November 19, 2025 • 20 mins
PA hosts Xs and Os ahead of the matchup with the Packers and is joined by Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell!
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's time for x's and o's with Minnesota Vikings head
coach Kevin O'Connell on the 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's and o's with Kevin O'Connell, presented by
Ken Moore. It's Border Battle week. Here's the head coach
the PA.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, joins us
weekly for x'es and o's nine to noon. Is fortunate
enough to uh to be able to start that on
a Tuesdays at eleven o'clock or eleven ish.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
And here's the head coach. Now. Lambeau is next in line.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Do do you have a favorite road stadium or are
they all the same because you're just so laser focused
on the task.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
No, I think, uh, I think there's some some different ones.
I do.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I do appreciate you know the history.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Of lambeau Field and we've we've had some success there,
so hopefully we can have a good week and go
go replicate what I believe this has happened in the last two
times we went there.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
When when's the last time, Kevin O'Connell, you coach on
the Vikings, attended or watched a football game as a fan.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
I would probably have to say Cayden absolutely Caden's games.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
But I I was hoping you wouldn't go right to
the kid guard, so I brought it up just to no.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
I think I went to a San Diego State game
during the during the bye week when I was coaching
with the Rams.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I think I might have.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And they were playing at that that I don't I
don't remember the year, but they were playing at the
soccer stadium that the Chargers used to play that before.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
They moved to Sofi, So it might have been. I
don't know what it was. You did you paint your
face black and what it'd be? Black and red, black
and red, black and red. I did not.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And Aztec's right, yep, yeah, so did you go full Garb?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
No?
Speaker 5 (01:58):
No, I Caen Kyden wanted to go. He was just
getting into football at the time, and yeah, he wanted
to go, So I took him down there.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
We have a we have a talkback for you each
and every week. Yeah, we're going to play that Tuesday
talkback right now for the head coach of the Minnesota
Vikings and move on from there.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So three two, Hey, coach.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
And pa, here's my question on social media. Everyone overreacts
to every play, good or bad from our own quarterback.
As a Vikings fan watching on TV, not with the
all twenty two, just as we watch the game, what
is something we should look for to see progress from
(02:38):
our quarterback versus the overreaction of social media.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Oh? Thanks, brother, that was cool.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, that was a great question because I think, you know,
in this coming up on coming up on his sixth start. Now,
I think we're all, you know, we're all just looking
for continued, you know, evidence of the growth that he
can take some of the things he's working very hard
on the practice field to make.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
You know, as the phrase.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
I've been using with him, we got to we gotta
start seeing this cement dry on some of the things
that we've really worked hard to make football.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Habits for him.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
From a fundamentals and technique standpoint, I think something Vikings
fans can can look for is, you know what, when
he gets to the top of his drops, we're really
trying to, uh see if we can get him to
be a little bit more in a repeatable body position.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And what I mean by that is the.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Posture of you know, a firm but athletic kind of
lower half. We don't really like when his feet get
too far outside the framework of his body, and that
happened a couple times the other day. That contributed to
maybe some of the accuracy. His feet got a little
bit wide, his base got really wide. The other thing
to to really look for is when he looks decisive
(03:53):
and and kind of in the ground compact, where he's
not taking up a lot of space with his movements
as he kind of goes from one A to one
B or one to two before finding his checkdowns. You know,
when he's done it consistently, you know, well it's normally
tied to it's got to look to it of firmness
(04:15):
but yet not tight and not rigid, and it kind
of has a fluidity to it where you know he's
you know, then able to activate the arm talent from
a standpoint of taking out a lot of variables. And
I've talked to JJ a lot of a lot of
the movement and a lot of the lack of stability
to his lower half adds to a lot of variables
(04:36):
to the play where you're trying to make this thing
right with the ball leaving your fingertips. But you know,
I would equate it to swinging a golf club, and
sometimes you swing it with your left foot all on
the ground, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you, you know, widen
your stance. Really, you're never going to hit that golf
ball the same way, And playing quarterback is about the
variables that you can control. You've got to try to
(04:58):
make it the same and repeat heatable every single time,
because the difference between golf and any other sport is
these guys are trying to rush one thousand miles an
hour and rip your face off, and you've got to
stand in there and make some throws, sometimes take some hits,
but all of the things before those scenarios start to
take place throughout the rhythm of a play where we
don't know what defense they're in always, and we don't
(05:20):
know exactly where the completion's going to be. So you've
got to control what you can control by doing your
fundamentals and techniques repeatable the same way and take out
some of those variables that really are making JJ's harder
his job harder than it has to be. When we
lose some of that focus throughout games.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I'd like to play a game called Coach's Choice. You
select the topic and here are the categories. Okay, sure,
here we go. Your categories are the long play, full throttle, feel,
the other kid, cash money, and getting the edge.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Which one would you like, Coach O'Connell. Let's let's start backwards.
Let's go getting the edge, getting the edge.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Packers linebacker Edgering Cooper is who you get this this weekend.
He had some part time to him last year and
this year has started all ten for them. Edgering Cooper.
I know you were a fan last year, probably still
are this year. Has his role changed much with Michael
Parsons in the mix.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
I don't know if it's changed much, but you're just
seeing him. You're seeing him on the on the field
more on all downs, all three downs, first, second, third down.
He's a very, very athletic, running hit linebacker that seems
to be getting better and better with the more snaps
he gets. And I think with you know, Eric Wilson
came here and he will was kind of a foundational piece,
(06:45):
kind of filling in in some different spots, but then
ended up getting a lot of playing time just because
of his consistency and doing his job within that defense
last year. But I think edge is kind of you
really look at it and you see Cooper being a
guy that you know. They You're seeing more trust put
into him, You're seeing more playmaking, and he's just being
on the field more. Is allowing him to gain some
(07:05):
experience at a pretty rapid pace, and he's starting to
become a really, really good player.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
But I've always been a fan of his, even going
back to the.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Draft, full throttle feel the other kid, cash Money, or
the long play cash Money.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Cash Money.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Here we go Blake Cashman as he's been a tackling
machine of late. How Blake Cashman other than fifteen tackles
in a game or whatever, Where does he most help
your defense?
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Well, he calls it. I mean he's the green dot.
He's the communication.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
When when Cash is in there, we have far less
snaps where there's any sort of chaotic feel and and
Harrison Smith has a lot to do with that too.
He's playing a lot more snaps, probably played his most
snaps of the season last week. So the combination of
Cash as the green dot calling calling the defense in
from flow and then Harrison and Cash working in conjunction
(07:55):
with kind of our check defense we run. We're just
getting more snaps where we get all left guys on
the same page doing their jobs.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
And you're talking about snaps, and you also mentioned Eric Wilson.
I'm probably going to get those number wrong, but one,
two or five? Did he play?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Did he play? Eighty three? Snaps? Last game? Including special teams?
Laid a lot of su was it a sixty nine
and fourteen?
Speaker 5 (08:16):
He's been so impactful for us. I actually just walk
walking down the hall he was. He was heading into.
We have some massage therapists here on Tuesdays for our guys,
and he was heading in for his massage, and I said,
you know.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
What, I'll take care of this one and.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Then want you to get yourself another one right after,
because no, he played the.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Better bring a sledgehammer for those arms? Yeah, oh, have
your arms ever looked like that? We are you kidding me?
I haven't felt my ribs in thirty years. I have
a right to ask that question. Yeah. No, he's he is.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
I mean as much of a physical specimen as I've seen,
but he is.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
He's been phenomenal for us.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
I mean, you think about kind of the CASHMN injury,
you think about some of the things we've had to
work through with Gink Gink's time out, and now that
we're getting kind of the healthiest version of this team,
it feels like right now coming back together. Hopefully you know,
JG can work through it this week and find some
snaps for us this weekend. But e Will has kind
of been a glue guy that's held it all together.
(09:14):
And when he's been doing that, he's been playing football
at a really high level. But he's also a very
very good special teams player, right, So you always want to,
you always want to, you know, make sure you're not
taking him totally off that phase. But we also need
to be smart and not overdo it with e Will
here the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And not to turn this completely into your male or
female body type leader. But Aaron Donald, like what was
he built like was similar? Really he was cut, so
he was big, fast and cut.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Oh yeah, he was a d lineman that had a
twelve pack and you know, twenty five inch arms and
just thank goodness, he was such an Aaron Donald such
a nice person off the field, because if he wasn't
it would have made for different circumstances working in LA.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Well, you mentioned Andrew Van Ginkle, So coach's choice is
going to take us to full throttle field. And okay,
you mentioned Grenard you know, could be practicing this week.
Hopefully you get him up for the game. Ryan Kelly's
practice window open last week. Who knows, maybe Ryan plays,
But nevertheless, that could be a full throttle feel for
our Minnesota Vikings. But the direction I was taking off
(10:22):
this was with Aaron Jones, Andrew Van Ginkle and say
two three, four games after missing a month and change.
And here's the point. When players return from say a
month five weeks away, does it still take time for
them to be fully up to speed even though they're playing.
(10:42):
And the reason I ask is because watching it back
with Van Ginkle, it just seemed like something in the
second half, Oh wow, hey twenty twenty four just broke out.
You know, it just seems like he's kind of completely back.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I think it's you know, especially veteran players like you're
talking about. Those guys normally don't need a ton of
runway coming back. But the game is fast, it's you know,
it's a very physical game, and and what ends up
happening is I think veteran players know when you know what,
know exactly where they're at from a physical standpoint. They
know where to, you know, push the gas pedal down
(11:16):
and go. They know when they've got to, you know,
make sure they're out there for their team. But maybe
I'm not all the way there yet, and I know
I'll be able to work through that early on here.
And I think we've seen that with Aaron over the
past couple of weeks. And now Aaron feels like he's
really starting to kind of come around and have those
those game legs underneath him again. And I think with Gink,
it's just you know, mentally, you know, he's always going
(11:38):
to be so sharp, he's always going to be where
he's supposed to be. But the playmaking ability seems to
be really coming on. And I saw the same thing
you did there in the second half and and just
some of the rush moves and some of the ways
he was kind of putting.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
It all together when he ran down Kale.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Yeah, I just can't wait to keep seeing, you know,
his impact on what we do. And you know you
mentioned it with to get your Nard back as well.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Minnesota needed to go to a source for everything in
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Slash strib Varsity. More X's and o's around the corner
on the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network. Welcome back to X's
and o's. Kevin O'Connell. Here's the head coach with PA.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
God gives the clutch gene, or the ability to not
freak out when it's as hot as hot can be. Conversely,
on the other side, there are things that clearly you
know need to be refined and simplified and or worked
on and honed, but you can't teach the other one.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Yep, you know what I'm saying. So you can search
long and it's not.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
You can search long and far and try to find
the guy that has that end of game.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Right clutch gen and he doesn't freak out.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
No, But what I think his superpower needs to be
is applying that to a second and five in the
middle of the second quarter. I tend to look at
it like, let's bring that end of game focus and
rhythm and determination. And there are a lot of the
snaps that I would pull to show you right now
of what it should look like.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Came on that drive.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Wow, let's see it in the first, second, third quarter,
because what would the game be like for you if
you are able to do that?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And that's start number six.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
That's what we'll be looking for to continue to see
more and more evidence of it, because when we see
the evidence of it, we're also going to it's going
to be tied to the offense.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Moving the football and scoring points.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
That's what that position does, not only in our offense,
but in all thirty two offenses in the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Kevin O'Connell x's and knows last game the first time
JJ McCarthy didn't run in a game. Are you a
proponent of your quarterback running or is fine tuning the
pocket game first and foremost with what you desire?
Speaker 5 (13:47):
No, I think there's I think it all goes back
to the starting point of what his job. If it's
a pass play and he can exhaust the progression and
there's not a lot there for him, and he works
within the rhythm of the play and takes off and
steals us a first down. He's done that multiple times
this year. That's a huge bonus. Now when he does that,
(14:08):
that happens to coincide with, you know, both instances where
he has caused him to miss twenty four odd games
or so. So we have to be smart about the
decision making late in those downs. Once you've done the work,
you've gotten the yardage, we've got a new set of downs.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Yeah, protect yourself.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
And it doesn't always have to be diving head first
on that right shoulder yours either, Like there's there's the
competitive side and then there's the NFL quarterback play for
a really long time with you know, being that competitor side,
and where those are all things where you know, we
talk about a lot and we're trying to kind of
mesh together. But I do think there's an element to
(14:47):
circumstantial and there were some opportunities that the way the
Bears were playing the other day, you know, I know
a lot of folks want more runs on some of
those third and two to threes, and they had seven
players on the line of scrimmage. You know, we got
six to lock them. Unless you're gonna magically I get it.
Unless you're going to magically create another player or ask
Justin Jefferson to go down there and you know block,
(15:09):
you know, block one.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Of those guys, Kevin Byer the third, Kevin Bayer the third.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Then you've the only way to equalize those numbers out
is to run your quarterback. Many many teams in this
league do week in and week out, and I think
there's times for that, but you also don't want to
make a living doing that when you're trying to continue
to see this quarterback grow by playing the position. But
there's a time and a place for it, for sure.
I'm not against it.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But there's running responsibly too. So like I was so
excited for that Bears game. Man, I got up before
fifty five in the morning and and so I start
watching the Bears and the Giants to memorize some Bears
defensive numbers, just who the nickel, the whole thing. But
so I'm watching Jackson Dart on some of these designed
runs and I'm like, Wow, holy cow, he's a violent runner.
(15:53):
You know, some stuff was working, but he's gonna take
everybody on. Well then he gets a concussion for the
fourth time this year and he's out.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
So I'm thinking to myself, Wow, you know, I mean McCarthy,
you know he could do a lot of this too.
But then I'm you know, I'm wondering, you would have
to do it more responsibly, be more cognizant of sliding
or getting out of bounds as opposed to the other
kid who's super gifted. You see what I'm saying here, Yeah,
running responsibly.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
And the the NFL hash marks are you can do
the math on how much further they are from the sideline.
So this old metric of just running the ball and
get to the sideline. Yeah, they got guys over there too,
So there's a I was very, very familiar with that
Giants Bears film watching it. Watched it a few times obviously,
(16:42):
and yeah, some of those hits, oh you know, you're
gaining yards and all those things.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
But and they're not all built like Lamar No, you know,
like ask Kyler.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
I mean early in Kyler Murray's career, you know, he
has like ten rushing touchdowns or something, but then it
was one too many took the wrong kind of hit.
Was like, not ten rushing touchdowns, but he missed like
ten games because of the way he was running and
the hits he was taking being slider, Frank.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
There's just not that many examples of guys you know
having a very long sustained career playing where that style
is the style that's you know, even everybody talks about Lamar.
Lamar has become a phenomenal pocket passer, great rhythm, base,
makes great decisions, He's accurate throws in rhythm. Those plays
where he ends up impacting the game, you can watch.
(17:26):
They played against the Brian Flores defense two weeks ago,
and the Lamar designed runs or reading variations of runs
didn't come until the fourth quarter when they needed those.
The call sheet had been exhausted and they needed those
to secure some final first downs there to not let
us have a chance to try to win that football
game late. But it was not part of the early
(17:48):
down menu early in that game.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Right.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
He's too important to their team and brilliant, and I
think people understand that.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
You ever take off on a successful read option at SDSU,
maybe against kal poly Pomona or something.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
They did I did.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
I was actually in four minute one time and we
ran kind of a statue liberty version of the play
I got the first down, should have went down well,
I kept trying to strain for some more yards, punch
out all out New Mexico takes the ball and beats
us on the last play of the game.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
So you didn't give your best when your best was required.
Was not a situational master in the moment? Low red,
high red, last one.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
I promise Justin Jefferson's work on Jordan Mason's touchdown was perfection.
He blocked their leading tackler, Kevin Byer third so tenaciously
he knocked the Roman numeral right off the back of
his jersey. When when the top identity related player on
your team works hard like that, does it make it
(18:43):
easier to show others what needs to be done to
win at the highest level.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Well, you don't need to show anybody in this building
because they see it every day.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
They see it.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
But I do think it's a good thing for anybody
out there, football players or not, or just fans to understand.
You can you see the competitor in Justin when he's
open on a third down and we don't pitch and
catch the level that he's become accustomed to, or he's
frustrated that we're not winning a game. This guy is
one of the greatest competitors I've ever been around, and
that can come out sometimes but that doesn't mean he's
(19:17):
showing up anybody or his frustrations are boiling over to
the point where you know, Justin is one of the
greatest competitors I've ever been around. He's a phenomenal teammate.
But if you ever have any question of what he's
all about, go watch that play. Just put it on repeat,
over and over. And not even not even the block
pa the first block, the second block where he finished
you know, the block and secured the space required for
(19:39):
JP to score that touchdown.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Yep, watch the reaction of number eighteen. We discussed it earlier.
I mean, you know what he was saying.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
It's almost like he was looking at the crowd and
just like who says receivers don't block what?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
What? Who says I can't block? What?
Speaker 5 (19:53):
What?
Speaker 4 (19:54):
But it was, yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
That was as one of my Adjustin's had a lot
of them, you think of the last you know, however
many games here that I've gotten the joy of coaching him,
He's had, whether it's Buffalo, where it's you know, some
of the plays he's made, you know, in triple team
coverages going that that was one of my favorites. That
was awesome favorites as far as just a selfless captain
of your team showing up in a big moment and
(20:20):
doing something different than you know, ending up with the
ball in his hands, doing the gritty in the end zone.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
It was.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
It was total team football right there, and great example
for not just the Vikings, but a lot of folks
out there.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
You're awesome, Thank you very much, appreciate it, Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
This week's episode of X's and L's with Kevin O'Connell.
It's presented by Ken Moore in his official production of
the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network.
It's time for x's and o's with Minnesota Vikings head
coach Kevin O'Connell on the 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's and o's with Kevin O'Connell, presented by
Ken Moore. It's Border Battle week. Here's the head coach
the PA.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, joins us
weekly for x'es and o's nine to noon. Is fortunate
enough to uh to be able to start that on
a Tuesdays at eleven o'clock or eleven ish.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
And here's the head coach. Now. Lambeau is next in line.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Do do you have a favorite road stadium or are
they all the same because you're just so laser focused
on the task.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
No, I think, uh, I think there's some some different ones.
I do.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I do appreciate you know the history.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Of lambeau Field and we've we've had some success there,
so hopefully we can have a good week and go
go replicate what I believe this has happened in the last two
times we went there.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
When when's the last time, Kevin O'Connell, you coach on
the Vikings, attended or watched a football game as a fan.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
I would probably have to say Cayden absolutely Caden's games.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
But I I was hoping you wouldn't go right to
the kid guard, so I brought it up just to no.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
I think I went to a San Diego State game
during the during the bye week when I was coaching
with the Rams.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I think I might have.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And they were playing at that that I don't I
don't remember the year, but they were playing at the
soccer stadium that the Chargers used to play that before.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
They moved to Sofi, So it might have been. I
don't know what it was. You did you paint your
face black and what it'd be? Black and red, black
and red, black and red. I did not.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And Aztec's right, yep, yeah, so did you go full Garb?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
No?
Speaker 5 (01:58):
No, I Caen Kyden wanted to go. He was just
getting into football at the time, and yeah, he wanted
to go, So I took him down there.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
We have a we have a talkback for you each
and every week. Yeah, we're going to play that Tuesday
talkback right now for the head coach of the Minnesota
Vikings and move on from there.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So three two, Hey, coach.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
And pa, here's my question on social media. Everyone overreacts
to every play, good or bad from our own quarterback.
As a Vikings fan watching on TV, not with the
all twenty two, just as we watch the game, what
is something we should look for to see progress from
(02:38):
our quarterback versus the overreaction of social media.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Oh? Thanks, brother, that was cool.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, that was a great question because I think, you know,
in this coming up on coming up on his sixth start. Now,
I think we're all, you know, we're all just looking
for continued, you know, evidence of the growth that he
can take some of the things he's working very hard
on the practice field to make.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
You know, as the phrase.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
I've been using with him, we got to we gotta
start seeing this cement dry on some of the things
that we've really worked hard to make football.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Habits for him.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
From a fundamentals and technique standpoint, I think something Vikings
fans can can look for is, you know what, when
he gets to the top of his drops, we're really
trying to, uh see if we can get him to
be a little bit more in a repeatable body position.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And what I mean by that is the.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Posture of you know, a firm but athletic kind of
lower half. We don't really like when his feet get
too far outside the framework of his body, and that
happened a couple times the other day. That contributed to
maybe some of the accuracy. His feet got a little
bit wide, his base got really wide. The other thing
to to really look for is when he looks decisive
(03:53):
and and kind of in the ground compact, where he's
not taking up a lot of space with his movements
as he kind of goes from one A to one
B or one to two before finding his checkdowns. You know,
when he's done it consistently, you know, well it's normally
tied to it's got to look to it of firmness
(04:15):
but yet not tight and not rigid, and it kind
of has a fluidity to it where you know he's
you know, then able to activate the arm talent from
a standpoint of taking out a lot of variables. And
I've talked to JJ a lot of a lot of
the movement and a lot of the lack of stability
to his lower half adds to a lot of variables
(04:36):
to the play where you're trying to make this thing
right with the ball leaving your fingertips. But you know,
I would equate it to swinging a golf club, and
sometimes you swing it with your left foot all on
the ground, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you, you know, widen
your stance. Really, you're never going to hit that golf
ball the same way, And playing quarterback is about the
variables that you can control. You've got to try to
(04:58):
make it the same and repeat heatable every single time,
because the difference between golf and any other sport is
these guys are trying to rush one thousand miles an
hour and rip your face off, and you've got to
stand in there and make some throws, sometimes take some hits,
but all of the things before those scenarios start to
take place throughout the rhythm of a play where we
don't know what defense they're in always, and we don't
(05:20):
know exactly where the completion's going to be. So you've
got to control what you can control by doing your
fundamentals and techniques repeatable the same way and take out
some of those variables that really are making JJ's harder
his job harder than it has to be. When we
lose some of that focus throughout games.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I'd like to play a game called Coach's Choice. You
select the topic and here are the categories. Okay, sure,
here we go. Your categories are the long play, full throttle, feel,
the other kid, cash money, and getting the edge.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Which one would you like, Coach O'Connell. Let's let's start backwards.
Let's go getting the edge, getting the edge.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Packers linebacker Edgering Cooper is who you get this this weekend.
He had some part time to him last year and
this year has started all ten for them. Edgering Cooper.
I know you were a fan last year, probably still
are this year. Has his role changed much with Michael
Parsons in the mix.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
I don't know if it's changed much, but you're just
seeing him. You're seeing him on the on the field
more on all downs, all three downs, first, second, third down.
He's a very, very athletic, running hit linebacker that seems
to be getting better and better with the more snaps
he gets. And I think with you know, Eric Wilson
came here and he will was kind of a foundational piece,
(06:45):
kind of filling in in some different spots, but then
ended up getting a lot of playing time just because
of his consistency and doing his job within that defense
last year. But I think edge is kind of you
really look at it and you see Cooper being a
guy that you know. They You're seeing more trust put
into him, You're seeing more playmaking, and he's just being
on the field more. Is allowing him to gain some
(07:05):
experience at a pretty rapid pace, and he's starting to
become a really, really good player.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
But I've always been a fan of his, even going
back to the.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Draft, full throttle feel the other kid, cash Money, or
the long play cash Money.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Cash Money.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Here we go Blake Cashman as he's been a tackling
machine of late. How Blake Cashman other than fifteen tackles
in a game or whatever, Where does he most help
your defense?
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Well, he calls it. I mean he's the green dot.
He's the communication.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
When when Cash is in there, we have far less
snaps where there's any sort of chaotic feel and and
Harrison Smith has a lot to do with that too.
He's playing a lot more snaps, probably played his most
snaps of the season last week. So the combination of
Cash as the green dot calling calling the defense in
from flow and then Harrison and Cash working in conjunction
(07:55):
with kind of our check defense we run. We're just
getting more snaps where we get all left guys on
the same page doing their jobs.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
And you're talking about snaps, and you also mentioned Eric Wilson.
I'm probably going to get those number wrong, but one,
two or five? Did he play?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Did he play? Eighty three? Snaps? Last game? Including special teams?
Laid a lot of su was it a sixty nine
and fourteen?
Speaker 5 (08:16):
He's been so impactful for us. I actually just walk
walking down the hall he was. He was heading into.
We have some massage therapists here on Tuesdays for our guys,
and he was heading in for his massage, and I said,
you know.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
What, I'll take care of this one and.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Then want you to get yourself another one right after,
because no, he played the.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Better bring a sledgehammer for those arms? Yeah, oh, have
your arms ever looked like that? We are you kidding me?
I haven't felt my ribs in thirty years. I have
a right to ask that question. Yeah. No, he's he is.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
I mean as much of a physical specimen as I've seen,
but he is.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
He's been phenomenal for us.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
I mean, you think about kind of the CASHMN injury,
you think about some of the things we've had to
work through with Gink Gink's time out, and now that
we're getting kind of the healthiest version of this team,
it feels like right now coming back together. Hopefully you know,
JG can work through it this week and find some
snaps for us this weekend. But e Will has kind
of been a glue guy that's held it all together.
(09:14):
And when he's been doing that, he's been playing football
at a really high level. But he's also a very
very good special teams player, right, So you always want to,
you always want to, you know, make sure you're not
taking him totally off that phase. But we also need
to be smart and not overdo it with e Will
here the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And not to turn this completely into your male or
female body type leader. But Aaron Donald, like what was
he built like was similar? Really he was cut, so
he was big, fast and cut.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Oh yeah, he was a d lineman that had a
twelve pack and you know, twenty five inch arms and
just thank goodness, he was such an Aaron Donald such
a nice person off the field, because if he wasn't
it would have made for different circumstances working in LA.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Well, you mentioned Andrew Van Ginkle, So coach's choice is
going to take us to full throttle field. And okay,
you mentioned Grenard you know, could be practicing this week.
Hopefully you get him up for the game. Ryan Kelly's
practice window open last week. Who knows, maybe Ryan plays,
But nevertheless, that could be a full throttle feel for
our Minnesota Vikings. But the direction I was taking off
(10:22):
this was with Aaron Jones, Andrew Van Ginkle and say
two three, four games after missing a month and change.
And here's the point. When players return from say a
month five weeks away, does it still take time for
them to be fully up to speed even though they're playing.
(10:42):
And the reason I ask is because watching it back
with Van Ginkle, it just seemed like something in the
second half, Oh wow, hey twenty twenty four just broke out.
You know, it just seems like he's kind of completely back.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I think it's you know, especially veteran players like you're
talking about. Those guys normally don't need a ton of
runway coming back. But the game is fast, it's you know,
it's a very physical game, and and what ends up
happening is I think veteran players know when you know what,
know exactly where they're at from a physical standpoint. They
know where to, you know, push the gas pedal down
(11:16):
and go. They know when they've got to, you know,
make sure they're out there for their team. But maybe
I'm not all the way there yet, and I know
I'll be able to work through that early on here.
And I think we've seen that with Aaron over the
past couple of weeks. And now Aaron feels like he's
really starting to kind of come around and have those
those game legs underneath him again. And I think with Gink,
it's just you know, mentally, you know, he's always going
(11:38):
to be so sharp, he's always going to be where
he's supposed to be. But the playmaking ability seems to
be really coming on. And I saw the same thing
you did there in the second half and and just
some of the rush moves and some of the ways
he was kind of putting.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
It all together when he ran down Kale.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Yeah, I just can't wait to keep seeing, you know,
his impact on what we do. And you know you
mentioned it with to get your Nard back as well.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Minnesota needed to go to a source for everything in
high school sports. That's why the Minnesota Starts Tribune created
shrib Varsity and sign up now at start tribune dot com.
Slash strib Varsity. More X's and o's around the corner
on the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network. Welcome back to X's
and o's. Kevin O'Connell. Here's the head coach with PA.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
God gives the clutch gene, or the ability to not
freak out when it's as hot as hot can be. Conversely,
on the other side, there are things that clearly you
know need to be refined and simplified and or worked
on and honed, but you can't teach the other one.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Yep, you know what I'm saying. So you can search
long and it's not.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
You can search long and far and try to find
the guy that has that end of game.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Right clutch gen and he doesn't freak out.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
No, But what I think his superpower needs to be
is applying that to a second and five in the
middle of the second quarter. I tend to look at
it like, let's bring that end of game focus and
rhythm and determination. And there are a lot of the
snaps that I would pull to show you right now
of what it should look like.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Came on that drive.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Wow, let's see it in the first, second, third quarter,
because what would the game be like for you if
you are able to do that?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And that's start number six.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
That's what we'll be looking for to continue to see
more and more evidence of it, because when we see
the evidence of it, we're also going to it's going
to be tied to the offense.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Moving the football and scoring points.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
That's what that position does, not only in our offense,
but in all thirty two offenses in the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Kevin O'Connell x's and knows last game the first time
JJ McCarthy didn't run in a game. Are you a
proponent of your quarterback running or is fine tuning the
pocket game first and foremost with what you desire?
Speaker 5 (13:47):
No, I think there's I think it all goes back
to the starting point of what his job. If it's
a pass play and he can exhaust the progression and
there's not a lot there for him, and he works
within the rhythm of the play and takes off and
steals us a first down. He's done that multiple times
this year. That's a huge bonus. Now when he does that,
(14:08):
that happens to coincide with, you know, both instances where
he has caused him to miss twenty four odd games
or so. So we have to be smart about the
decision making late in those downs. Once you've done the work,
you've gotten the yardage, we've got a new set of downs.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Yeah, protect yourself.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
And it doesn't always have to be diving head first
on that right shoulder yours either, Like there's there's the
competitive side and then there's the NFL quarterback play for
a really long time with you know, being that competitor side,
and where those are all things where you know, we
talk about a lot and we're trying to kind of
mesh together. But I do think there's an element to
(14:47):
circumstantial and there were some opportunities that the way the
Bears were playing the other day, you know, I know
a lot of folks want more runs on some of
those third and two to threes, and they had seven
players on the line of scrimmage. You know, we got
six to lock them. Unless you're gonna magically I get it.
Unless you're going to magically create another player or ask
Justin Jefferson to go down there and you know block,
(15:09):
you know, block one.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Of those guys, Kevin Byer the third, Kevin Bayer the third.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Then you've the only way to equalize those numbers out
is to run your quarterback. Many many teams in this
league do week in and week out, and I think
there's times for that, but you also don't want to
make a living doing that when you're trying to continue
to see this quarterback grow by playing the position. But
there's a time and a place for it, for sure.
I'm not against it.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But there's running responsibly too. So like I was so
excited for that Bears game. Man, I got up before
fifty five in the morning and and so I start
watching the Bears and the Giants to memorize some Bears
defensive numbers, just who the nickel, the whole thing. But
so I'm watching Jackson Dart on some of these designed
runs and I'm like, Wow, holy cow, he's a violent runner.
(15:53):
You know, some stuff was working, but he's gonna take
everybody on. Well then he gets a concussion for the
fourth time this year and he's out.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
So I'm thinking to myself, Wow, you know, I mean McCarthy,
you know he could do a lot of this too.
But then I'm you know, I'm wondering, you would have
to do it more responsibly, be more cognizant of sliding
or getting out of bounds as opposed to the other
kid who's super gifted. You see what I'm saying here, Yeah,
running responsibly.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
And the the NFL hash marks are you can do
the math on how much further they are from the sideline.
So this old metric of just running the ball and
get to the sideline. Yeah, they got guys over there too,
So there's a I was very, very familiar with that
Giants Bears film watching it. Watched it a few times obviously,
(16:42):
and yeah, some of those hits, oh you know, you're
gaining yards and all those things.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
But and they're not all built like Lamar No, you know,
like ask Kyler.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
I mean early in Kyler Murray's career, you know, he
has like ten rushing touchdowns or something, but then it
was one too many took the wrong kind of hit.
Was like, not ten rushing touchdowns, but he missed like
ten games because of the way he was running and
the hits he was taking being slider, Frank.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
There's just not that many examples of guys you know
having a very long sustained career playing where that style
is the style that's you know, even everybody talks about Lamar.
Lamar has become a phenomenal pocket passer, great rhythm, base,
makes great decisions, He's accurate throws in rhythm. Those plays
where he ends up impacting the game, you can watch.
(17:26):
They played against the Brian Flores defense two weeks ago,
and the Lamar designed runs or reading variations of runs
didn't come until the fourth quarter when they needed those.
The call sheet had been exhausted and they needed those
to secure some final first downs there to not let
us have a chance to try to win that football
game late. But it was not part of the early
(17:48):
down menu early in that game.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Right.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
He's too important to their team and brilliant, and I
think people understand that.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
You ever take off on a successful read option at SDSU,
maybe against kal poly Pomona or something.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
They did I did.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
I was actually in four minute one time and we
ran kind of a statue liberty version of the play
I got the first down, should have went down well,
I kept trying to strain for some more yards, punch
out all out New Mexico takes the ball and beats
us on the last play of the game.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
So you didn't give your best when your best was required.
Was not a situational master in the moment? Low red,
high red, last one.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
I promise Justin Jefferson's work on Jordan Mason's touchdown was perfection.
He blocked their leading tackler, Kevin Byer third so tenaciously
he knocked the Roman numeral right off the back of
his jersey. When when the top identity related player on
your team works hard like that, does it make it
(18:43):
easier to show others what needs to be done to
win at the highest level.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Well, you don't need to show anybody in this building
because they see it every day.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
They see it.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
But I do think it's a good thing for anybody
out there, football players or not, or just fans to understand.
You can you see the competitor in Justin when he's
open on a third down and we don't pitch and
catch the level that he's become accustomed to, or he's
frustrated that we're not winning a game. This guy is
one of the greatest competitors I've ever been around, and
that can come out sometimes but that doesn't mean he's
(19:17):
showing up anybody or his frustrations are boiling over to
the point where you know, Justin is one of the
greatest competitors I've ever been around. He's a phenomenal teammate.
But if you ever have any question of what he's
all about, go watch that play. Just put it on repeat,
over and over. And not even not even the block
pa the first block, the second block where he finished
you know, the block and secured the space required for
(19:39):
JP to score that touchdown.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Yep, watch the reaction of number eighteen. We discussed it earlier.
I mean, you know what he was saying.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
It's almost like he was looking at the crowd and
just like who says receivers don't block what?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
What? Who says I can't block? What?
Speaker 5 (19:53):
What?
Speaker 4 (19:54):
But it was, yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
That was as one of my Adjustin's had a lot
of them, you think of the last you know, however
many games here that I've gotten the joy of coaching him,
He's had, whether it's Buffalo, where it's you know, some
of the plays he's made, you know, in triple team
coverages going that that was one of my favorites. That
was awesome favorites as far as just a selfless captain
of your team showing up in a big moment and
(20:20):
doing something different than you know, ending up with the
ball in his hands, doing the gritty in the end zone.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
It was.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
It was total team football right there, and great example
for not just the Vikings, but a lot of folks
out there.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
You're awesome, Thank you very much, appreciate it, Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
This week's episode of X's and L's with Kevin O'Connell.
It's presented by Ken Moore in his official production of
the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network.
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