Kevin O’Connell Marks Weakness as a Top Priority for the Offseason

Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Vikings fans are used to their team coming up short in the playoffs. The last time the club won two playoff games in a season was almost four decades ago, and the organization has won only two playoff games since Brett Favre departed.

Kevin O’Connell Marks Weakness as a Top Priority for the Offseason

kevin O'Connell
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay shake hands after the NFC wild-card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Still, folks expected head coach Kevin O’Connell and his players to take care of the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of this year’s playoff journey. However, it was another poor showing, just eight days after the Lions defeated them in the race for the NFC North and the subsequent first-round bye week.

The final score was 27-9, in a contest that was practically over by halftime with a three-score deficit. Brian Flores’ defense couldn’t stop the Rams until it was too late, and O’Connell’s offense failed to move the ball against an average Rams defense (by the numbers).

Sam Darnold’s second consecutive underwhelming outing was part of the offensive struggle, which has surely cost him some money. He was indecisive, taking nine sacks. Another problem is the inability to run the football. That part improved from last year but is still insufficient.

NFL: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (holding ball) in action during the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Both the sacks and the subpar rushing attack fall, at least to some extent, on the offensive line. The Vikings, a franchise with an entire offensive line enshrined in Canton, Ohio, has not had a good front in years.

The fans’ joke “Can he play guard?” whenever a player is signed or drafted might have been retired in the last couple of years, but it is time to bring it back to life.

After the disappointing loss, head coach O’Connell stepped in front of the media to answer questions about the offensive line’s interior.

There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket.

There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at. I think those guys battled, that’s a good, young, fast, athletic front, but really when you look at it over the course of the entirety of the season, we lost to two football teams and both of them were able to do some similar things against us.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (92) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the second half in an NFC wild-card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The tackles are set (if healthy) with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Darrisaw suffered a devastating knee injury in the first matchup against the Rams, and O’Neill left the second game. Both play at a Pro Bowl-caliber level whenever they are on the field.

It’s finally time for the interior of the line to match that level, but the club must invest in free agency rather than attempting to find someone in the draft or acquire borderline starters for cheap and hope it’s enough to compete.

Center Garrett Bradbury and guards Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel are still under contract, while Dalton Risner is set to hit free agency for the third straight offseason.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey (52) and guard Trey Smith (65) walk to the field to warm up against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Vikings have roughly $70 million in cap space, and although some of that will go towards re-signing players, there should be some nice cash available to hire the best available free agents. Signing a pair of interior blockers seems to be finally on the docket.

After years of not having the available funds, this is, according to O’Connell, the year in which they put it on the to-do list.

Available players include Chiefs standout guard Trey Smith, Bears’ Teven Jenkins, Detroit’s Kevin Zeitler, and Pittsburgh’s James Daniels.

Top guards have eclipsed an annual salary of $20 million per season in recent years because other teams have started to realize how important it is to solidify the interior of the line to allow a quarterback to step into the pocket but also to ensure a solid running game.

It’s time for the Vikings to close the gap and build a good line from left to right like the Lions and the Eagles.


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