The Minnesota Vikings beat the Seattle Seahawks 30-27 in Week 16. It marks Minnesota's 13th win as they maintain their own destiny in the NFC one-seed race. They had low expectations coming into the season and they dropped even lower when JJ McCarthy suffered a knee injury. The rookie quarterback says that Kevin O'Connell should be the Coach of the Year after this remarkable Vikings season.

“What’s the requirements for this Coach of The Year thing again? Asking for a friend,” McCarthy posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Kevin O'Connell has 34 wins in 50 games as the Vikings' head coach. After a seven-win season last year, they moved on from Kirk Cousins and went the rookie route at quarterback. McCarthy is out for the entire season with a knee injury so Sam Darnold is the starter. The once-failed first-round pick has won all 13 games and O'Connell deserves a ton of credit.

The Vikings came into the season with a wins over/under of 6.5. They cracked that total in November. Now, if they win out they will be the number-one seed in the NFC. While they have a quarterback controversy coming up this offseason, this season could be the one that finally ends in the Super Bowl for Minnesota.

Kevin O'Connell deserves the Coach of the Year with the Vikings rolling

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell stands on the sidelines against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
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The Vikings are not here without their coaching staff. O'Connell calls the offensive plays and gets everyone the ball, from Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones. Brian Flores has their defense balling out, including the game-sealing interception of Geno Smith on Sunday.

O'Connell did not win the Coach of the Year award in his first season, finishing a distant sixth behind Brian Daboll. His Giants beat the Vikings in the playoffs, finishing off Minnesota's fantastic season. They won every one-possession game they played that season until the playoffs.

Now, O'Connell should be the leader in the clubhouse for the Coach of the Year award. The award could be determined in Week 18, when the Vikings face Dan Campbell's Lions possibly for the NFC North title. Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, and Sean McDermott will all stake their claims for the award as well.

The Vikings and Lions are both 13-2 through 16 weeks. Minnesota hosts the Green Bay Packers while the Lions travel to San Francisco in Week 17. Depending on those results, the final week could determine who gets the all-important bye in the NFC playoffs. If the Vikings win that game, there is no question who the Coach of the Year should be.