Kevin O’Connell Goes Viral for Postgame Conversation
Kevin O’Connell is an eternal optimist. Sometimes, that optimism even spills out into interactions with the opposition.
After taking down the Indianapolis Colts, O’Connell briefly chatted with the recently-benched Anthony Richardson. The microphones picked up what was said and social media has since chimed in with reactions to the head coach’s message to the young passer.
Kevin O’Connell & The Viral Clip
Start off with what was said.
In O’Connell’s mind, Richardson has a bright future. The Vikings’ head coach calls Indy’s young passer “a bad dude” who is “going to play a long time in this league.” The final instruction is to “go to work everyday” before explaining that the Colts still “believe” in their highly-picked passer.
Go ahead and watch the clip:
People around the Vikings and the league more broadly took note.
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North offered this thought: “Wow. Super cool to hear. Kevin O’Connell’s ability to connect with guys is remarkable. O’Connell’s own experience as a player has enabled him to see things through the eyes of a young QB.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert had a reaction: “Vikings really liked Anthony Richardson in the 2023 draft, although they had no chance to get him. Very cool exchange here with Kevin O’Connell…”
Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team weighed in: “This is pretty awesome: #Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell with a great message to #Colts QB Anthony Richardson after Sunday night’s game….”
Field Yates of ESPN had this to say: “Kevin O’Connell is obviously impressive with his X’s and O’s ability, but it feels like his ability to connect with players – on his own team or not – is equally impressive. Really cool moment here.”
Look around online and you’ll find more examples. The list above isn’t exhaustive. Rather, it’s a mere sampling of some of the positive sentiments being directed at Coach O’Connell.
The Week 9 game involved veteran Joe Flacco getting the nod over Richardson. After all, the sophomore is off to a horrendous start to 2024, completing a hard-to-fathom 44.4% of his passes. The completion percentage alone is reason to seriously consider benching the upside passer.
But then there was the very weird, very misguided decision to take himself out of the game due to being tired. Plus, he has just 4 touchdowns to stand alongside 7 interceptions. The 57.2 passer rating is an eyesore.
O’Connell, though, decided to put a positive spin on things. He chose to uplift Richardson, praising his ability while giving him some advice — keep working — while offering encouragement — the leadership in Indy still believes in him.
Meanwhile, Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold is enjoying the best season of his professional career. O’Connell, no doubt, is a key part of the equation.
The former No. 3 overall pick wasn’t exactly known for accuracy prior to becoming a Viking. So far, Darnold is sitting on a 69.5% completion rate. Even better, he has 17 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions to stand alongside 1,900 passing yards. Darnold’s passer rating is a career-best 107.8.
O’Connell deserves a pile of credit for Darnold’s resurgence, Minnesota’s 8th-ranked offense (26.1 PPG), and the 6-2 record.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.