Kevin O’Connell highlighting Myles Price’s touchdown catch sends a firm message every team needs to hear
Myles Price arguably had the catch of the weekend for a touchdown, and it’s a lesson everyone needs to hear.
The best offensive play the Minnesota Vikings had on Saturday afternoon came from wide receiver Myles Price, who caught a phenomenal one-handed pass from Carson Wentz.
It’s a really impressive throw and catch from Wentz to Price, and it gave the Vikings their only touchdown on the day. Head coach Kevin O’Connell shouted it out postgame.
“I thought that was a phenomenal catch to get us going a little bit from Carson [Wentz],” said O’Connell. Carson trusting it, anticipating it, and catch.”
Myles Price’s touchdown catch was born of opportunity
In a normal situation, you would never throw Price a fade route in the end zone. He’s 5-8.5 and 180 pounds, and much more of a slot receiver. These situations are born from opportunity, which was due to the personnel groupings they had for the game.
“It was you know in these games when you get down personnel groupings. We didn’t have enough to go real big so trying to run the football in and the goal to go can be difficult, especially when they’re committing so many people running through gaps and things like that,” O’Connell continued. “The fade route right there to Miles thought it was a great he worked his release and Carson, you know, put it out there for him. It’s not all all the time you throw the ball to one of your shortest receivers on a fade, but that’s a credit to Miles. That fade route to turn that turnover sudden change into points really won us the football game, along with not turning it over and how well our defense played.”
It makes sense why they would try a fade route just to see what happens. It’s also a great message to other players to make the most of the opportunity. I harken it back to Terrell Davis in 1995, where he made a name for himself on a kick return in the preseason.
That play ended up getting him chances to carry the ball, and launched one of the best four-year stretches for a running back in NFL history, where he finished second for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he made the Pro Bowl and was first-team All-Pro from 1996-1998.
Price likely won’t have the same kind of impact as Davis, nor can you expect him to. However, taking advantage of opportunity holds the same for every player. When you have it, take advantage and don’t let it go.
Price is currently trending to be WR5 and the returner for the Vikings, a spot that felt very up in the air going into the preseason.
