The Minnesota Vikings have an opportunity to make a statement in Week 7's Monday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kevin O'Connell wants the Vikings to win so bad he has pulled out a trick out of his magic hat.
With the Vikings driving down the field, tight end TJ Hockenson went down with an injuries. Just before Hockenson was attended to by trainers, ESPN cameras caught O'Connell telling Hockenson to go down to the turf, via NFL correspondent Tanner Phifer.
On the surface, it appears that O'Connell is telling Hockenson to fake an injury. Going down gives Minnesota more time to devise up a game plan in a red zone situation.
But on the contrary, the Vikings had managed to string together a drive that got them into a scoring position. The momentum was on their side. Perhaps Hockenson was dealing with an actual ailment and O'Connell wanted him to get medical attention rather than play through it.
However, fans around the league are already skeptical of O'Connell's antics. He'll surely have to answer questions post game about his intentions in telling Hockenson to go down. If there is any evidence of O'Connell trying to slow down the game, a hefty fine would surely be headed his way.
If TJ Hockenson was dealing with a serious injury, it would be a major problem for the Vikings. His six receptions for 66 yards lead Minnesota at halftime. But if the newest NFL conspiracy comes true, Hockenson was dealing with a phantom injury as Kevin O'Connell tried to manipulate the clock.