming back from thumb surgery, said what the Packers defense was going to do against Jefferson. It didn’t even matter… Open regardless.
“Not surprisingly, he has a mismatched gait,” Smith Jr. said. “You want to double-team him? Okay. They probably double-teamed him today and he was open. It just shows he’s a player.”
Of course, the Viking offensive line played a role. Cousins was sacked only once, had time to pitch throughout the afternoon, and he was rarely noticed peeling off the turf.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill said, “I think we’re going to see a better offensive line than we’ve seen in years.
Part of that declaration was because the Vikings aimed to improve the position of the right guard. Rookie Ed Ingram lost by one shot, but overall there was no apparent weakness in his O-line, which has often been the case in the past.
“He was very mature in the way he handled different situations and communications that came up,” O’Neill said of Ingram. , treated himself like an adult.
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After a full and healthy first offseason, Christian Dalisault, who made a leap in his second year, helped the Packers’ fierce D by practicing against edge rushers Zadarius Smith and Daniel Hunter during camp. He emphasized that he was ready for the line.
“Players going full speed on the other side of the ball. We feel like we have one of the best defenses in the league, so getting a rep against those guys will set us up. , it was shown today,” said Dalisault. “Some teams are in no hurry to have these two stud defensive ends. They’re not the same, so it’s great to get those rep against them. Two different guys.” Man, a unique move and skill set. Me and Brian going up against them…it’s great.”
Several Vikings players admitted their offense was complicated in the weeks leading up to Week 1 and had been training hard all summer in camp, but the starters weren’t ready to end the preseason. There was no mess or obvious signs of rust from skipping. This is a new strategy. of O’Connell prioritizing team health.
“I had a good feeling about it, but you won’t know until you get out there and try it,” O’Neill said. [I would say]”I love it, I love everything about it.”
“coach [O’Connell] Smith Jr. said:
The Vikings head coach managed the first game offensively for the most part. He scored his first touchdown on fourth down and dialed up a 22-yard pass from Cousins to Adam Thielen on third down late in the game.
“Many times our linemen, receivers and backs would come and say, ‘Turn it up, turn it up.’ We are going to attack on our terms,” said O’Connell. “You do it for efficiency.”
So it all came together against a team that has a lot of talent on defense and has the highest expectations. But it’s worth mentioning that in Cousins’ first three weeks last year, he posted his QB ratings of 106.8, 122.4 and 128.4. The Vikings need to reflect and repeat what they did Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles next week. monday night football.
How will they keep doing it week after week? For a team that has struggled with consistency issues in recent years, Darrisaw has put together how they can make it work week after week. .
“Trust me,” he said.
Kevin O’Connell certainly earned that credibility in his first game.
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