At What Point Does the Kevin O’Connell Criticism Heat Up?
Being criticized is as inherent to being an NFL head coach as needing to make in-game adjustments. Kevin O’Connell, who is staring down his sophomore campaign as the lead coach, mostly made it through his opening season unscathed.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be perceived as the anti-Zimmer. By the end of his tenure, Mike Zimmer was often perceived in a negative manner. Too tough, too defense-focused, and too reluctant to adjust to an NFL that had so dramatically shifted toward passing the football. O’Connell, unlike his predecessor, comes across as down to earth and affable. The willingness to pass (and then pass some more) doesn’t hurt, either.
One does wonder, though, if the honeymoon phase will end in 2023. After all, most pundits and prophets are expecting a more disappointing season. If that occurs, will O’Connell start feeling the heat?
Kevin O’Connell and The Pressure of Being the Vikings’ HC
For the most part, Vikings fans and analysts directed their concerns toward Ed Donatell, an easy target given how disastrous the defense was.
On a weekly basis, the Vikings defense appeared almost completely disinterested in slowing down the opposing offense. Donatell remained relentlessly optimistic, an attribute that came to annoy some fans. Coming from the Vic Fangio school of defensive football meant that Donatell faced large expectations; the veteran defensive coach fell well short.
His defense finished the year having allowed the 3rd-most points against in the NFL. Even worse, Daniel Jones’ Giants dropped 31 points on Minnesota in the opening round of the playoffs. The week after, Jones and the Giants stumbled to just 7 points against the Eagles.
While concerns about Donatell are often valid, Kevin O’Connell is the one who decided to hire him in the first place. And, of course, O’Connell is responsible for the team in its entirety. If the defense is struggling, O’Connell needs to be instrumental in fixing the issue.
Moreover, the timing of the DC’s firing came across as odd. The team had a press conference following their opening-round loss to the New York Giants. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell faced the media with Donatell still on staff.
In fact, one of the opening questions was about Donatell. The coach deflected the direct question, merely noting that he’s working through the “process” and that he’s “in evaluation mode.” A day later, the announcement emerged that Donatell wouldn’t be returning.
- Press Conference: January 18th
- Ed Donatell Firing: January 19th
Truth be told, I didn’t love the timing. Basically everyone knew that a change was coming at DC and yet the team’s leaders decided until after the press conference to announce the move. Doing so kept the press conference from being hijacked by that topic, which certainly has its benefits.
One wonders, though, if it would have been better to have announced the firing earlier and then to take the questions head on with the media. It’s an approach that would have been both frustrating and uncomfortable at times, but there is also courage and accountability in immediately facing that public scrutiny after a hiring doesn’t work out.
Maybe the extra day really did cement O’Connell’s conviction that moving in a different direction at DC was the right move, but the appearance of how things played out isn’t particularly flattering.
Some are still skeptical about O’Connell’s effectiveness. For instance, Pro Football Network puts the former Patriots QB down at 21st in their coach hierarchy, betraying some concern about his abilities despite the impressive record: “Kevin O’Connell changed the culture in Minnesota, helping the Vikings move on from the dour atmosphere former head coach Mike Zimmer left behind. But it’s still unclear how good the Vikings actually are.”
For PFN, O’Connell will need “to prove it again in 2023.” Indeed.
For the record, I really like Kevin O’Connell and believe that he’s a good coach. Furthermore, my desire isn’t for him to face needless criticism, especially the kind of ridiculous vitriol that can circulate on social media. Criticism should always seek to be balanced and fair, neither personal nor delighting in someone’s downfall.
The point, folks, is simply that O’Connell has been sailing without headwinds slowing him down. Perhaps it simply feels notable given the widespread critiques that were directed at Zimmer in those final couple seasons and then the avalanche of online negativity surrounding Donatell’s defense. So far, O’Connell has been getting by alright in the criticism department.
A Vikings fan could very reasonably look at last season’s decision to hire Donatell, the team’s inability to efficiently run the football, Kirk Cousins being sacked far too much, the offense struggling to get the play in on time as the QB frantically yelled audibles while the clock ticked toward zero, and the special teams’ many gaffes and mishaps (among other concerns) as reasons to be concerned about Mr. O’Connell.
Winning 13 games covers many sins, something that was abundantly evident in 2022. If 2023 doesn’t bring the same win total, then the youthful HC will confront far more scrutiny from fans and media alike.
The Minnesota Vikings season begins on September 10th when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit U.S. Bank Stadium. Climbing to 1-0 is the expectation.
