Kevin O’Connell provides clarity on coaching decisions amid criticism for how he handled Carson Wentz’s shoulder injury
Context is key with this discussion.
There has been a lot of criticism for Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell going into their Week 9 matchup with the Detroit Lions. The biggest point of criticism with O’Connell was the handling of quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Vikings placed Wentz on injured reserve on Monday afternoon due to the shoulder injury he suffered against the Cleveland Browns. It was obvious he was in a high amount of pain, even visibly wincing and crying on camera.
Kevin O’Connell clarifies further why Carson Wentz played injured
It can be easy on the outside looking in to give a sitting coach criticism for something that happens on the field. However, there is often a lot of context we are missing. What we can see is a player who looks to be in excruciating pain and shouldn’t be on the field. Even so, there is context that we don’t have when watching the game on television or even live in the stadium.
During his weekly appearance with Paul Allen on KFAN, O’Connell explained further why Wentz ended up playing as long as he did on Thursday night.
This is where things get interesting. Wentz was cleared to play and wanted to play, as the injury he had wasn’t going to get worse. You can’t tear a labrum again. It’s already torn. Plus, Wentz wanted to play through this. You could argue it was to help the team, but in reality, this might be the last time that he will get to start in the NFL.
There is the other aspect as well. O’Connell was a former quarterback and understands the mentality of playing the position.
When you have that mindset of a warrior at quarterback and the medical team clears him, there is merit for O’Connell to give him that runway. However, once you see how much pain he’s in and what he’s dealing with, it’s the human element that comes into play more than anything.
As things sit, the Vikings won’t have to worry about Wentz playing injured anymore, but the public perception of O’Connell hasn’t been lower.
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