Minnesota Tim discusses the current state of the Vikings, analyzing their performance in the season so far, particularly focusing on quarterback Sam Darnold's ups and downs. He also delves into the dynamics of team support for Darnold, the coaching style of Kevin O'Connell, and the importance of adaptability in play calling.
Welcome into the show today.
A few things that I want to talk about via Minnesota Vikings podcast, and I'm excited to be here. As always, this is a Minnesota Vikings podcast by Minnesota Tim. I thank you for making this podcast part of your day while you're hearing. If you're watching on YouTube, hit that subscribe button right there. Greatly appreciate that. And if you're listening on Apple or Spotify, hit that subscribe or follow, rate review button. Whatever it is now feels like it changes every single week. How about there's a few Minnesota Vikings nuggets that I want to touch on and take a look at today. I'm ahead of their matchup a few days before the matchup against the Dynasy Titans. You know, the most important thing right now is that the Vikings are a seven to two football team and two of their losses are against some of the most brilliant offensive minds in the NFL, Ben Johnson Sean McVay. You know, getting torn up on defense by those two offensive coordinators, offensive geniuses, is no shame, and the Vikings shouldn't feel that way. And you know, even though it was an ugly victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They still got a victory, and at the end of the day, it's a win, you know, you know, look at the way they won, and you know it's not really a way that they can consistently win in the future.
But sometimes you just have to power through some.
Poor performances, get a w figured out the next week, and you still have three or four or five six more weeks until the playoffs begin, So you know, just now it's about getting yourself rammed up and prepared for that. But it's been clear that Sam Darnold has taken a step back since his first few games for the Minnesota Vikings, and you know, he's been exactly what I kind of pictured. He he shocked the world this year and he's playing his best football of his career.
And Mike comp for Sam Darnold.
Before this season began was former quarterback and now Thursday Amazon Primes Ryan Fitzpatrick.
You think about Fitzpatrick.
And he was mostly known for his time with the Buffalo Bills. He played sensational for like the first six weeks of the season, seven weeks whatever it was, and then got a big contract extension, signed a huge deal with the Bills. They put a bunch of money towards him, and then his play just tanked. And he kind of did that throughout his entire NFL career. He would show these five to six seven weeks of just unbelievable football play where it's like, you look like one of the top five quarterbacks in the league right now. He's got the beard, he had the finesse he had to look and then he would drop off and look like a second or third or fourth tier quarterback in the NFL, and it's like, we don't recognize this guy. And that's kind of who Sam Donald has been through the first what nine games for the Minnesota Vikings this season. You know, first five six weeks of the season, he's in the MVP chance, he's in the MVP conversation. And then you clearly saw a shift following the bye week. Just he was efficient against the Lions in the RAMS, but he was not as peer And I guess this goes back to the Jets game. He wasn't as peer against the Jets. He wasn't as clean as his decisions weren't as fluid, his accuracy was not as great as it was the first few weeks of the season, and now you look at what Sam Donald has done and it's like, Okay, we need to get you back to completing touchdowns in the red zone because at the beginning of the season, what the Vikars were doing so good early was that their ability was putting the ball into the end zone almost every single time when they got close. And we've clearly seen a shift towards field goals towards turnovers, and right now, Sam Darnold leads the NFL and turnovers right now, which seems impossible after you know the fact that he had only three interceptions after Week five.
So we've clearly seen a shift.
But I guess what is encouraging or is it really Following his poor performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars three picks in the red zone, I said it wasn't terrible because it wasn't a three and out, three and out, three and out.
Pick pick pick, pick pick thing.
He led seven scoring drives, at least the potential of having seven scoring drives, and that's rare.
That's rare air.
If you're gonna lead seven scoring drives, you would expect to blowout win. He just threw three picks in the red zone. The Vikings gonna put up forty points if he didn't turn the ball over in the red zone so many times on Sunday, which is crazy. You think about, you know, how poor he played, but how good he played up until that point. It's a little oxymoron ish because he played so well up into the red zone and then when he got there he just fell apart.
Aaron Jones and TJ.
Hockinson, they were interviewed by Caro Levin News and they had this to say about their quarterback.
I think it was out the last one. I just told him, I say, we're still here with you, baby, we got you. And he said, were good. We all knew he was just good.
Sam's one of those guys that you know, he's onto the next play before you know, I mean he even gets to the sideline. So Sam, Sam's incredible in the huddle, and you know, he doesn't even think about that stuff like that, like doesn't let things affect him, the outside stuff, and you know, so whenever he gets in the huddle, it's a new play.
So courtesy for of eleven News local news for the Minnesota Vikings getting those interviews with Aaron Jones and and t J. Hockinson to hear their.
Take on.
Sam Donald, and also the Purple Persuasion Twitter account that posted it that allowed me to have access to it by posting it. So might take away from Aaron Jones and TJ. Hoginson is it's one of those things where you can't really say anything else because he is your starting quarterback and you are stuck with Sam Donald regardless.
Of who is the other option.
Because what you aren't doing if you're Kevin O'Connell is putting in a guy like Nick Mullins. We are at a point as soon as Jajon McCarthy went down and Tors Meniscuez needed the surgery got placed on season ending ir immediately at that point, it became Sam Donald or die because you were not substituting Nick Mullins. Even on Sam Donald's worst day, and he could argue that the Jaguars game was close to one of his worst days possible, You're still not starting Nick Mullens because even on Sam Donald's worst day, he still gives your team way more potential than a guy like Nick Mullens can. The only time you're putting in Nick Mullens is if Sam Donald can't play, meaning he had to get carted off the field and he's on one leg. We saw Nick Mullens make one throw this year to Aaron Tevitch. Was crazy to think about that play. I think it's against the Jets. Sam Donald goes down like one plays like a third and four. Nick Mullens just slings it right away. This guy's a slinger, and I love that Kevin o'conn will put him in a situation to sling it. And Aaron Jones made a tremendous catch, But you're never starting Nick Mullins.
And the players know that. Aaron Jones and GJ.
Hoginson know that Sam Donald is the QB one for the Minnesota Vikings the rest of the season. And Minnesota Vikings players aren't going to show their support to him.
Because there's really no other choice.
And you don't want to make headlines by saying, you know, Sam Donald, he really stunk it up today.
We really lost belief in him.
Even if you're thinking that and you're talking to your teammates behind closed doors about that, the Minnesota Vikings roster right now, it appears, I want to say, it appears that besides, you know, one player, Joran Addison I'll just say it. It seems like everyone has a pretty good head on their shoulders, and they're good talkers. Seems like they stay out of trouble for the most part. They're good with the media, they're good teammates. You know, Justin Jefferson, the best wide receiver in football, didn't hold out when he didn't get a contract like Jamar Chasey didn't. He yelled out. He missed like the first game of the year. He almost missed the first game of the year if he didn't. But you got the best wide receiver in football showing up on a on a rookie contract and then playing every available game that he could play for the Vikings last year despite a hamstring injury. And now you got Aaron Jones and TJ. Hockinson's saying the right thing about Sam Darnold.
So I don't know.
I mean, I'm not buying really much into what these guys have to say because it's what they're supposed to say, And credit to them for saying what they're supposed to say.
But you're never really.
Going to get their full opinion on, you know, Sam Donald's play when a media member is asking him the question you gotta get like a secret microphone, you know, and under their clothing so that you can really hear their true opinions about teammates and stuff. There was another story shared by Alec Lewis, and Alec Lewis had this to say, and I'll share the screen with you if you're on YouTube watching this, and if you're on Apple or Spotify, I'll just.
Read it to you.
Alec Lewis says, Kevin O'Connell does not call place from a script. And here's what it says. Let's set straight a misunderstanding about Kevin O'Connell's play calling. The Minnesota Vikings coach does not call place from a script. Some NFL coaches do, especially early in games. They spend an ungodly amount of time brainstorming the correct way to unveil their plan. In a sense, o'connellists similar There are plays he prefers over others, some he knows he will call in the first quarter, but it is never definite and is always adaptable on the fly. I read this caption by Alec Lewis, and I believe that he's one hundred correct, But I believe that this is not a unique Kevin O'Connell kind of thing. I believe that every NFL head coach would adapt on the fly and change their play calling scheme or play calling sheet, or or their plan if it needed them to.
And let me explain what I mean by this.
If, for example, let's say the NFL coach that was coaching whatever team, the Detroit Lion. Let's say Johnson had a game plan, a script of ten plays to start the game, and let's say script number one play was a run game. Script number two play got two yards whatever, Script number two play was a play action pass Jared Goff incomplete to Aman Ross Aint Brown. Okay, so it's third and eight. Let's say that the script was a run play on third and one. Or let's say the script said you got a first down on second and night and then he got a first and ten, and then it's run play. If that third play is scripted to be a run, there is no way on any earth that Ben Johnson is going to stick to that script and run a run play to try to get a first down on third and eight. And FO coaches adapt on the fly all the time, and just like Kevin O'Connell, they have an idea and they want to do. They have plays that they prefer, and I'm sure NFL team script plays to a certain extent, just like Kevin O'Connell. I'm sure scripts plays to a certain extent. I'm sure that O'Connell knows before the game starts which offensive play that they're going to run first.
He's got to.
And then he adapts from there, as does every single NFL coach. So I hear this all unique skill set by Kevin O'Connell. Alec Lewis, O'Connell does not call plays from a script.
I believe that to be true.
But let's not just come out here and say, well, Kevin O'Connell's more unique than any other NFL coach.
I see as reporting they.
Spend an ungodly amount of time brainstorming the correct way to unveil their plan.
And I'm sure that's true to a certain extent.
But coaches, I'm sure have other plays in their back pocket that can go off script. If a third and eight, third and nine, third and one second and four play happens based on the outcome of their first two plays.
What I'm not believing is that they.
Have a script in their hand, and regardless of the down and the distance, they're calling that play regardless.
I don't think that's happening. And I don't think that whatever.
Happened because coaches need to fluctuate what they call based on the defensive looks, based on the outcome of the previous play, and much more so, I get it.
I love Kevin O'Connell as a coach.
He had a couple of calls in the Jacksonville Jaguars game that were highly questionable, like the reverse as the vikings were in the red zone. That was a questionable And I'm the last one to question play calls. I'm the last one to say that this play call sucked. Because it's the easiest thing to do to sit on the couch post play and say, wow, oh, what were you thinking.
On that one.
It's the easiest thing to sit on the couch on a third and one or third and two and say you should have.
Run the ball up the middle.
They run the ball up the middle, they get stuffed, and then you say, oh, you.
Know, they should have ran a play action.
Everybody knew the runout of the middle was coming, so I tried to pause and reflect on the actual play call before I dive into well, that was the worst play call ever, because it's a really, really tough position. I do not envy offensive or defensive coordinators because offensive coordinators, it's not like you have all day to.
Select a play.
You know, play clock starts over at forty as soon as the play's over, and you got to already have that play down. There's no like, okay, let me flip through this page of plays here and then let's just see what I like here. You got to have that play immediately to the quarterbacks so they can get to the line, Well, go to the huddle first, get to the line, check out of that play if they need to look at the defensive scheme on that play or line up or whatever you want to call it, and make a change if they need to. So before the play actually happens, they have to be a step ahead. It's not like, okay, let me just see what we got here. Let me take my time, let me really dive deep into my mind and then see what kind of play that we can run here. What makes offensive coordinators and play callers so good is there ability to see the.
Play ahead of the first play.
So you know, let's say it's a second and eight or whatever for the Vikings for Sam Darnold, and based on what happens on that play, Donald O'Connell has to have two play calls in his mind. He has to have an idea for a third and eight. He has to have an idea for a third and one, a third and four, maybe multiple plays.
In the back of his mind.
He's already got to be thinking about what play call he's calling next, because if you wait until that plays over, well, then it's got delay of game. I'm written all over it. Another play is third and one. Donald's already throwing three picks. He needed one yard. Aaron Jones was solid. He was back in the game at this point. After he got hurt. Run the ball play action, Donald takes a sack. You gotta pump the ball back to Jacksonville. That's a situation where I would have ran the ball because of Sam Donald's in apt play when the Minnesota Vikings needed it most. Sure, he drove the Vikings down the field seven times and had opportunities to score, but he was off and.
Everybody could tell he was off.
He was threw behind Justin Jefferson, A bunch of times, threw over Jordan Andison a couple of times. Once for sure he had a time to throw it into the end zone for a touchdown and overthrew them. So why are you trying to find something in Sam Donald that clearly is not there.
So Kevin O'Connell great play caller.
I'm a big fan of him as a head coach for the Vikings, and I hope he's the head.
Coach for a long time.
He's going to get a contract extension this summer, and there's gonna be no doubt about where he's going to be coaching long term. It will be for the Minnesota Vikings, and he will sign a contract extension this summer. But let's not act like he's, you know, the most unique player, person or coach in the NFL because he doesn't call plays from an exact script.
I bet a lot of coaches do the exact same thing.
But anyway, I think though those are doing two big takeaways by two Big takes from today show, and I'll be back again tomorrow. I think Tony will be joining me. Jake might be joining us as well. Last week we had a lot of fun and if you did not check out that episode of Minnesota Vikings Trivia.
It was a great, great time. It was Jake.
It was Jake versus Tony in a trivia contest to answer which players played for the Minnesota Vikings and Eagles. Tony is a big Eagles fan and Jake's a big Minnesota Vikings fan. This is a Minnesota Bikings podcast, So what we did was what players played for both teams, and I ran through the list of like A Randall Cunningham, A Chris Carter, Gary Anderson, Alynn Vall, Joseph. I think I did like five players and it was a good time. So if you haven't already, I would highly suggest that podcast because it was one of the funniest podcasts that we've done, and it was it was a good time. So do that if you have the time and energy and you just want a good laugh too, So hit that subscribe button right there, and thank you for making the Minnesota Tim podcast, a Minnesota Vikings podcast by Minnesota Tim.
A part of your day.
Thank you to the sponsors hopefully, and if anyone wants to sponsor this podcast, I reach out to my email Timothy Paul Parochka twenty three at gmail dot com