Kevin O’Connell Got the Trophy In Latest Poll

It feels like the Vikings were hosting Jim Harbaugh for an interview in their headquarters yesterday, trying to figure out if he was the right guy for the head coaching job following Mike Zimmer’s unceremonious exit. He was expected to land the gig. Shockingly, however, the Vikings decided to go a different way and appointed Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.
Kevin O’Connell Got the Trophy In Latest Poll

They were willing to wait for O’Connell, who still had to finish his playoff journey with the Los Angeles Rams, climaxing in the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
O’Connell arrived for his opening press conference, and Vikings fans all over the place immediately fell in love with the new guy in charge — a young and charismatic head coach with an offensive focus and seemingly unlimited energy.
In year one, his newly installed culture elevated the team to a magical 13-4 record despite all analytics suggesting it was an average (or worse) group. Well, those analytics were right in the playoffs when the Vikings got bounced by the New York Giants.

Minnesota’s 7-10 down-year in 2023 was frustrating, but the lack of quarterback talent for nine of the 17 games was too much to overcome. Year three was supposed to be another tough year following Kirk Cousins‘ departure, but the organization has surprised even the most optimistic fans, posting a 12-2 record through 14 games.
Exceeding expectations ‒ the preseason win total was set somewhere between six and seven wins ‒ more than any other team, combined with helping Sam Darnold enjoy a career year, are the two reasons why his name has been tossed into Coach of the Year conversations.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero released his annual award poll with executives from 27 teams. He asked them who their favorite is for major awards like MVP and Rookie of the Year.

No Viking earned any hardware in the poll…besides coach O’Connell ‒ and it was not close. Pelissero wrote:
It was a landslide win for O’Connell, who received 16.5 votes — 13.5 more than any other candidate. He has the Vikings in position to win the NFC North and potentially secure the No. 1 seed with a castoff quarterback, Sam Darnold, playing the best football of his life on a one-year contract. Only the Packers have led for more total game time this season than the Vikings, who also have seven comeback wins and seven one-possession wins. Few teams are as well-trained at situational football. O’Connell has built a culture that players want to be part of.
With a 12-2 record, the Vikings currently tie the Lions for the top spot in the NFC North. The two franchises meet in Week 18, which could decide the division crown and impact playoff seeding.

O’Connell received 16.5 of the 26 votes. Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin got three for his remarkable season with Russell Wilson at QB1. He’s in the driver’s seat in the tough AFC North.
Division rival Dan Campbell received two votes just like Andy Reid. The current leaders in their respective conferences are victims of the high preseason expectations. It’s Super Bowl or bust for both teams, so it’s impossible to overcome the expectations.
Sean McVay received 1.5 votes for keeping his injury-plagued Rams in the playoff race while Buffalo’s Sean McDermott earned one vote.
Minnesota’s coach is also the betting favorite for the honors.
It’s becoming more and more obvious, the Vikings hired the right coach in 2022. His crew must finish the season strong and the hardware will come to the Twin Cities.

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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt