Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell gives firm answer about play-calling concerns with necessary context outside of looking at stats
The answer to the perceived play calling issues is not simple in the slightest.
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the Minnesota Vikings’ offense, and a lot of that boils down to head coach Kevin O’Connell’s play-calling.
One of the biggest issues for the Vikings has been their short-yardage play-calling. With J.J. McCarthy under center, they have yet to convert a third and short through the air with a completion on 14 attempts. That’s a crazy number when you think about it, but there is a difference between looking at the stats from a macro perspective and looking at the micro of each individual play call.
If you’d like to examine the details of each play call, I have them all listed in this thread.
Kevin O’Connell addresses perceived play-calling issues
When discussing play-calling, many focus solely on a results-based approach. It’s still way more complicated than whether or not it was a run or a pass.
“I think you have to establish what we are talking about from a standpoint of third and ones, third and twos, third and threes, third and two to five,” said O’Connell. “How defenses are going to align, based upon the front structures that they want to kind of get in.”
This is a major aspect of play-calling. You can look at the down and distance of a play to get a semblance of what it should be, but there are variables that you can’t see unless you look at every single play, especially when it comes to game script and tendencies. It’s a big chess match between the defensive coordinator and O’Connell.
“We’ve had multiple runs called in those situations where parameters take us out of those looks, or we have a run-pass solution on them, and we’ve converted,” said O’Connell. “We’ve had multiple run plays called on early downs where we’ve thrown the ball and got an 11-yard completion, got a nine-yard completion, and we look at those as statistically part of the run game. I know that doesn’t necessarily fall under that category as a whole, but there’s no question, we’ve had success, specifically this year, in the short yardage situations.”
This is one aspect that doesn’t get discussed enough. When O’Connell calls a play, McCarthy has two at his disposal. He can “can” the play by shouting it out and using both hands to hit his helmet, changing the call to the other play given in the huddle. It’s part of the reason why the passing numbers were so high against the Ravens in neutral situations, with 25 passes and 11 runs without having to worry about the clock or being down two scores.
Ultimately, it all comes down to execution.
“Whether it’s the third 1/3, and one chance against Atlanta early on in the year, or the third and one from the other day [Jalen Nailor 62-yard catch], you as a head coach, a play-caller, I can’t really make the decision based upon missing an open player or having Justin [Jefferson] one on one for really the only time all day,” said O’Connell. “And the last thing you think that’s going to do is end up in an interception, where you have that run play in mind for fourth and one. That’s kind of like the quarterback discussion.”
If you believe that your players can make the play on the field, you call the play. It’s not always about what we see on Sundays, but what the coaching staff sees during the week at practice.
“Play-calling is something that we put a lot of work into as a staff, and I put a lot of work into it. And it’s a results-based thing, play-to-play, game-to-game, [I’m] well aware of that,” said O’Connell. “But that does not mean that I’m not always evaluating the best way to play every snap sequence of games, and ultimately, what’s best for this team this year. And I’m doing that, and I think you’ll see some things reflected in that, but also the defense has a hand in it as well, and the last thing you want to do is just do it [run the ball] for the sake of doing it and then have it be not as productive as you would hope, just to get some things in a column somewhere, statistical call.”
We can look at the lack of rushing the football as the biggest issue, but it’s not as simple as just more handoffs to the running backs. O’Connell has the right process with his play-calling, and looking at the macro numbers doesn’t do enough to explain what’s really going on with the play-calling.
The answer is simple: the Vikings need to play better.
Minnesota Vikings News
Kevin O’Connell’s play-calling is under severe fire, but the issues surrounding it aren’t as dire for the Vikings as it may seem
The discussion about Kevin O’Connell’s play calling isn’t one that has a simple answer.
Minnesota Vikings News
‘I’ve been one of Speedy’s biggest fans’ — Wes Phillips raves about emerging Vikings star from maligned 2022 NFL Draft class
Jalen Nailor has been the biggest surprise for the Vikings this season.
