Minnesota Vikings continued issue in one crucial area has been holding them back, and Kevin O’Connell has taken notice

It’s something they need to fix immediately

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell reacts in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL International Series game at Croke Park.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We know that injuries have been the story of the 2025 Minnesota Vikings. They have missed multiple starters across the board, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

You can argue that the Vikings’ 2-2 record is mainly due to their injuries hindering the execution on the field, especially on the offense. The offensive line has already had four starts missed, with significant portions of other starts missing as well.

Because of starters missing time, there have been some major issues across the board, and the biggest one has cost the Vikings points this season.

Penalties are a huge issue for the Vikings

This season, penalties have been one of the biggest issues for the Vikings. It’s been rough on all three phases, and they have continuously shot themselves in the foot. This season, the Vikings have had 37 penalties, second most in the NFL.

Of those penalties, 16 are pre-snap penalties.

It’s a little ridiculous that the Vikings are dealing with this many procedural penalties because this is a veteran coaching staff that has been together for a few years. Head coach Kevin O’Connell talked about that during his weekly appearance with the voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen.

“You can’t allow any of the factors that might be contributing to those things be an excuse,” said O’Connell about the penalties. “If somebody were to tell me, ‘Hey, I know you’ve had a couple centers in there, a couple quarterbacks, different cadences.’ I don’t buy into any of that. I think we’ve got to find a way to execute at a higher level, and we’ve had some of the critical offensive penalties that we’ve seen have been in the pre-snap variety, where they come on a third and six, then all of a sudden you’re third and 11.

“It’s some things that we clearly have to coach better, and we’ve got to get back to our standard of pre- and post-snap execution. And then some of the things, extracurricular-wise, on Sunday, we knew it was going to be that kind of game. And we’ve got to understand that’s what the three and a half hours are going to be every Sunday in this league. That’s the competition. That’s the highest level of it, and sometimes some of those between the ears kind of warfare that goes on to try to elicit stealing some yards here and there. We can’t let it happen.”

There is some truth to the fact that numerous players have played at the critical positions. Cadence is a major factor in false starts, and having players rotating at quarterback and center makes it more difficult.

However, O’Connell is right in that it’s not an excuse. This is the NFL, and you need to play up to that level. The Vikings have had issues across the board getting set and ready for each play on offense, and they need to get themselves ready in a more timely manner.

That likely won’t come until after the bye week. O’Connell will likely have something to work on with his unit, as the process from the end of the play to the snap is taking too long, with numerous errors across the board.

Last season, the Vikings were tied for 15th in penalties with 112 (Baltimore Ravens had the most with 140). The hope is they can end the season around that mark, or better.

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