Kevin O'Connell Articles - Page 2

The Minnesota Vikings faced significant pressure as they hosted the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz had to take over for injured QB1 J.J. McCarthy, and he had joined the team  just a few weeks earlier. Head coach Kevin O’Connell had faith that Wentz could lead the […]

On Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings moved to 2-1 on the young 2025 NFL season with a home demolition of the Cincinnati Bengals. This game featured both teams playing without their starting quarterbacks, as Carson Wentz started in place of the injured JJ McCarthy, and Jake Browning took over for Joe Burrow. Needless to say, […]

On Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings will take the field at home for a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams will be playing with their backup quarterbacks in this game, as Carson Wentz takes the place of the injured JJ McCarthy, and Jake Browning takes over for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who recently suffered […]

The Minnesota Vikings hoped to start the season the same way they did a year ago. Head coach Kevin O’Connell installed a new quarterback in Sam Darnold, and his team ran off to a 5-0 start. O’Connell groomed untested quarterback JJ McCarthy to take over as the team’s signal caller this year after missing the […]

The Minnesota Vikings entered Week 2 hoping to build momentum after narrowly escaping with a comeback win in their season opener. Instead, they delivered one of their most lifeless performances in recent memory. From the opening whistle to the final muffed punt, the Vikings were thoroughly outclassed by the Atlanta Falcons. What made the defeat […]

The Minnesota Vikings sit at 1-1 overall with JJ McCarthy leading the offense. McCarthy won over his team and Vikings fans by leading an epic Week 1 comeback over the Chicago Bears. However, there are now some concerns as McCarthy is working through an injury. McCarthy is now dealing with a high ankle sprain following […]

The Minnesota Vikings had an early scare against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at US Bank Stadium. The visitors started the scoring with back-to-back field goals until the Vikings scored two of their own courtesy of Will Reichard in the second period to remain afloat, 9-6, at halftime. Unfortunately, those were the last points of […]

The Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy era started with a bang as the second-year quarterback led the team to a wild comeback win over the Chicago Bears in the season opener. Minnesota hopes to carry that momentum into Week 2’s matchup against the 0-1 Atlanta Falcons. However, the Vikings could once again be without veteran safety […]

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a 14-3 season in which they earned the best record in NFL history of any team that did not win their division title. Head coach Kevin O’Connell knows that his team has multiple areas of strength, and one spot he knows that will regularly come through is the wide […]

The Vikings got off to a spectacular start in the 2025 season, winning their first game of the season thanks to a spectacular comeback in the fourth quarter led by quarterback JJ McCarthy. The second-year leader missed all of the 2024 season due to an injury, but he threw two touchdown passes and ran for […]

With the Minnesota Vikings preparing for a Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the latest development shows that starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy couldn’t participate in Thursday’s practice session. After McCarthy led the Vikings in an epic win over the Chicago Bears in Week 1, he missed practice on Thursday for a good reason as […]

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the best teams in the NFL and proved it on Monday night in their comeback win against the Chicago Bears. Many believe head coach Kevin O’Connell is one of the top coaches in the NFL, as he has been nothing short of elite since taking the job in Minnesota. […]

The Minnesota Vikings started their season with a gutsy 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Some late-game heroics from quarterback J.J. McCarthy helped seal the win, but head coach Kevin O’Connell was not fully happy with the team’s performance. O’Connell told Michael Silver of The Athletic that the group will have to […]

The Minnesota Vikings started Week 1 off with an emphatic win on the road. Minnesota rallied in the fourth quarter, completing a 21-point comeback to beat Chicago 27-24. Second-year QB J.J. McCarthy played a big role in the impressive win. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell smiled while answering questions after the big win. O’Connell joked […]

J.J. McCarthy delivered a dramatic Monday Night Football finish as the Minnesota Vikings finally snapped a frustrating 14-game skid, rallying from 11+ points down in the second half at Chicago to escape with a 27-24 victory. The rookie quarterback, making his long-awaited NFL debut after missing 2024 with an ACL tear, overcame an interception and […]

To begin his first career start, it looked like quarterback JJ McCarthy was going through some understandable jitters. He seemed almost rattled, as he made some questionable decisions and uncharacteristically poor throws, and the Minnesota Vikings ended up trailing the Chicago Bears by 11 at the end of three quarters. But McCarthy seemed to figure […]

JJ McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings treated NFL fans to one more primetime comeback. Ending a brutal 14-game trend in the process against the Chicago Bears. McCarthy sparked Minnesota’s rally following a costly interception, erasing an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to win 27-24. Their comeback arrived 24 hours after the Buffalo Bills’ improbable victory over […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is a growing quarterback whisperer. He reignited Matthew Stafford’s career in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams before turning around Sam Darnold’s last season. Now he’s working with JJ McCarthy — including making early adjustments. McCarthy turned to meditation for his much-anticipated NFL debut. But he also put eye […]

The Minnesota Vikings have a young quarterback trying to find his NFL way as they open against a rival. However, O’Connell used a Michael Phelps analogy to describe how teams have failed their young quarterbacks. O’Connell said it’s mind-boggling the way NFL teams approach the quarterback situation sometimes, according to ESPN. “In what world do […]

Quarterback JJ McCarthy already stands as the future face of the franchise, and now he’s ready to embrace the spotlight and lead the next chapter for the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell named him one of the team’s 2025 captains after McCarthy quickly earned the trust of both coaches and teammates. Head Coach […]

The Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver depth has quickly become a concern as the 2025 season approaches. ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler believes a familiar face could be the solution. With Jordan Addison set to serve a three-game NFL suspension, Rondale Moore out for the year with a knee injury, and Jalen Nailor recovering from a […]

Kevin O’Connell didn’t have the best injury update for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor as the preseason winds down. Nailor suffered a hand injury during training camp, having been on the sidelines throughout the preseason. After the Vikings’ second preseason contest against the New England Patriots, O’Connell gave an update on how the receiver […]

The Minnesota Vikings were holding a quarterback competition between journeyman Sam Darnold and first-year passer J.J. McCarthy last offseason. After the rookie tore his meniscus in the preseason, Darnold took the starting job and ran with it. The Vikings developed a potent passing game with the veteran, finishing the year 14-3. In 2025, Minnesota will […]

The Minnesota Vikings went 14-3 last season. Kevin O’Connell’s offense was dominant despite a poor playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Experts thought that Minnesota losing Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks would be a tough blow. However, O’Connell believes that J.J. McCarthy can succeed in an offense featuring Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the unique expectations surrounding rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy during a recent appearance on Scoop City, speaking with The Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini on Friday. “As I’ve told JJ and I’ve told our offensive unit. It should be a good thing that the expectations for not only […]

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has nothing but good things to say about J.J. McCarthy. On Friday, O’Connell continued to heap praise on McCarthy for his recent practice performance with the New England Patriots, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. On Thursday, the Vikings and Patriots held a joint practice session. McCarthy was on top […]

After New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel clarified his recent Drake Maye comments over leadership, he roasted Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell with the same Tom Brady line as Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Amidst joint practice leading up to New England’s preseason opener against the Commanders, a reporter asked what Vrabel […]

Justin Jefferson has been dealing with an injury in recent weeks after suffering a mild hamstring strain in his left leg in late July. He hasn’t been able to participate in the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp sessions since then. However, it sounds like the star wideout could be on the verge of returning, but there […]

After Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was carted off in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans, there were many concerns about the severity of the injury. There is now a grim update regarding the Vikings’ wide out as the team officially announces that they have placed Moore on the season-ending injured list (IL). […]

One year after suffering a torn meniscus that ended his rookie season before it even started, J.J. McCarthy returned to the field against the Houston Texans on Saturday. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback only played one series in the preseason opener, but it was more than enough to impress head coach Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings played […]

The Minnesota Vikings opened the preseason portion of their schedule with a 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans, and it appears that starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy was able to finish his first-quarter assignment without any injury. A year ago, McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the opening preseason game of the year. However, the Vikings […]

The Minnesota Vikings are in one of the more unique situations in the NFL, having experienced a great regular season last year that defied expectations but then letting their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, walk in free agency. Minnesota is now handing over the reins to 2024 first round draft pick JJ McCarthy, who missed all […]

The NFL Training Camp experience for Minnesota Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy has been anything but uneventful. The rookie quarterback is riding a roller-coaster of development, and according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, his camp performances fall into two categories: “great moments” and “unbelievable teaching moments.” The Vikings knew this process wouldn’t be linear. JJ McCarthy […]

These are not the same Minnesota Vikings that won 14 games last season, which is the second-highest mark in franchise history. That may not be a bad thing, though, considering they lost by double digits to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round. How this squad moves forward will depend greatly on […]

Sam Darnold parlayed his career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 into a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Now Seattle is hoping Darnold can build on last season’s success and lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is […]

The Minnesota Vikings were one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the first 17 weeks of the regular season a year ago. They brought a nine-game winning streak into their last regular season game against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings were beaten badly by their division rivals, and that loss cost them the […]

The Minnesota Vikings have become one of the elite teams in the NFC under head coach Kevin O’Connell. After winning 13 games and the NFC North title in 2022 and 14 games last season, O’Connell has earned a great deal of respect from his peers and keen NFL observers. O’Connell’s greatest strength is his ability […]

The Minnesota Vikings were one of the best stories in the NFL during the 2024 season. Minnesota shocked the world by winning 14 games with Sam Darnold at quarterback. Could the Vikings do the same thing in 2025 under second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy? Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear in a recent interview […]

The Minnesota Vikings were so close to having a remarkable season in 2024. They started the season with five straight victories, and after a pair of losses they came through with a nine-game winning streak. The Vikings were 14-2 going into their regular season finale against the powerful Detroit Lions. A win in that game […]