The Vikings Will Find Out What They Have in Kevin O'Connell This Season

After a long summer, the Minnesota Vikings have made their way to training camp.

It was just seven months ago that a 14-2 start to the season and a Week 18 showdown in Detroit evaporated into two disappointing losses and an offseason to think about what happened. Most of the actions were positive; the Vikings rebuilt the offensive line, had a solid draft, and did everything but declare J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback.

While all eyes will be on McCarthy, there’s something to say about the man handing him the keys. Kevin O’Connell may be as proud and nervous as a father ceding control of the family minivan to their eldest child. However, this training camp and upcoming season will say just as much about the head coach as anyone on the team.

Let’s start with a disclaimer. O’Connell isn’t going anywhere. After a chaotic moment where some believed he could be traded to another team, O’Connell signed a contract extension that reportedly runs through the 2029 season. The Vikings wouldn’t have made this deal if they didn’t think he was the right coach to lead this team.

After going 34-17 in the first three seasons, they’re pretty confident.

But the Vikings aren’t just expected to be good this season. They’re expected to contend in the NFC and potentially win a Super Bowl. It’s a storyline that has played out several times in franchise history over the past 35 years, but each time has produced an underwhelming tour.

The 1999 Vikings were still reeling from the sting of going 15-1 and losing in the NFC Championship game the previous year. However, they still had Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and many of the key pieces of the offense that would become one of the best in NFL history. The magic didn’t translate to that team as Minnesota benched Randall Cunningham, and Jeff George could only lead them to the NFC Divisional Round.

The 2001 Vikings had similar expectations. They were blown out in the infamous “41-donut” game against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game the year before. Still, they had plenty of weapons even after Robert Smith announced his retirement. However, the tragic death of Korey Stringer set the tone for that team in training camp, and a tumultuous season ended with Dennis Green’s firing in December.

Nine years later, the Vikings were coming off the sugar high of Brett Favre’s 2009 season. After retreating to Hattiesburg with his mangled ankle from the “Bountygate” loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game, several team leaders boarded a plane to follow him there and convinced him to come back for one more run. While “the pieces were in place,” the dominant images were the collapsed roof of the Metrodome, Brad Childress’ pink slip, and Moss making a disgusted look at a Tinucci’s menu.

Then there was the 2018 Vikings. The aftermath of the Minneapolis Miracle included a 38-7 steamrolling by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game and the first of Kirk Cousins’ victories at the negotiating table. Tony Sparano’s death dealt the Vikings a tough hand, and they never recovered as Cousins never felt comfortable in John DeFilippo’s offense and Minnesota missed the playoffs.

Even O’Connell has been in this situation during his tenure. The 2022 Vikings were a tremendous first chapter, taking most of Mike Zimmer’s team and guiding it to a 13-4 record. However, the following year held uncertain futures for T.J. Hockenson, Justin Jefferson, and Kirk Cousins as they headed into training camp.

While Hockenson had his contract issue resolved during training camp and Jefferson’s was figured out the following summer, Cousins’ status cast a cloud over the team. A hamstring injury for Jefferson and a torn achilles for Cousins torpedoed the season, and O’Connell was left to adapt.

You could nit-pick and say the 2022 team didn’t reach the NFC Championship game like the others on the list. However, that year raised the expectations. The same holds true for last season, when the Vikings finished 14-3 but the Los Angeles Rams beat them in the Wild Card Round. Minnesota has spent too many resources since then not to be a contender. So, how will O’Connell put the pieces together?

O’Connell has consistently galvanized his teams since joining Minnesota. While most of the 2022 team set out on a mission to spite Zimmer, the 2023 team remained engaged even after they endured a 1-4 start and lost Jefferson and Cousins to injury. Last year’s team may have been motivated by the 6.5 over/under line on their win total. Still, few Vikings coaches have been able to coax an extra gear when they’ve been in arm’s length of the Lombardi Trophy.

It could go a few different ways from there. If O’Connell presses the right buttons, this could not only be the team that makes their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1976 team, but a team that has its first franchise quarterback since Daunte Culpepper was throwing bombs to Moss. (Or if you prefer, Fran Tarkenton was scrambling in the backfield for Bud Grant.)

If O’Connell guesses wrong, he could become the early-career version of Green – a coach who was good enough in the regular season but couldn’t duplicate that success in the playoffs.

It’s something to keep an eye on while McCarthy is trying to win the starting job and the court of public opinion during training camp. It also will set the tone for a season that could define just what exactly the Vikings have in O’Connell.