November 12, 2025 • 20 mins
PA hosts Xs and Os ahead of the matchup with the Bears and is joined by Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
It is time for x'es and o's with Minnesota Vikings
head coach Kevin o'connole. Welcome Minnesota Vikings Radio Network now
from the TCO studios at Egan. Here is the voice
of the Vikings, Paul Allen.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Welcome into X and O's with Kevin O'Connell, presented it
by Ken Moore and heads up high Ves extending their
support of local families by providing affordable meals until November fourteenth,
from four to seven pm at all stores with hot
food service. These meals will continue to be available for
children ages twelve and under for free. For everyone else,
the same meal will be available for three dollars with
options for dine in or takeout.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
This week.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
The Minnesota Vikings will support this effort at Cottage Grove, Egan,
and Lakeville locations. To stop by your local high v
to see your favorite Minnesota Vikings cheerleader, legend or Victor
the Viking. Now X and O's of Kevin o'conn.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Kevin O'Connell, coach if the Minnesota Vikings joins us each
and every Tuesday at about this time in the business,
we call it XES and o's. If you're hearing it
live on Tuesday. Welcome if you're watching it at vikings
dot com. Welcome if you're hearing it Wednesday evening with
the playback at x'es and o's welcome to you too,
and the head coach joins us. Now, how are the
(01:11):
wife and kids and how are Bill and Suzanne doing well?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
No pool jumps this past weekend as you as you saw,
my dad after the Lions game jumped in his non
heated San Diego.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Pool, as did your mom, just about everybody did.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
But unfortunately, no no pool pool jumps this past Sunday.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
But there was there was some pool jumping, yeah there was,
but no diving board.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
No, that's right, Yeah, no it was.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know, they're doing well, kids are doing well, excellent,
fighting through a little got some got a sick kid
at home. But you know, we're fighting through it a
little bit. Listeners out there going through the same four.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Children, right, Yes, so you have sick kid, which means
you're going to have six sick kids. Zah, exactly eventually.
But like a lot of things, that too shall pass.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Like a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And and we welcome Kevin to the show. Now let
me ask you this question. Bill and Suzanne, I'm glad
things are well. Lee and the kids right on Chicago's
plus fourteen and the take give with the league best
twenty takes. How's that happening?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, I think they you know, they've given up some yards,
they've owned up some plays, but they have really, you know,
very similar to us a year ago.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
If you think about it.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Defensively, we were leading the league in turnovers and it
felt like all those extra possessions gave us a lot
of opportunities to win games, you know, tight games, games
where we needed to, you know, find a rhythm offensively,
and we were able to do that.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And I think it's been very similar.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, they've been able to force some big turnovers
and some big moments and it's ultimately led to it's
ultimately led to, you know, those guys having chances to
win a lot of games. They've you know, Ben's done
a great job, you know, with that entire team, and
I think DA has kind of really centered on, hey,
we're going to force turnovers. We might give up a
play here or there, but we're going to be explosive
(03:05):
in forcing turnovers getting to the quarterback at times. They've
got a nice third down pressure package that's been very
successful for him, allowing them to get to the quarterback
and definitely a challenge.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
As we learned in the opener.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
It took us a good bit there to find a
rhythm and then when we did, we were able to
move it and score.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Dallas Turner. I heard the press conference yesterday and I'm
you know, how can the league look at that sack
and find any problem with it? And as a teacher
like you are, you're a coach, but you're a teacher, Well,
how does one teach and subsequently how does one learn
to avoid whatever one allegedly did wrong.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, well, you're here a lot during training camp, Pa Pete,
I think you're here every day, but you guys will
see those guys doing drills on the heavy bag or
on the tall bags of getting to the you know,
simulating getting to the quarterback, you know, striking and legally,
you know, understanding where the strike zone is. And then
the last phase of it that has become a big
(04:03):
part of the league of protecting quarterbacks is that you know,
you know, fully putting your body weight on top of
the quarterback is as he goes down. It's probably the
part of roughing the passer that you know, if if
a lot of the old school NFL fans and guys
that used to sack the quarterback a lot in the league.
I've talked to a lot of our former you know,
(04:24):
Vikings legends that look at that and say, how in
the world can that be a penalty? But the way
the line by line rule of roughing the passer is now,
it is indeed a penalty. And you just got to
try to find a way to slide, you know, off
to the side in any way, shape or formance now,
and it's very, very difficult to do.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I've always sounds like it's gonna lead to a face mask.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And well, either that or you know, you're gonna have
a guy missing some opportunities on sacks because they're you know,
trying to maybe start that process to slide to the
side early or quarterbacks you know, unfortunately they do they
do move. You know, Jonathan Garnard, if the quarterback didn't move,
Jonathan Garnard would have about ten right now with how
much he's gotten to the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And that's just part of it.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
But it makes it very difficult for these guys to
play violently and physically and defeat blocks and then when
they arrive at the quarterback, there's a whole new set
of rules that are in play, and they've been you know,
it's been a few years now, that rule and we
understand it.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Okay, Well, and this is you know, this is not
like Paul Allen Homer announcer guy. Because in the game
at Ford Field, honestly, I thought there were two calls
against the Lions that I thought were garbage, And when
Pete and I are calling the game, I'm like, well,
I don't get that man Hutchinson whomever else it was.
So that this is just trying to get a hold
(05:40):
of it on a week to week basis, because we've
seen somebody sack hit and then huh they lunge their
body super heavy on top of the guy. That wasn't
it And so okay, so now if you wrap up
around the waist on the sack, well, your full body
weight's still coming down on somebody. I I just don't understand. Well,
(06:02):
I think the press conference.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yesterday, kay, we've had some you know, we had a
week to week instance of an interpretation of the rule,
and you know, not I know it was discussed a
little bit and it ended up being, you know, ruled
a clean play when there was fast motioned down by
a receiver and uh, kind of a pseudo crack black
crack block on the gak on a screenplay. He ended
(06:25):
up making the play on the play, but we just
wanted clarity. So we got a little clarity and we're
told that was legal because of this, this and this,
so you know, and then we have a circumstance with
Adam feeling there on a pretty critical down where you know,
based upon some of those interpretations, we're trying to you know,
we're trying to execute kind of a pick play there
(06:47):
and you know at ad or behind the line of scrimmage,
and you have to try to make that legal. They
determined it wasn't. There was a there was some levels
to it that kind of seemed like they were working
through it.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
But what I've learned in my four years time.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Is, you know, crew to crew, there's going to be
just different interpretations of how they see, depending on formations,
depending on things it's happening fast out there. Those officials
have a very very difficult job. But I've just learned
that week to week, you know, the line could be
read in from the rule book the same way, but
might be played out a little differently.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And that's part of football.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
McArthur. Your quarterback, who, in your estimation would be the
best quarterback in the history of Minnesota Vikings football all
the way back to sixty one, It would be Fran
target Fren Tarkenton hof right, So that that would be
the statistical and realistic right answer. In fran Tarkinson's first
four starts, he threw one touchdown in six interceptions. He
(07:46):
completed fifty percent of his passes, in his yards per
attempt was a whopping five and a half five and
a half, fair to say, and he ended up in
the Hall of Fame. Fair to say. With young, inexperienced quarterbacks,
there have been and will be performance related swings. Yeah,
is it just fair to say that?
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I think it's just you know, there's going to be
natural growing pains that sometimes on earth themselves, where you
know it could be the same rep from a practice
rep that was I mean, Jaja had an unbelievable week
of practice last week, maybe one of the best Friday
practices we've had around here in a long time, and
and that went for our whole team. But then when
(08:26):
you get into the games and just you know, snaps
accumulating on top of each other from a standpoint of
you know, protections and you know, getting hit as you're
throwing on certain plays. Even when I thought, I thought
our old line did a pretty decent job protecting them
and giving them some clean pockets, what.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Was the pocket movement?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Like, did you move into some issues where maybe there's
three or four more completions if we're not getting the
block shot from one of those d linemen as we're
navigating the you know, the the home base of the pocket,
and that can our tackles. We're doing a good job
sett in the width for the most part. Sometimes it's
a subtle climb instead of two or three climbs, just
(09:03):
things that as you watch the tape, I mean, it's
incredibly powerful learning moments, and we're you know, we're talking
about the player's fourth start, as you mentioned. But all
of that being said, I think he's really shown some
real flashes of the true competitor. And this guy is
out there given absolutely everything he possibly can. And as
(09:25):
we've talked about, sometimes it's not the scramble, you know,
and put yourself in harm's way. It's just check it
down to Howkinson on the back side of the formation.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
For a game eight.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
He did it a couple times in the game to
Jordan Mason on one Aaron Jones on another play action.
They were combined games of twenty between the two completions,
and I hit the headset and told him that might be.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
My favorite play of the day right there.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Wow, just because it's just the understanding of a shot
called not necessarily meaning a shot taken completion mindsets, no
matter what the variation of the play is. And and
it became difficult for our whole group, you know, being
behind the chains, you know, due to the self inflicted
things that we had pre snapped the other day. And
(10:07):
you would have loved to see some of those plays,
you know, earn first downs off of runs, maybe stack
some more runs. I would have loved to see it,
because that's, you know, what our plan was going into
the game. But plans are always something that need to
be adjusted to try to win the football games.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Kevin, with and you just mentioned it with with the
tip passes at the line, is it or as you
would say, block shots, Is it mostly an offensive lineman's
job to present as you would say those block shots
to prevent that is or does most of it fall
on the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
It's hard to put it all on the old lineman.
We teach techniques to try to get hands down. If
you guys want to leave their feet, the next thing
they should find is the earth. From a standpoint d
lineman leaving his feet, we should be you know, legally
putting that player on the.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Ground, don't have somebody fall on in with the body weight.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
But it's also it's also you know, some of those
whether it's technique and fundamentals of eliminating some internal penetration,
some push, you know, away from the slide side.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
There was actually the throw.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Where we jj maybe one of the most impressive throws
you know, we've had this year when he threw about
it was second and fifteen. He threw about a twenty
five yard strike to the front line and justin many
many times has come down with that ball.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
He didn't in that case.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
But that was even following through through some of that push.
But then other times there was issues in the game
where just the great initial pocket movement, finding that home
base and that safe space in the pocket, but then
continuing to allow that momentum to take him right up
into the back of either a Blake or a Donovan
(11:49):
or a Fries and then those guy Baltimore was huge
in the interior. They weren't really dynamic rushers, but they
affected the quarterback by getting either push or when they
were blocked.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
They were getting their hands up and getting their hands
on some.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Footballs, which were critical because all all four of the
block shots. You know, you know, it's easy for me
to sit back and say they're all completions, but when
you turn on the tape and see you know, Jordan
Edison on a backside in cut wide open or yeah,
you know the third and third and three in the
red zone before we went forward on fourth and three,
I mean that is a walk in touchdown up you know,
as he wraps around that linebacker, which would have been
(12:27):
a phenomenal progression played by JJ. He did everything right,
just a little bit too much movement. And you know what,
the first thing he said yesterday when I was watching
the game with him was, you know, if I could
just settle down on that second or third hitch, and
I you know, got a big smile on my face
and I said, what do you think we're going to
be working on this week and then that's that's where
we're at right now and having a blast doing it
(12:49):
with him, But we've got to find a way to
win football games at the same time.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean the way you just explain that, and as
smart as you are, you can use that to your advantage.
You know what's happening in front of you. I mean,
now we're getting cute and tricky. Here, hold the ball
a little longer, but like fakes and they go up
because we know everybody blocks your shots. Oh wow, you know,
and then something with it. I just said, that's generally
how people like you think. Is taking something that it
(13:13):
may be bogging you are not working great, use it
to your advantage.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Hey, well, that's the thing with the block shots is
working great, And the result of the play end up
being such a stark contrast of what the actual reality
was and doesn't bode well for kind of you know,
digesting what happened. You know, either from the chalk you know,
where we stand on the sidelines, or from the stands
or up where you call the game.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
It doesn't make it any easier for any of us.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Come join us a vikings country with a special Vikings
guest Tuesday, November eighteenth, at five point thirty at Wildborne Hopkins,
presented by Middle of Light. Score prizes including tickets in
the Middle of Light Lounge at US Bank Stadium. Details
full schedule at Vikings dot com, slash Vikings Country, more
X and O's around the Corner on the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network. Get rid to Vikings fans. The Bears are
(13:59):
in town and we're bringing you a chance to meet
NFL legends Mike Singletary, Pat Williams and John Randall and
WCCO personality Jason to Russia at the Metronic booth on
the Pregame Plaza Sunday November sixteenth, from ten to fifteen
to eleven to fifteen am. Swing by for a free
blood pressure check and put your grip and agility to
the test. Is all happening thanks to Metronic. Back to
(14:21):
X ANDOSA Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Last five they've run at one eighty five eclip under
an eighty five yards eclip. What what's that doing to
help them win?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Well, they're they're they're running the ball, they're running all
the complimentary plays off of their run game. I think
their O line has really gelled when you watch them,
and then I think what that's allowing them is not
to be so dropback oriented in the early downs. You're
just you're seeing a lot more of the deeper play actions.
You're seeing a lot more of the keepers, the movement game,
(14:50):
the screen game off of their run game. And you
know what we've got to try to do is stop
that run game and force them to be a little
bit more of a one toentional team, you know, by
putting them behind the chains first and fifteen second and longs.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Things like that wide receiver DJ Morris three touchdowns, one receiving,
one rushing, one passing. The Jefferson pass Sunday was a beauty.
How do you know when to run tricks like that?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Well, you're you're attempting to call them in, you know,
in moments where we've had We've had several called this
year where we just didn't get the look and we
end up, you know, canning the play, changing the play
to something else and coming back to it again and
trying to get the look and trying to get the look.
That was a little bit more of a longer yardage
situation where kind of a breather play for JJ where
(15:41):
he doesn't have to drop back and read the defense
and make protection calls, and we elicit the response that
Justin gets when we throw them the ball. Now, ideally,
you know, in a world where you get the exact
look you want for the play and there's one player
to block and you have three linemen to block them,
ideally you'd like to find a way to get those
yards to sub hurt and then we would have started
(16:01):
the game four four on third down and what does
that look like? There was some frustration there just overall,
just you know, one or two guys just understanding a
little bit more about you know, what we were looking
for there.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And that's on me.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
That's got to give the clarity to these guys because
I know when I do it, they respond and perform.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Saving the best for last, it involves the Jalens first,
the guy on offense.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Here's the talkback. Good morning, coach O'Connell. This is Corey
from theloof Minnesota. That Jalen Naylor performances past Sunday against
the Ravens was absolutely electric. My question for you is
going forward, will opposing defenses have to pay more attention
to Speedy and will that open up more targets for
Jets Addison and Hockinson.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Thanks for your time and I hope you have a
great day.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Thanks, Bod.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, it's a great question, And really we've been you know,
you and I have talked about Speedy a lot on
this show. Just any chance I get publicly to talk
about it, because it's not always.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Since two preseasons ago when you featured him in the
preseason game.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Yeah, it's just not always.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The ball doesn't always find him, but it did this
past Sunday, and and and he was, you know, absolutely
fantastic some third down, some big third down plays, some
explosives and and and Speedy is just playing fast, he's
playing through contact. He's getting a lot of one on
ones because of Jordan and Justin and TJ. And there's
a lot of featured coverage to take away some of
(17:25):
those guys sometimes, and Speedy goes to work in those moments.
And we got to continue to give him opportunities to
do that. But yes, I think the second part of
that question is accurate. You've got to really decide, you know,
when we're able to throw the ball outside of our
consistent commitment to running the ball, you got to really
decide how you want to handle the weapons that we
(17:46):
do have, because justin Jordan Speedy, tj Aaron Jones out
of the backfield have have proven to be playmakers that
can change the game at any time and really elicit
a response from the defense that helps kind of make
everything go. And we've just got to find a way
to make those plays eliminate the negatives. Run the football consistently,
(18:07):
and when we get to those weighty downs and those
third downs, those red zone opportunities like we did in
the game the other day, Jalen Naylor had two big
conversions on third down and he had a fourth down
touchdown when we absolutely had to have it to keep
that game within reach.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
And lastly, the Jalen's saving the best for last. I mean,
you know, the early part of the game, I think
he had six tackles in a quarter and a half
something like that. Jalen Redmond was all over the place.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
He's been fantastic I a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
The story is unbelievable if you get into the depth
of the blood clots and his best friend died at
age twenty three, and you know everybody gave up on him.
Carolina made it exposed him, not a negative way, but
other teams can come get him. You know, he had
a calf strain. Couldn't figure out what was going on.
It was blood clot related. Ye, quiet going kind of guy,
(18:55):
but he is just a rolling ball up butcher knives
on that defensive line, getting around specifically these bigger offensive linemen.
I thought in the first half, I thought, that's as
good a work against the run as I've ever seen
him do.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
And he's lined up absolutely everywhere.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I mean, you've seen him at defensive end, You've seen
him at nose, you've seen him at three technique. I mean,
he is capable of just about anything. And we really
have needed that just with the versatility of Jalen Redman
allows Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to be not only in
their multiple spots they're comfortable at, but playing the play
(19:31):
style that we brought them here to do. And that's
been big over these last couple of weeks seeing that
come to life. But I'm so glad you asked about him,
and he has been a phenomenal, phenomenal story And if
you see him walking the halls around here, he's never
ever had a bad day, you know, since I've.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Had him, same with Elijah Williams's.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
It really is remarkable because those guys, I mean, yeah,
you know, I've seen some d lineman now have some
bad days just because they got to be down there
in the trenches all day long. But Jalen Redmond has
had some swagger about him and.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
His performances have been fantastic.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Why why I laughed when I mentioned Elijah up undrafted
from Morgan State, worked his tail opt to pick the
active roster. I don't know if he had been on
too many airplanes. You know, It's like he was so
wide eyed with these cities teams get to fly to
and the hotels and the wow. I mean, he's just
so authentic and fantastic, just like Jalen Redmond, just like you.
(20:26):
Tear it up this weekend, all right, appreciate you and
we will preview lambeau Field next week.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Thanks for joining us for this week's episode of X's
and O's with Kevin O'Connell. X's and O's is presented
by Ken Moore and is an official production of the
Minnesota Vikings Audio Network
It is time for x'es and o's with Minnesota Vikings
head coach Kevin o'connole. Welcome Minnesota Vikings Radio Network now
from the TCO studios at Egan. Here is the voice
of the Vikings, Paul Allen.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Welcome into X and O's with Kevin O'Connell, presented it
by Ken Moore and heads up high Ves extending their
support of local families by providing affordable meals until November fourteenth,
from four to seven pm at all stores with hot
food service. These meals will continue to be available for
children ages twelve and under for free. For everyone else,
the same meal will be available for three dollars with
options for dine in or takeout.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
This week.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
The Minnesota Vikings will support this effort at Cottage Grove, Egan,
and Lakeville locations. To stop by your local high v
to see your favorite Minnesota Vikings cheerleader, legend or Victor
the Viking. Now X and O's of Kevin o'conn.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Kevin O'Connell, coach if the Minnesota Vikings joins us each
and every Tuesday at about this time in the business,
we call it XES and o's. If you're hearing it
live on Tuesday. Welcome if you're watching it at vikings
dot com. Welcome if you're hearing it Wednesday evening with
the playback at x'es and o's welcome to you too,
and the head coach joins us. Now, how are the
(01:11):
wife and kids and how are Bill and Suzanne doing well?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
No pool jumps this past weekend as you as you saw,
my dad after the Lions game jumped in his non
heated San Diego.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Pool, as did your mom, just about everybody did.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
But unfortunately, no no pool pool jumps this past Sunday.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
But there was there was some pool jumping, yeah there was,
but no diving board.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
No, that's right, Yeah, no it was.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know, they're doing well, kids are doing well, excellent,
fighting through a little got some got a sick kid
at home. But you know, we're fighting through it a
little bit. Listeners out there going through the same four.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Children, right, Yes, so you have sick kid, which means
you're going to have six sick kids. Zah, exactly eventually.
But like a lot of things, that too shall pass.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Like a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And and we welcome Kevin to the show. Now let
me ask you this question. Bill and Suzanne, I'm glad
things are well. Lee and the kids right on Chicago's
plus fourteen and the take give with the league best
twenty takes. How's that happening?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, I think they you know, they've given up some yards,
they've owned up some plays, but they have really, you know,
very similar to us a year ago.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
If you think about it.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Defensively, we were leading the league in turnovers and it
felt like all those extra possessions gave us a lot
of opportunities to win games, you know, tight games, games
where we needed to, you know, find a rhythm offensively,
and we were able to do that.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And I think it's been very similar.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, they've been able to force some big turnovers
and some big moments and it's ultimately led to it's
ultimately led to, you know, those guys having chances to
win a lot of games. They've you know, Ben's done
a great job, you know, with that entire team, and
I think DA has kind of really centered on, hey,
we're going to force turnovers. We might give up a
play here or there, but we're going to be explosive
(03:05):
in forcing turnovers getting to the quarterback at times. They've
got a nice third down pressure package that's been very
successful for him, allowing them to get to the quarterback
and definitely a challenge.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
As we learned in the opener.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
It took us a good bit there to find a
rhythm and then when we did, we were able to
move it and score.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Dallas Turner. I heard the press conference yesterday and I'm
you know, how can the league look at that sack
and find any problem with it? And as a teacher
like you are, you're a coach, but you're a teacher, Well,
how does one teach and subsequently how does one learn
to avoid whatever one allegedly did wrong.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, well, you're here a lot during training camp, Pa Pete,
I think you're here every day, but you guys will
see those guys doing drills on the heavy bag or
on the tall bags of getting to the you know,
simulating getting to the quarterback, you know, striking and legally,
you know, understanding where the strike zone is. And then
the last phase of it that has become a big
(04:03):
part of the league of protecting quarterbacks is that you know,
you know, fully putting your body weight on top of
the quarterback is as he goes down. It's probably the
part of roughing the passer that you know, if if
a lot of the old school NFL fans and guys
that used to sack the quarterback a lot in the league.
I've talked to a lot of our former you know,
(04:24):
Vikings legends that look at that and say, how in
the world can that be a penalty? But the way
the line by line rule of roughing the passer is now,
it is indeed a penalty. And you just got to
try to find a way to slide, you know, off
to the side in any way, shape or formance now,
and it's very, very difficult to do.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I've always sounds like it's gonna lead to a face mask.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And well, either that or you know, you're gonna have
a guy missing some opportunities on sacks because they're you know,
trying to maybe start that process to slide to the
side early or quarterbacks you know, unfortunately they do they
do move. You know, Jonathan Garnard, if the quarterback didn't move,
Jonathan Garnard would have about ten right now with how
much he's gotten to the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And that's just part of it.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
But it makes it very difficult for these guys to
play violently and physically and defeat blocks and then when
they arrive at the quarterback, there's a whole new set
of rules that are in play, and they've been you know,
it's been a few years now, that rule and we
understand it.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Okay, Well, and this is you know, this is not
like Paul Allen Homer announcer guy. Because in the game
at Ford Field, honestly, I thought there were two calls
against the Lions that I thought were garbage, And when
Pete and I are calling the game, I'm like, well,
I don't get that man Hutchinson whomever else it was.
So that this is just trying to get a hold
(05:40):
of it on a week to week basis, because we've
seen somebody sack hit and then huh they lunge their
body super heavy on top of the guy. That wasn't
it And so okay, so now if you wrap up
around the waist on the sack, well, your full body
weight's still coming down on somebody. I I just don't understand. Well,
(06:02):
I think the press conference.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yesterday, kay, we've had some you know, we had a
week to week instance of an interpretation of the rule,
and you know, not I know it was discussed a
little bit and it ended up being, you know, ruled
a clean play when there was fast motioned down by
a receiver and uh, kind of a pseudo crack black
crack block on the gak on a screenplay. He ended
(06:25):
up making the play on the play, but we just
wanted clarity. So we got a little clarity and we're
told that was legal because of this, this and this,
so you know, and then we have a circumstance with
Adam feeling there on a pretty critical down where you know,
based upon some of those interpretations, we're trying to you know,
we're trying to execute kind of a pick play there
(06:47):
and you know at ad or behind the line of scrimmage,
and you have to try to make that legal. They
determined it wasn't. There was a there was some levels
to it that kind of seemed like they were working
through it.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
But what I've learned in my four years time.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Is, you know, crew to crew, there's going to be
just different interpretations of how they see, depending on formations,
depending on things it's happening fast out there. Those officials
have a very very difficult job. But I've just learned
that week to week, you know, the line could be
read in from the rule book the same way, but
might be played out a little differently.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And that's part of football.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
McArthur. Your quarterback, who, in your estimation would be the
best quarterback in the history of Minnesota Vikings football all
the way back to sixty one, It would be Fran
target Fren Tarkenton hof right, So that that would be
the statistical and realistic right answer. In fran Tarkinson's first
four starts, he threw one touchdown in six interceptions. He
(07:46):
completed fifty percent of his passes, in his yards per
attempt was a whopping five and a half five and
a half, fair to say, and he ended up in
the Hall of Fame. Fair to say. With young, inexperienced quarterbacks,
there have been and will be performance related swings. Yeah,
is it just fair to say that?
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I think it's just you know, there's going to be
natural growing pains that sometimes on earth themselves, where you
know it could be the same rep from a practice
rep that was I mean, Jaja had an unbelievable week
of practice last week, maybe one of the best Friday
practices we've had around here in a long time, and
and that went for our whole team. But then when
(08:26):
you get into the games and just you know, snaps
accumulating on top of each other from a standpoint of
you know, protections and you know, getting hit as you're
throwing on certain plays. Even when I thought, I thought
our old line did a pretty decent job protecting them
and giving them some clean pockets, what.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Was the pocket movement?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Like, did you move into some issues where maybe there's
three or four more completions if we're not getting the
block shot from one of those d linemen as we're
navigating the you know, the the home base of the pocket,
and that can our tackles. We're doing a good job
sett in the width for the most part. Sometimes it's
a subtle climb instead of two or three climbs, just
(09:03):
things that as you watch the tape, I mean, it's
incredibly powerful learning moments, and we're you know, we're talking
about the player's fourth start, as you mentioned. But all
of that being said, I think he's really shown some
real flashes of the true competitor. And this guy is
out there given absolutely everything he possibly can. And as
(09:25):
we've talked about, sometimes it's not the scramble, you know,
and put yourself in harm's way. It's just check it
down to Howkinson on the back side of the formation.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
For a game eight.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
He did it a couple times in the game to
Jordan Mason on one Aaron Jones on another play action.
They were combined games of twenty between the two completions,
and I hit the headset and told him that might be.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
My favorite play of the day right there.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Wow, just because it's just the understanding of a shot
called not necessarily meaning a shot taken completion mindsets, no
matter what the variation of the play is. And and
it became difficult for our whole group, you know, being
behind the chains, you know, due to the self inflicted
things that we had pre snapped the other day. And
(10:07):
you would have loved to see some of those plays,
you know, earn first downs off of runs, maybe stack
some more runs. I would have loved to see it,
because that's, you know, what our plan was going into
the game. But plans are always something that need to
be adjusted to try to win the football games.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Kevin, with and you just mentioned it with with the
tip passes at the line, is it or as you
would say, block shots, Is it mostly an offensive lineman's
job to present as you would say those block shots
to prevent that is or does most of it fall
on the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
It's hard to put it all on the old lineman.
We teach techniques to try to get hands down. If
you guys want to leave their feet, the next thing
they should find is the earth. From a standpoint d
lineman leaving his feet, we should be you know, legally
putting that player on the.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Ground, don't have somebody fall on in with the body weight.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
But it's also it's also you know, some of those
whether it's technique and fundamentals of eliminating some internal penetration,
some push, you know, away from the slide side.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
There was actually the throw.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Where we jj maybe one of the most impressive throws
you know, we've had this year when he threw about
it was second and fifteen. He threw about a twenty
five yard strike to the front line and justin many
many times has come down with that ball.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
He didn't in that case.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
But that was even following through through some of that push.
But then other times there was issues in the game
where just the great initial pocket movement, finding that home
base and that safe space in the pocket, but then
continuing to allow that momentum to take him right up
into the back of either a Blake or a Donovan
(11:49):
or a Fries and then those guy Baltimore was huge
in the interior. They weren't really dynamic rushers, but they
affected the quarterback by getting either push or when they
were blocked.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
They were getting their hands up and getting their hands
on some.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Footballs, which were critical because all all four of the
block shots. You know, you know, it's easy for me
to sit back and say they're all completions, but when
you turn on the tape and see you know, Jordan
Edison on a backside in cut wide open or yeah,
you know the third and third and three in the
red zone before we went forward on fourth and three,
I mean that is a walk in touchdown up you know,
as he wraps around that linebacker, which would have been
(12:27):
a phenomenal progression played by JJ. He did everything right,
just a little bit too much movement. And you know what,
the first thing he said yesterday when I was watching
the game with him was, you know, if I could
just settle down on that second or third hitch, and
I you know, got a big smile on my face
and I said, what do you think we're going to
be working on this week and then that's that's where
we're at right now and having a blast doing it
(12:49):
with him, But we've got to find a way to
win football games at the same time.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean the way you just explain that, and as
smart as you are, you can use that to your advantage.
You know what's happening in front of you. I mean,
now we're getting cute and tricky. Here, hold the ball
a little longer, but like fakes and they go up
because we know everybody blocks your shots. Oh wow, you know,
and then something with it. I just said, that's generally
how people like you think. Is taking something that it
(13:13):
may be bogging you are not working great, use it
to your advantage.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Hey, well, that's the thing with the block shots is
working great, And the result of the play end up
being such a stark contrast of what the actual reality
was and doesn't bode well for kind of you know,
digesting what happened. You know, either from the chalk you know,
where we stand on the sidelines, or from the stands
or up where you call the game.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
It doesn't make it any easier for any of us.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Come join us a vikings country with a special Vikings
guest Tuesday, November eighteenth, at five point thirty at Wildborne Hopkins,
presented by Middle of Light. Score prizes including tickets in
the Middle of Light Lounge at US Bank Stadium. Details
full schedule at Vikings dot com, slash Vikings Country, more
X and O's around the Corner on the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network. Get rid to Vikings fans. The Bears are
(13:59):
in town and we're bringing you a chance to meet
NFL legends Mike Singletary, Pat Williams and John Randall and
WCCO personality Jason to Russia at the Metronic booth on
the Pregame Plaza Sunday November sixteenth, from ten to fifteen
to eleven to fifteen am. Swing by for a free
blood pressure check and put your grip and agility to
the test. Is all happening thanks to Metronic. Back to
(14:21):
X ANDOSA Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Last five they've run at one eighty five eclip under
an eighty five yards eclip. What what's that doing to
help them win?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Well, they're they're they're running the ball, they're running all
the complimentary plays off of their run game. I think
their O line has really gelled when you watch them,
and then I think what that's allowing them is not
to be so dropback oriented in the early downs. You're
just you're seeing a lot more of the deeper play actions.
You're seeing a lot more of the keepers, the movement game,
(14:50):
the screen game off of their run game. And you
know what we've got to try to do is stop
that run game and force them to be a little
bit more of a one toentional team, you know, by
putting them behind the chains first and fifteen second and longs.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Things like that wide receiver DJ Morris three touchdowns, one receiving,
one rushing, one passing. The Jefferson pass Sunday was a beauty.
How do you know when to run tricks like that?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Well, you're you're attempting to call them in, you know,
in moments where we've had We've had several called this
year where we just didn't get the look and we
end up, you know, canning the play, changing the play
to something else and coming back to it again and
trying to get the look and trying to get the look.
That was a little bit more of a longer yardage
situation where kind of a breather play for JJ where
(15:41):
he doesn't have to drop back and read the defense
and make protection calls, and we elicit the response that
Justin gets when we throw them the ball. Now, ideally,
you know, in a world where you get the exact
look you want for the play and there's one player
to block and you have three linemen to block them,
ideally you'd like to find a way to get those
yards to sub hurt and then we would have started
(16:01):
the game four four on third down and what does
that look like? There was some frustration there just overall,
just you know, one or two guys just understanding a
little bit more about you know, what we were looking
for there.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And that's on me.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
That's got to give the clarity to these guys because
I know when I do it, they respond and perform.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Saving the best for last, it involves the Jalens first,
the guy on offense.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Here's the talkback. Good morning, coach O'Connell. This is Corey
from theloof Minnesota. That Jalen Naylor performances past Sunday against
the Ravens was absolutely electric. My question for you is
going forward, will opposing defenses have to pay more attention
to Speedy and will that open up more targets for
Jets Addison and Hockinson.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Thanks for your time and I hope you have a
great day.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Thanks, Bod.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, it's a great question, And really we've been you know,
you and I have talked about Speedy a lot on
this show. Just any chance I get publicly to talk
about it, because it's not always.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Since two preseasons ago when you featured him in the
preseason game.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Yeah, it's just not always.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The ball doesn't always find him, but it did this
past Sunday, and and and he was, you know, absolutely
fantastic some third down, some big third down plays, some
explosives and and and Speedy is just playing fast, he's
playing through contact. He's getting a lot of one on
ones because of Jordan and Justin and TJ. And there's
a lot of featured coverage to take away some of
(17:25):
those guys sometimes, and Speedy goes to work in those moments.
And we got to continue to give him opportunities to
do that. But yes, I think the second part of
that question is accurate. You've got to really decide, you know,
when we're able to throw the ball outside of our
consistent commitment to running the ball, you got to really
decide how you want to handle the weapons that we
(17:46):
do have, because justin Jordan Speedy, tj Aaron Jones out
of the backfield have have proven to be playmakers that
can change the game at any time and really elicit
a response from the defense that helps kind of make
everything go. And we've just got to find a way
to make those plays eliminate the negatives. Run the football consistently,
(18:07):
and when we get to those weighty downs and those
third downs, those red zone opportunities like we did in
the game the other day, Jalen Naylor had two big
conversions on third down and he had a fourth down
touchdown when we absolutely had to have it to keep
that game within reach.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
And lastly, the Jalen's saving the best for last. I mean,
you know, the early part of the game, I think
he had six tackles in a quarter and a half
something like that. Jalen Redmond was all over the place.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
He's been fantastic I a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
The story is unbelievable if you get into the depth
of the blood clots and his best friend died at
age twenty three, and you know everybody gave up on him.
Carolina made it exposed him, not a negative way, but
other teams can come get him. You know, he had
a calf strain. Couldn't figure out what was going on.
It was blood clot related. Ye, quiet going kind of guy,
(18:55):
but he is just a rolling ball up butcher knives
on that defensive line, getting around specifically these bigger offensive linemen.
I thought in the first half, I thought, that's as
good a work against the run as I've ever seen
him do.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
And he's lined up absolutely everywhere.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I mean, you've seen him at defensive end, You've seen
him at nose, you've seen him at three technique. I mean,
he is capable of just about anything. And we really
have needed that just with the versatility of Jalen Redman
allows Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to be not only in
their multiple spots they're comfortable at, but playing the play
(19:31):
style that we brought them here to do. And that's
been big over these last couple of weeks seeing that
come to life. But I'm so glad you asked about him,
and he has been a phenomenal, phenomenal story And if
you see him walking the halls around here, he's never
ever had a bad day, you know, since I've.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Had him, same with Elijah Williams's.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
It really is remarkable because those guys, I mean, yeah,
you know, I've seen some d lineman now have some
bad days just because they got to be down there
in the trenches all day long. But Jalen Redmond has
had some swagger about him and.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
His performances have been fantastic.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Why why I laughed when I mentioned Elijah up undrafted
from Morgan State, worked his tail opt to pick the
active roster. I don't know if he had been on
too many airplanes. You know, It's like he was so
wide eyed with these cities teams get to fly to
and the hotels and the wow. I mean, he's just
so authentic and fantastic, just like Jalen Redmond, just like you.
(20:26):
Tear it up this weekend, all right, appreciate you and
we will preview lambeau Field next week.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Thanks for joining us for this week's episode of X's
and O's with Kevin O'Connell. X's and O's is presented
by Ken Moore and is an official production of the
Minnesota Vikings Audio Network
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com