December 16, 2025 • 36 mins
For Hour 3 of the show Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell joins the show for X's and O's. Then we play part of Brian Flores press conference.
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Speaker 1 (00:45):
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Welcome back to nine to noon and X AS and
o's with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell from the
vast and never expanding Vikings Entertainment Network t CEO Radio
Studio off two in a row four ko, or don't
give me one, two in a row four kow in
row four ko. Trying to make it three in a
row this weekend against the New York Giants. Couple of
(01:08):
cameras here for Vikings dot Com. Don't forget paid Jaeger's
new camera right there. It's very important. And the head
coach of the Minnesota Vikings joins us, Now, what's going on?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Kevin O'Connell, What up?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Pa?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
How are you guys?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You're you're your generally smiley uh, but I bet you
I can make bet you, I can make you smile.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
You ready, I bet you can.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Uh that that McCarthy keeper fold the heck out of
your announcer on a hot mic, So you smiled.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I called the play and the fake was so good
that it almost got me for a second.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The only guy that could get JJ on that tackle
Jordan Mason. So as long as Jordan didn't still have
the call.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I thought we were in good shape. You I'm gonna
make you smile. You want to hear the highlight? Sure
Devin three to two two in the backfield, Mason and
Ham corp and goal from the one. McCarthy under center snap,
Mason handoff.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Know McCarthy keeped it beautifully and the doctors under the
end zone. Bikings touchdown.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
J McCarthy with his third rushing touchdown, and that baked
out everybody at AT and T s Jadium, including the announcer.
I was about to get mad that we got stopped.
You probably weren't to it, but you know what the
play was.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I was about.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I was like, I mean that, how long have you
had that one in your back pocket?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
The old keeper gotcha? Yeah, it comes up.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
It comes up sometimes depending on the look. You know,
you need to make sure you don't end up with
a couple guys standing back there. But it felt like
the it felt like the right time for the call.
And with JJ's athleticism and then he's been really really
good with the ball handling on some different play passes,
different fakes, different ways of trying to get him out
(02:57):
on the perimeter, different ways and really allow him even
the touchdown throw to Naylor. I mean, there's you're not
calling that that type of action with a continuation kind
of keeping to his left, off of that kind of
straight handoff action playside. But I actually called one late
in the Commander's game to the left for the first time.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Different play and he threw a good ball at Addison.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
We didn't end up completing it, but I said it
on the headset, I want to take a look at
this and see what this looks like to the left,
And right after he threw it, I hit the headset.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I was like, that was.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Pretty smooth, man. I'm like, maybe we'll call something like
that next week. And sara first touchdown pass came off that.
But he's you know, he's he's got, obviously, you know,
some some real good traits with the ball handling of
some of those play fakes and the cell and he
put that thing right on his belt buckle and con
he got everybody at at and T, which was which
(03:51):
was good, so including you. I. I you know, from
your vantage point with the binoculars, I thought there was
no way we could get one past you.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You know, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. I
mean he gets tagged left and right for the GM
work and some bombastic things he says, and like you'll
speak before the coach speaks after game, stuff like that.
We when we go to AT and T Stadium, we
call the game in that corner where Ham and McCarthy
scored in a suite that has a bathroom and it
(04:20):
has beverages.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It's so And then I was who was I chatting with?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Oh, Brad Sham, the forty seven year vox played by
play guy for the Dallas Cowboys. For his fortieth year,
Jerry Jones flew his entire family, his best friends, with
his private playing from all over the country for the
guy's fortieth forty years of calling Cowboys game. So yeah,
Jerry Jones takes a lot of slings and arrows, and
sometimes rightfully so for football stuff. But I've heard countless
(04:48):
stories about how he helps families and does things like that.
And he certainly helped your announcer with that suite and
most importantly a bathroom given ob sixty in three weeks.
But that was right in front of me, right below
pede nine. It's still it was just me. You have
that thing in your back pocket. Yeah, it was a
wonderful time right place right. I have an inside football
take for you. I know you enjoy those, So tell
(05:09):
me what you think with McCarthy. I love how he
gets small in tight quarters and gets away more than
he doesn't when things get hot.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, it's good at getting small.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Well, I thought, you know, one of the things we've
we've been talking about is he does have the ability
and kind of a real nice innate pocket movement, you know,
trait to him. And the biggest thing for a young
quarterback is trusting to go forward, whether that's up and out,
like he did on the first completion of the game
to Hockinson, which you know, we we had a negative
(05:42):
run there.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Where get back on track.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
He throws that thing out to the flat as kind
of an outlet throw and we end up getting twelve
back or eleven whatever it was for the for the
first down. I thought the play that before his touchdown
run where they you know, they played kind of a
heavy man coverage defense, double safety defense. Nobody account for
him and he takes off up up through the increase
(06:05):
in the pocket and had a chance to score, but ultimately,
you know, goes down inside the one and then we
score the next play, and he's he's done that a
couple of times a game here the last two weeks,
and he's really done it at times. You think back
to that Commander game, that ninety eight yard drive twelve minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Everybody's highlighting that.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
That drive, you know, after nineteen nine home plays, and
but that first third and seven where he gets US
eight and gets that whole drive going was a big
time play. And he's you know, I'm obviously very happy
with the way that he's really grown throughout this time
and in these last two games, and he's he's it's
about stacking positives for him, and boys, he doing that
(06:47):
right now and I can't wait to watch him play
against the good Giants defense this Sunday.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Likewise, we are we're going to get to the Minnesota
Vikings defense and special teams here momentarily. But it is
a Tuesday with the head coach, which means it's a
talkback Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
And here's what we have this week.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Hey, coach, Jason to Madison, Wisconsin. I just got a
question as far as what's more difficult to game plan
against an elite corner or an elite pass rusher. There's
kind of in this debate for a long time as
far as what's more important. I know PFF was kind
of in the corner camp. I've always thought pass rusher
was more important. But just who's harder to game plan
(07:24):
against a guy like Miles Garrett, maybe a Patrick's or
ten or does it just matter on your own roster?
Thanks coach, go.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Ahead, Jason Nice.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Yeah, great question, Jason. I actually agree with Jason. I
think it is it is the pass rusher, just because
even the elite corner, you go through the layers of defense,
right because if that elite corner you want to let
that guy play man coverage, there's going to have to
be four other guys that are playing man coverage too,
(07:53):
where you can use different tools and tricks of the
trade formationally, stacks, bunches, motions, ass motions to try to
make that guy's job hard to cover the player he's
covered more than likely, justin Jefferson against US and and
and we have ways of trying to help, you know,
justin you know, find some space and get on edges
(08:14):
and run away from people, or they're gonna play zone coverage.
And and maybe that elite corner has you know, great
ball skills or great zoning eyes. But in those instances,
you can get your best player away from that player
by motioning and understanding that he may match to the
side of the field that he's on. But how many
games have you called where you say, Jefferson motions from
(08:36):
left to right. We're doing that to get him away
from some of those better corners that maybe aren't playing
man coverage and and and then being able to tilt
the scales and in our favor. But the pass rusher,
if you knew where they were gonna line up every play,
if you knew, you could, you know, get four hands
on that guy every single play. But the elite pass
(08:57):
rushers in the NFL, they're moving around, They're they're lining
up inside, they're lining up off the ball and rushing
the center one on one. They're they're switching sides from
right to left. And to really have a you know,
it takes a lot of time and effort to make
sure you build a scheme that, hey, we're going to
go find that guy.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Wherever he is.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
But to do that, you're probably limiting your ability to
then with the said motions and the different bells and
whistles you can put on your pass game to then
help people get open.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So uh that that.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Player can have such an impact not only getting to
the quarterback and getting hits on the quarterbacks, speeding them
up at times moving them off the spot, but also
schematically of being able to have your full repertoire of
things you want to do to a defense. So I
would definitely say the pass rusher. But at the same time,
an elite corner can can do a lot of things
in the game, especially depending on who you're playing schematically
(09:52):
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
When when you won that Super Bowl with the Rams,
like like Jalen Ramsey he was he wasn't the follow
so and so every where he goes was he because
they're like no corners like that anymore.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
It depends, It depended on who the game if it was,
I don't believe when we played Cincinnati in the Super Bowl,
I don't believe he was matching one guy over the other.
But you know, when we played some teams with a
really good slot receiver, for instance, he would go from
playing outside corner in the base defensive groupings with just
two corners on the field, but then he would match
(10:26):
that slot receiver and if he was in the slot,
he'd go in there and technically be playing the nickel
by alignment, or if that player lined up outside, he
would be still playing outside corner. So his versatility was
massive in the defensive scheme we ran there. And I
think it's just, you know, it depends the player, the
skill set, the every down skill set.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You know, if they're going.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
To be truly versatile piece, they're going to have to
be able to tackle as well, and all those things
lead to how you can.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Use those players. This is Kevin O'Connell. This is is
and O's weekly on nine to noon FM one hundred
point three k f a N. And if you're listening
back on Wednesday evening, it's the k f a N
Minnesota Vikings Audio Network. Now with off the the scholarly
Approach to Football, off the Acumen and or DBS Harrison Smith.
(11:19):
What what goes into Harrison Smith being so well prepared
for games?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Well, first and foremost is the experience he has. He's
seen it all. You know, he's been in every style
of game, every kind of game where you know you
need to do some different things to potentially win the game.
But what I mean last Sunday Night was one of
my favorite games that I've watched him play, and it
really wasn't a lot of you know, statistical impact. You're
(11:47):
not sitting there saying he had three sacks or two
picks or pick six or whatever it was. It was
more about, you know, between the snaps, the game within
the game that was going on with him and Dak Prescott,
the best back and forth of really two guys with
a ton of experience. Yeah, really both guys having the
keys to do just about whatever they wanted at the
(12:08):
line of scrimmage, and the game between those two guys
of essentially, Harry is you know, deciding in the moment
with the way flow kind of empowers him to do. So,
whether we're going to send six or seven guys on
a pressure, whether we're going to show that look and
drop out and play a certain kind of coverage, you know,
that's really totally in Harry's command, and he's gauging it
(12:30):
off of what he feels instinctually the offense and most importantly,
the quarterback is trying to get to as that play
clock goes lower and lower and lower, And it was
fascinating to watch the way the back and forth went
and Harry did a phenomenal job.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Was fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
So being somebody like that, I mean I've heard it
a million times. Maybe it's like this here there's a
play for the quarterback, and then like five tentacles off
of it. You know what I'm saying, give or take,
you know, hopefully I'm explaining to that the right way. Yeah, defensively,
is that the same thing? Hey, you know green doc
guy or hit man. Here's the call and five off
of it.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Yeah, it's really I mean, at one point in time
in the game, the way Flow was calling it, you know,
Harry had a menu of things to get to off
of the initial look, and if the initial look presented
itself where Harry liked staying in the initial call, great,
but then he could roll a deck some things.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Off of off of the looks we were getting.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So it very much was as close to you know,
you hear the term quarterbacking the defense. It was I'd
like to see anybody else in the league, you know,
as far as total command and control of how we
were playing defensively, I don't know if it exists, you
know in our league. Between what Flows built defensively and
then the ownership that Harry has over.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
How we play, and dak Man he was playing to
that microphone Sunday Night with the here we go like
all that.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And then you have Cam.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Newton back in the day with the ready yep, like
when you were at San Diego State, what was your
bet I sixteen or.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Something that was a long time ago? Like did your
voice ever crack? Of course? Yeah, I know. I mean
that's taxing on the voice that here.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
We are playing in front of those packed houses in
the Mountain West. You really had to have the voice inflection.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
No idea how it grated out in totality.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
But the moving Company offensive line, the moving Company Sunday
Night personified, in my estimation, a proud, proud group of
men swinging first and pushing them around when required.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
We knew it was going to be looked, you know, everybody.
It's very easy to look at a stat sheet and say, hey,
the Cowboys giving up this many runs or this much
yard dig your game running. But things changed when they
acquired Quinn Williams. Yeah, they now had you know, they
have three interior d Linman. You know, I believe over
twenty million dollars.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Each I had no idea how good and fast o
Diggy Zoo wasting and.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Then Vikings fans know Kenny Clark very very well obviously
may be one of the best interiors, if not the
best and.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Footbpecially when they let him jump off side of the
first play of the game. So I believe or not
he was he was not off side really, yeah. I
watched slow.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Mo which he just absolutely won a game, especially early
before we could kind of get the buildings settled down
with some Vikings you know, execution.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
It was. It was loud early, yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
And he jumped that kind of silent cadence from underneath
the center and.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
He was not off sides.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
But we knew it would be hard to run against
that front, and we knew that there would be moments
in time where we were, you know, really running the
football for the sake of balance and and to potentially
set up some of those explosive pass opportunities which we
were able to get in the game. And I thought
that was critical to still have that many rushing attempts
(15:47):
and a commitment to it. And then I thought we
had some ways unique ways of getting the ball on
the perimeter. C J. Hammond there at the full back
position and kind of pseudo showing some inside run but
then then flipping the ball to get it outside, and
different ways of trying to keep them off balance where
it's not a very easy to just run straight downhill
on that front. It's not that kind of front anymore
(16:09):
since they've stacked that interior.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So well, that's why I was walking around Saturday and
Sunday going, oh diggi zuo, oh diggi zoo odiggi zoa.
It's a different kind of name. But you ninety seven, Yeah, well,
you're right. You can do that on radio.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We can't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Is it insulting if somebody says to you, okay, now
where the record is with no playoffs on the horizon,
is it insulting if somebody says to you, quote, hey,
great job, you really have them playing hard end quote
in a season with no playoffs or making the playoffs
has kind of been a long shot for weeks.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Do you find that insulting?
Speaker 4 (16:43):
No? I mean what I what I view it as
is it's it's absolutely a critical part of who and
what we want to be. We you know, this is
the first time that we've been at this point in
the season where we're technically now officially eliminated. It hasn't happened.
Even even in twenty twenty three, we were playing all
(17:03):
the way down the stretch with a with a chance
to you know, have some some things go your way
and get a little help and possibly win that last
game and get in.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Yeah, but you know, to me, it's it's about.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, we've talked a lot about culture, you know,
during this time we spend together, and in the end,
you've got to build an organization with a bunch of
guys that love playing football and love playing with each other,
and it's it's got to be about more than ultimately
every year you come into this, you want it to
be about, you know, getting in the dance and having
a chance to to bring our fans a Lombardi Trophy
(17:37):
and and for a lot of reasons and and things
that we've got to own this year. That's not gonna happen.
But that doesn't mean we don't want to win every
last game we play. These next three weeks. We got
a chance to play our third NFC East team in
a row and go on the road and get a
win this week before hosting, you know, to to really
good teams from our division back at US Bank Stadium,
(17:58):
that we're gonna want to go try to win football
games and finish off. I never think it's a bad thing.
Regardless of last year we went five and oh in December.
This year we've got a chance to go five and
oh in December, and winning in December is not just
a year to year thing that can have a massive
impact on years to come for our organization, especially with
(18:19):
some of our younger players that maybe haven't experienced, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
December football before. And you'd love it.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
To mean the most, and you'd love it to mean
you're in the playoffs if you win this game or
if you keep stacking those wins. But this has to
be experience of time on task and going to win
these games that will lead to really positive things in
the future.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And I'm glad you framed it up the way you
did personally speaking to use the word culture, because I
would look at it as a compliment if somebody said
something like to you and the players and the staff,
because that's part of culture and giving fans a good
show no matter what the circumstances are. And I bring
it well, I bring that up because there are teams
every week of late this time of the year just
(19:00):
clearly lacking attention and detail, just getting killed, you know,
And I just know that that's the culture here is
very very important. Your Kickers and to Paula, Andrew de Poullen,
and I noticed we got some bagel shop advertising on
you right now. If you get back to Baltimore, probably
can get yourself and everything bagel with some cream cheese.
(19:21):
But Andrew de Paula and to the Kickers have been
just terrific and at a high level all year. It's
like Ryan Wright's like taking out all of the frustration
or anxiety from the Asses and the Portland State guy
and Reiker might be kicking himself into the Pro Bowl.
I'll kicking Aubrey the other night. It's it's been fantastic
with that battery.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
No, they've been great, They've been you know, Ryan Wright's
had an unbelievable year. You think back on so many
moments in games where we've needed to whether we're backed
up here or we're needing to flip the field. After
a slow start to the game the other night, and
Ryan ends up pinning him down in the deep and
defense gets a stop and two plays later we score
(20:02):
a touchdown. It's all complimentary football, but those guys have
been weapons for us. And I've had you know, whether
you're thinking about late late in a half, letting you know,
letting Will kick a long field goal, or even at
the end of the game playing it in a certain
way where if we get it, you know, we get
it in his range, which is you know, as you mentioned,
(20:23):
you know, there's there's no better kicker in football from
kick it from anywhere in the building than Aubrey. And
Will stepped up toe to toe and made some huge
kicks in the game to help us win that thing
and get that lead to eleven points there, Layton. The
game was all part of how we were trying to,
you know, make sure we came out of there with
a win.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Maybe Aubrey got tired on the fake field goal. I
mean it's possible. He never miss his kicks, might have
gotten tired on that thing, all right. A couple a
couple more here for Kevin O'Connell, Eric Wilson, Okay, first
and foremost watching these things back, Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman.
I mean they just bring the proverbial would when they're
hitting people in these games, right. But Eric Wilson, and
(21:02):
you probably know this is Eric. You know, when he
came here, I was calling games, undrafted from Cincinnati, and
he's been affable, you know for many years. His first
deal twenty seventeen to twenty nineteen with the Vikings five
hundred and fifty eight thousand dollars a year. He's got
a ten thousand dollars signing bonus on draft. Let's go
e Will then six years of one year, one million
(21:22):
dollar deals. You guys doubled his pay from one to
three at Green Bay to two six here and we're
right now. He'll he'll he'll play more than a thousand
snaps again this year with some special teams mixed in
fifteen and a half tackles for loss. That's sixth in
the NFL. Is he just exhausted after games?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You know what I'm saying? He plays so much and
he plays so hard.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Well, first of all, you've seen him, you know, walking
around here. He's yeah, maybe his arms, you know, yeah,
just he never misses a day in the weight room.
It seems like, you know, that's a good joke that
I walk by him every day and ask him if
he's he skipped leg day.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And but but people can lift weights every single day,
like maybe you did back in the collegiate days.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Point no, you didn't. That was more when it was
the beach season.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
But still to get that that look where it's like
there's a band or tied around your arm, the superman luck.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
But you know what people, you know last year in
Green Bay, he played a lot of defensive snaps. We
played against him in two games where he played almost
significantly as a starting linebacker with some of the injuries
that they had, and it just always stuck out the physicality,
the instincts. He was exactly where he was supposed to be,
defeating blocks, you know, making tackles, and he's been everything
(22:38):
we had hoped and and a lot more when you
think about the versatility.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I mean, you've seen him line up on the line
of scrimmage.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
You know, he helped us really weather the storm of
Andrew Van Ginkel's time where he missed right and then
you know, whether it's when cash is out he takes
over the green dot when it's you know, he's really
filled multiple roles and he still had a dynamic role
in the cicking game.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
As well.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So he's had a huge year. I'm glad you're noticing.
And lobby Will deserves a ton of credit. Yeah, like
with him and Jalen Naylor. Man, I mean there's some
decisions in the offseason that they're gonna be easy, you
know what I'm saying. All Right, A couple to close
here for Kevin O'Connell, Bira Murphy Junior needs a pick,
all right. Eighteen consecutive without one, nineteen is a career
long for him from Arizona to hear you think maybe
(23:20):
he gets one in this final road game, and.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I think maybe you just spoke it into it. He
almost did against Dallas too. I'm calling for him, man, No,
he's been he's been close on a few. Yeah, we've
ben playing a lot of snaps.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
We got we got our hands on a footballer too.
We got a couple of chances at some tips and overthrows.
We just got to keep on forcing some of those
ops to come our way and our guys will make
those plays.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
The Giants have lost four of six, all right, but
beat the Chargers and the Eagles and almost beat Denver.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
What's going on there with them?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Well, I think you're seeing a team that you know, defensively,
they're very very talented. I mean you talk about up
front with Dexter, Lawrence and Burns, and obviously they've draft
car high in the draft, and they've got some other
really impactful interior guys, you know, good middle linebacker and
and Bobby and and and then you look at the yeah,
and then they've got you know, really talented safeties that
(24:12):
show up, you know, both in the run game in
in the past game, and so defensively those guys are
keeping him in games. And then offensively, I think they've
got you know, Jackson Dart's been you can see it.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
It jumps out on the tape.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
He's he's he's shown demonstrated some really really high level throws,
you know, the ability to you know, to attack the
deeper part of the field. And then his athleticism is
real and they'll run him too. I mean, you're seeing
designed quarterback runs that go beyond the realm of just
zone reads and things like that. They're running quarterback counter,
they're running they're asking him to be a major part
(24:47):
of their run game. And uh, they've done a nice
job running the football this year and they're at their
best when they can be efficient running the ball and
stay ahead of those those distances where then they're not
in third and lungs, they're not asking that old line. Yeah,
very long, they're getting the ball out of Jackson's hands.
And and you know, obviously it's a it's a team
that's you know, transitioned, and you know, on the coaching
(25:09):
staff a little bit on really with you know, Dave's
you know, being let go and then there you know,
a new play caller on defense. So you're you're seeing
some new aspects of maybe how they want to play
and trying to match that with what they've been in
the totality of the season. But it's gonna be a challenge,
you know, it's a they're gonna go play hard, They're
gonna it's you know, it's another road game for us.
We just want to continue stacking playing good football, and
(25:32):
that's what we've done the last two weeks and we've
got to do it again this week.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Lastly, I save this for a last Purposely Jonathan Bernard
and the shoulder. He's gonna miss me. He's going to
miss the final three. What what does he mean to
you as a captain for your team?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, he's Uh.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I tried to, you know, make note of this yesterday
at the presser. But just when you when you when
you have players like JG that are are willing to
come here and truly establish them themselves as a foundational player,
and he's so talented and he's so explosive and impactful
on the edges, it doesn't you know, it's it's hard
to get the quarterback on the ground these days with
(26:10):
you know, both the athleticism of these guys at the
quarterback position, but then the rules that are set up
as well. But he's he's getting the quarterback off the spot,
he's making an impact in the run game. You're feeling
his presence when he's out there. But it's even more
so with what he's brought to this building every single day,
you know, a professionalism of focus, he's he's brought guys
(26:31):
along with them. He's you know, there's very very few
times where you see JG and you don't see Dallas Turner.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Walking right there with him.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
And the way he brought Dallas along, which is going
to be huge for these next three weeks because Dallas
is you know, gonna once again as he has at
times this year really you know, assumed an every down role.
It was when Gink was out or in the couple
of weeks JG was out, and and I think Dallas
is ready to really assume that role and try to
pick up for the huge loss that will feel not
(26:59):
have and JG out there. But h and also want
to commend him for, you know, really fighting through that
injury and rehabbing it and getting his strength back and
then getting back on on the field. And you know,
I thought he played one of his best teams of
the season against the Cowboys. Unfortunate we're not going to
have him, but he'll get fixed up and he'll be
back good as new.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And no time the best. That was fantastic. Thank you,
appreciate you man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
YouTube Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and
I'm Paul Allen. That's ex'es and o's and we're back
after this. I got a lot about the Minnesota Vikings
offense from the head coach, Kevin O'Connell. What about the
defense at this time? Weekly B flow. We just got
two in a row, four B flow. Two in a
(27:42):
row four B flow. We're speaking areas.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
You know, I think every player will say, hey, that
play and you know has some players they'd like to
have back. I'm sure he does as well. You know,
we've talked about you know, some of those, but you know, overall,
I think he's brought you know, toughness, physicality, uh, pressure
on the quarterback playmaking. You know, oftentimes you know he's
(28:07):
getting the initial pressure and somebody else is getting the
sack and kind of making the play without making the
play from a disruptive standpoint. You know, the numbers and
the stats, you know, they don't always tell the full picture.
I feel like we talk about that, you know, every week.
But I think he's he's certainly been impactful.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I think it's the pressure rate.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I want to pass pressure rates, and there it is.
You know, I think he's certainly been the impactful and disruptive.
So let's sit at most in the game, just the
backs and forths of that honest crew stuff. What did
you like the most? What what did you think kind
of aspect? Yeah, I mean I think it, uh, it
(28:48):
kind of turned in or morphed into that type of game.
You know, they did, uh, they were doing some you
know a few good things, as they always do and
it just felt like you know, sometimes when you're you're
in the game, you know, the the people who see
it best for up you know, on the field, and
(29:08):
so you know, we try to give our guys, uh,
you know, the kind of freedom autonomy to uh, you
know potentially, hey, well here's one of three calls, you know,
choose one. And so we kind of went that route,
and you know, it gave them them some issues. You know. Still,
they made some plays. I mean, you know, the the
(29:30):
one where he scrambling and it looks like we got him,
he flips it, we got a one hand catch him,
and those those plays happen. Uh, you kind of go
into it knowing that they happen. They're still they're still like,
oh my gosh, I can't believe that happened. Uh, when
you're in game. But you know, when you're playing against
an offense like that, players, you know that with that
uh you know, with the with that kind of you know, explosiveness,
(29:53):
you know, they those things happen. But you know it
was good. It's fun. It's it's fun to kind of
able to you know, coach, you know, a group of
players to say, hey, you know, we have the uh,
faith that you're going to make the right the right call,
and execute it the right way. I think ultimately that's coaching.
(30:15):
You know, that's you know, teaching so that they have
you know, the information, but also the kind of knowledge
and understanding too to make the right reads and make
the right calls. And you know that's prior of the
guys for doing that.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Brought up the situational defense. Just why are you guys
playing so well on the red zone this year?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
I think it was a point emphasis. I think it's
something that you know, I think that's you know, I
tell our guys all the time. You know, games in
the nash Football League oftentimes boil down the third down
red zone in two minutes, and so you know, every
game pretty much boils down to that, you know, and
if you know you're getting off the field almost possession downs,
(30:55):
third down, fourth down, holding teams to three instead of seven,
you kind of keep yourself in the game. And you know,
that was kind of a point of emphasis, and you know,
something we work on. It's always a point emphasis with
something we certainly work on and talk about. And I
think our guys are executing in those areas, uh, at
a pretty high level. Uh, we'll continue to work in
(31:18):
those areas.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Learn about the Red Zoe with b flow, learn about
the Red Zoe. Would it below back after this?
Speaker 5 (31:44):
M m m.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Hmm. I'm gonna watch that NBA Cup tonight. Are you
kidding me? Absolutely?
Speaker 6 (32:07):
I'm annoyed it doesn't count towards LFL. I think that's
preposterous and stupid. But yes, Wemby, Wemby the Unicorn. It's
just in certain areas where we're we're enamored with greatness.
I think we should be in sports. This is like,
this is something I just haven't seen before, so I
haven't done enough of it. Early on in the season,
he was out a bit with the calf. But anytime
(32:29):
he's on prime just prime time on national TV, I'm
gonna find a way to get It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
What do we think about Thursday night? That's a you know,
we will talk about the Sam Donald related pressure moments,
and there have been some this year. That Vikings game
for Sam Donald, even though the Vikings had a losing record,
believe it or not, was a pressure game for Sam
against his former team, and you know, he got sacked
four times in the game, had a game earlier this
(32:54):
season against the Rams, pressure game through four picks, and
now he has the Rams on Thursday Night football. But
the Rams could be down some some of their key
offensive players. But that that Thursday Night football game man
for the one seed in the NFC was still with
two to go after Thursday. But WHOA, that's a nice one.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
No, that that is the key And and we've talked
a bit about this in terms of what the what
the lot in life is for the NFC playoffs and
just you know, the the a team like the Rams
if everything goes through so far, a team like the Eagles,
if everything goes through Philly the way that first game ended.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
And and Darnold, in fairness to him.
Speaker 6 (33:31):
Despite those four picks, was driving at the end to
try and find that late field goal to beat the
Rams in the first matchup, just couldn't get it done. Uh,
not having DeVante Adams, I wonder how much that matters.
So he's not gonna play. I don't think so, especially
and I forget. I think it's lower body. It's like
a hamstring or something that he'd been dealing with. Short
though Thursday turnaround's gonna be tough. But you know, puka, puka,
(33:54):
puka till we're satisfied. We saw the Seahawks, now we
were a little undermanned and comparison from specifically at the
quarterback spot versus what Matt Stafford's gonna be. But I
think the Rams play this game just as intently because
of them knowing what's at stake as well. So to
say that this is Seattle's chance to get back, or
(34:15):
it's Donald handling a pressure moment, like, I think the
Rams put a ton of focus and a ton of importance.
They know what's at stake on Thursday night. It's going
to be these sorts of matchups. That's why when you
hear you know, the mahomes Is of the world getting
injured or good teams being out of the mix, some
of that's stolen from you in terms of the ability
late in season are teams on the negative. It's six
(34:36):
win radio sadly right now, but to this end on
a Thursday night, to be able to soak that in
just as an NFL fan, it's awesome. And but I
still like the Rams in this spot, and I can't
get off of it at this particular point where I
just feel like, you know, and Philly could be on
the come and all of those things.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I just feel like the.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Rams are the best in class in the NFC, and
you just have a ton of trust in the veteran
leadership there with Stafford. But then at McVeigh from a
coaching standpoint, I think he has the answers on Thursday
night to handle Darnold in the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Mitt McVeigh is one of those Coxshore coaches and I'm
a Sean McVay fam He's one of those competitively arrogant
that's a compliment in Coxshore coaches, where like he looked
at the Lions last game and he's like, and I
don't have this for confirmation, but hey, you guys are
really good using your running backs all over the place.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Gives them Montgomery. Yeah, So what's he do?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
He puts Kyron Williams and Blake Krum on a combined
one hundred and forty nine rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Guys are pretty goodt earbacks, watch me now.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
He's one of the masters in scheming and finding those
matchups and he's he's terrific at it, and I think
they'll be good on Thursday night at it.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Hey, Thanks everybody for listening to nine to noon if
and or when you do. Likewise, for kfam and for
Devin Ward who was a guy in the Great Ship
Left Govenant doing a great job, and Nordo.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I'm Paul Allen.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
God bless all of you and your families, and have
a wonderful Tuesday
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show, or listening back to previous
show and interview site going to the iHeartRadio app or
kfan dot com.
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Welcome back to nine to noon and X AS and
o's with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell from the
vast and never expanding Vikings Entertainment Network t CEO Radio
Studio off two in a row four ko, or don't
give me one, two in a row four kow in
row four ko. Trying to make it three in a
row this weekend against the New York Giants. Couple of
(01:08):
cameras here for Vikings dot Com. Don't forget paid Jaeger's
new camera right there. It's very important. And the head
coach of the Minnesota Vikings joins us, Now, what's going on?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Kevin O'Connell, What up?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Pa?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
How are you guys?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You're you're your generally smiley uh, but I bet you
I can make bet you, I can make you smile.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
You ready, I bet you can.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Uh that that McCarthy keeper fold the heck out of
your announcer on a hot mic, So you smiled.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I called the play and the fake was so good
that it almost got me for a second.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The only guy that could get JJ on that tackle
Jordan Mason. So as long as Jordan didn't still have
the call.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I thought we were in good shape. You I'm gonna
make you smile. You want to hear the highlight? Sure
Devin three to two two in the backfield, Mason and
Ham corp and goal from the one. McCarthy under center snap,
Mason handoff.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Know McCarthy keeped it beautifully and the doctors under the
end zone. Bikings touchdown.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
J McCarthy with his third rushing touchdown, and that baked
out everybody at AT and T s Jadium, including the announcer.
I was about to get mad that we got stopped.
You probably weren't to it, but you know what the
play was.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I was about.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I was like, I mean that, how long have you
had that one in your back pocket?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
The old keeper gotcha? Yeah, it comes up.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
It comes up sometimes depending on the look. You know,
you need to make sure you don't end up with
a couple guys standing back there. But it felt like
the it felt like the right time for the call.
And with JJ's athleticism and then he's been really really
good with the ball handling on some different play passes,
different fakes, different ways of trying to get him out
(02:57):
on the perimeter, different ways and really allow him even
the touchdown throw to Naylor. I mean, there's you're not
calling that that type of action with a continuation kind
of keeping to his left, off of that kind of
straight handoff action playside. But I actually called one late
in the Commander's game to the left for the first time.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Different play and he threw a good ball at Addison.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
We didn't end up completing it, but I said it
on the headset, I want to take a look at
this and see what this looks like to the left,
And right after he threw it, I hit the headset.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I was like, that was.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Pretty smooth, man. I'm like, maybe we'll call something like
that next week. And sara first touchdown pass came off that.
But he's you know, he's he's got, obviously, you know,
some some real good traits with the ball handling of
some of those play fakes and the cell and he
put that thing right on his belt buckle and con
he got everybody at at and T, which was which
(03:51):
was good, so including you. I. I you know, from
your vantage point with the binoculars, I thought there was
no way we could get one past you.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You know, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. I
mean he gets tagged left and right for the GM
work and some bombastic things he says, and like you'll
speak before the coach speaks after game, stuff like that.
We when we go to AT and T Stadium, we
call the game in that corner where Ham and McCarthy
scored in a suite that has a bathroom and it
(04:20):
has beverages.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It's so And then I was who was I chatting with?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Oh, Brad Sham, the forty seven year vox played by
play guy for the Dallas Cowboys. For his fortieth year,
Jerry Jones flew his entire family, his best friends, with
his private playing from all over the country for the
guy's fortieth forty years of calling Cowboys game. So yeah,
Jerry Jones takes a lot of slings and arrows, and
sometimes rightfully so for football stuff. But I've heard countless
(04:48):
stories about how he helps families and does things like that.
And he certainly helped your announcer with that suite and
most importantly a bathroom given ob sixty in three weeks.
But that was right in front of me, right below
pede nine. It's still it was just me. You have
that thing in your back pocket. Yeah, it was a
wonderful time right place right. I have an inside football
take for you. I know you enjoy those, So tell
(05:09):
me what you think with McCarthy. I love how he
gets small in tight quarters and gets away more than
he doesn't when things get hot.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, it's good at getting small.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Well, I thought, you know, one of the things we've
we've been talking about is he does have the ability
and kind of a real nice innate pocket movement, you know,
trait to him. And the biggest thing for a young
quarterback is trusting to go forward, whether that's up and out,
like he did on the first completion of the game
to Hockinson, which you know, we we had a negative
(05:42):
run there.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Where get back on track.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
He throws that thing out to the flat as kind
of an outlet throw and we end up getting twelve
back or eleven whatever it was for the for the
first down. I thought the play that before his touchdown
run where they you know, they played kind of a
heavy man coverage defense, double safety defense. Nobody account for
him and he takes off up up through the increase
(06:05):
in the pocket and had a chance to score, but ultimately,
you know, goes down inside the one and then we
score the next play, and he's he's done that a
couple of times a game here the last two weeks,
and he's really done it at times. You think back
to that Commander game, that ninety eight yard drive twelve minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Everybody's highlighting that.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
That drive, you know, after nineteen nine home plays, and
but that first third and seven where he gets US
eight and gets that whole drive going was a big
time play. And he's you know, I'm obviously very happy
with the way that he's really grown throughout this time
and in these last two games, and he's he's it's
about stacking positives for him, and boys, he doing that
(06:47):
right now and I can't wait to watch him play
against the good Giants defense this Sunday.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Likewise, we are we're going to get to the Minnesota
Vikings defense and special teams here momentarily. But it is
a Tuesday with the head coach, which means it's a
talkback Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
And here's what we have this week.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Hey, coach, Jason to Madison, Wisconsin. I just got a
question as far as what's more difficult to game plan
against an elite corner or an elite pass rusher. There's
kind of in this debate for a long time as
far as what's more important. I know PFF was kind
of in the corner camp. I've always thought pass rusher
was more important. But just who's harder to game plan
(07:24):
against a guy like Miles Garrett, maybe a Patrick's or
ten or does it just matter on your own roster?
Thanks coach, go.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Ahead, Jason Nice.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Yeah, great question, Jason. I actually agree with Jason. I
think it is it is the pass rusher, just because
even the elite corner, you go through the layers of defense,
right because if that elite corner you want to let
that guy play man coverage, there's going to have to
be four other guys that are playing man coverage too,
(07:53):
where you can use different tools and tricks of the
trade formationally, stacks, bunches, motions, ass motions to try to
make that guy's job hard to cover the player he's
covered more than likely, justin Jefferson against US and and
and we have ways of trying to help, you know,
justin you know, find some space and get on edges
(08:14):
and run away from people, or they're gonna play zone coverage.
And and maybe that elite corner has you know, great
ball skills or great zoning eyes. But in those instances,
you can get your best player away from that player
by motioning and understanding that he may match to the
side of the field that he's on. But how many
games have you called where you say, Jefferson motions from
(08:36):
left to right. We're doing that to get him away
from some of those better corners that maybe aren't playing
man coverage and and and then being able to tilt
the scales and in our favor. But the pass rusher,
if you knew where they were gonna line up every play,
if you knew, you could, you know, get four hands
on that guy every single play. But the elite pass
(08:57):
rushers in the NFL, they're moving around, They're they're lining
up inside, they're lining up off the ball and rushing
the center one on one. They're they're switching sides from
right to left. And to really have a you know,
it takes a lot of time and effort to make
sure you build a scheme that, hey, we're going to
go find that guy.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Wherever he is.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
But to do that, you're probably limiting your ability to
then with the said motions and the different bells and
whistles you can put on your pass game to then
help people get open.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So uh that that.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Player can have such an impact not only getting to
the quarterback and getting hits on the quarterbacks, speeding them
up at times moving them off the spot, but also
schematically of being able to have your full repertoire of
things you want to do to a defense. So I
would definitely say the pass rusher. But at the same time,
an elite corner can can do a lot of things
in the game, especially depending on who you're playing schematically
(09:52):
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
When when you won that Super Bowl with the Rams,
like like Jalen Ramsey he was he wasn't the follow
so and so every where he goes was he because
they're like no corners like that anymore.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
It depends, It depended on who the game if it was,
I don't believe when we played Cincinnati in the Super Bowl,
I don't believe he was matching one guy over the other.
But you know, when we played some teams with a
really good slot receiver, for instance, he would go from
playing outside corner in the base defensive groupings with just
two corners on the field, but then he would match
(10:26):
that slot receiver and if he was in the slot,
he'd go in there and technically be playing the nickel
by alignment, or if that player lined up outside, he
would be still playing outside corner. So his versatility was
massive in the defensive scheme we ran there. And I
think it's just, you know, it depends the player, the
skill set, the every down skill set.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You know, if they're going.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
To be truly versatile piece, they're going to have to
be able to tackle as well, and all those things
lead to how you can.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Use those players. This is Kevin O'Connell. This is is
and O's weekly on nine to noon FM one hundred
point three k f a N. And if you're listening
back on Wednesday evening, it's the k f a N
Minnesota Vikings Audio Network. Now with off the the scholarly
Approach to Football, off the Acumen and or DBS Harrison Smith.
(11:19):
What what goes into Harrison Smith being so well prepared
for games?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Well, first and foremost is the experience he has. He's
seen it all. You know, he's been in every style
of game, every kind of game where you know you
need to do some different things to potentially win the game.
But what I mean last Sunday Night was one of
my favorite games that I've watched him play, and it
really wasn't a lot of you know, statistical impact. You're
(11:47):
not sitting there saying he had three sacks or two
picks or pick six or whatever it was. It was
more about, you know, between the snaps, the game within
the game that was going on with him and Dak Prescott,
the best back and forth of really two guys with
a ton of experience. Yeah, really both guys having the
keys to do just about whatever they wanted at the
(12:08):
line of scrimmage, and the game between those two guys
of essentially, Harry is you know, deciding in the moment
with the way flow kind of empowers him to do. So,
whether we're going to send six or seven guys on
a pressure, whether we're going to show that look and
drop out and play a certain kind of coverage, you know,
that's really totally in Harry's command, and he's gauging it
(12:30):
off of what he feels instinctually the offense and most importantly,
the quarterback is trying to get to as that play
clock goes lower and lower and lower, And it was
fascinating to watch the way the back and forth went
and Harry did a phenomenal job.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Was fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
So being somebody like that, I mean I've heard it
a million times. Maybe it's like this here there's a
play for the quarterback, and then like five tentacles off
of it. You know what I'm saying, give or take,
you know, hopefully I'm explaining to that the right way. Yeah, defensively,
is that the same thing? Hey, you know green doc
guy or hit man. Here's the call and five off
of it.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Yeah, it's really I mean, at one point in time
in the game, the way Flow was calling it, you know,
Harry had a menu of things to get to off
of the initial look, and if the initial look presented
itself where Harry liked staying in the initial call, great,
but then he could roll a deck some things.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Off of off of the looks we were getting.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So it very much was as close to you know,
you hear the term quarterbacking the defense. It was I'd
like to see anybody else in the league, you know,
as far as total command and control of how we
were playing defensively, I don't know if it exists, you
know in our league. Between what Flows built defensively and
then the ownership that Harry has over.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
How we play, and dak Man he was playing to
that microphone Sunday Night with the here we go like
all that.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And then you have Cam.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Newton back in the day with the ready yep, like
when you were at San Diego State, what was your
bet I sixteen or.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Something that was a long time ago? Like did your
voice ever crack? Of course? Yeah, I know. I mean
that's taxing on the voice that here.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
We are playing in front of those packed houses in
the Mountain West. You really had to have the voice inflection.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
No idea how it grated out in totality.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
But the moving Company offensive line, the moving Company Sunday
Night personified, in my estimation, a proud, proud group of
men swinging first and pushing them around when required.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
We knew it was going to be looked, you know, everybody.
It's very easy to look at a stat sheet and say, hey,
the Cowboys giving up this many runs or this much
yard dig your game running. But things changed when they
acquired Quinn Williams. Yeah, they now had you know, they
have three interior d Linman. You know, I believe over
twenty million dollars.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Each I had no idea how good and fast o
Diggy Zoo wasting and.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Then Vikings fans know Kenny Clark very very well obviously
may be one of the best interiors, if not the
best and.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Footbpecially when they let him jump off side of the
first play of the game. So I believe or not
he was he was not off side really, yeah. I
watched slow.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Mo which he just absolutely won a game, especially early
before we could kind of get the buildings settled down
with some Vikings you know, execution.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
It was. It was loud early, yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
And he jumped that kind of silent cadence from underneath
the center and.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
He was not off sides.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
But we knew it would be hard to run against
that front, and we knew that there would be moments
in time where we were, you know, really running the
football for the sake of balance and and to potentially
set up some of those explosive pass opportunities which we
were able to get in the game. And I thought
that was critical to still have that many rushing attempts
(15:47):
and a commitment to it. And then I thought we
had some ways unique ways of getting the ball on
the perimeter. C J. Hammond there at the full back
position and kind of pseudo showing some inside run but
then then flipping the ball to get it outside, and
different ways of trying to keep them off balance where
it's not a very easy to just run straight downhill
on that front. It's not that kind of front anymore
(16:09):
since they've stacked that interior.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So well, that's why I was walking around Saturday and
Sunday going, oh diggi zuo, oh diggi zoo odiggi zoa.
It's a different kind of name. But you ninety seven, Yeah, well,
you're right. You can do that on radio.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We can't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Is it insulting if somebody says to you, okay, now
where the record is with no playoffs on the horizon,
is it insulting if somebody says to you, quote, hey,
great job, you really have them playing hard end quote
in a season with no playoffs or making the playoffs
has kind of been a long shot for weeks.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Do you find that insulting?
Speaker 4 (16:43):
No? I mean what I what I view it as
is it's it's absolutely a critical part of who and
what we want to be. We you know, this is
the first time that we've been at this point in
the season where we're technically now officially eliminated. It hasn't happened.
Even even in twenty twenty three, we were playing all
(17:03):
the way down the stretch with a with a chance
to you know, have some some things go your way
and get a little help and possibly win that last
game and get in.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Yeah, but you know, to me, it's it's about.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, we've talked a lot about culture, you know,
during this time we spend together, and in the end,
you've got to build an organization with a bunch of
guys that love playing football and love playing with each other,
and it's it's got to be about more than ultimately
every year you come into this, you want it to
be about, you know, getting in the dance and having
a chance to to bring our fans a Lombardi Trophy
(17:37):
and and for a lot of reasons and and things
that we've got to own this year. That's not gonna happen.
But that doesn't mean we don't want to win every
last game we play. These next three weeks. We got
a chance to play our third NFC East team in
a row and go on the road and get a
win this week before hosting, you know, to to really
good teams from our division back at US Bank Stadium,
(17:58):
that we're gonna want to go try to win football
games and finish off. I never think it's a bad thing.
Regardless of last year we went five and oh in December.
This year we've got a chance to go five and
oh in December, and winning in December is not just
a year to year thing that can have a massive
impact on years to come for our organization, especially with
(18:19):
some of our younger players that maybe haven't experienced, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
December football before. And you'd love it.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
To mean the most, and you'd love it to mean
you're in the playoffs if you win this game or
if you keep stacking those wins. But this has to
be experience of time on task and going to win
these games that will lead to really positive things in
the future.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And I'm glad you framed it up the way you
did personally speaking to use the word culture, because I
would look at it as a compliment if somebody said
something like to you and the players and the staff,
because that's part of culture and giving fans a good
show no matter what the circumstances are. And I bring
it well, I bring that up because there are teams
every week of late this time of the year just
(19:00):
clearly lacking attention and detail, just getting killed, you know,
And I just know that that's the culture here is
very very important. Your Kickers and to Paula, Andrew de Poullen,
and I noticed we got some bagel shop advertising on
you right now. If you get back to Baltimore, probably
can get yourself and everything bagel with some cream cheese.
(19:21):
But Andrew de Paula and to the Kickers have been
just terrific and at a high level all year. It's
like Ryan Wright's like taking out all of the frustration
or anxiety from the Asses and the Portland State guy
and Reiker might be kicking himself into the Pro Bowl.
I'll kicking Aubrey the other night. It's it's been fantastic
with that battery.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
No, they've been great, They've been you know, Ryan Wright's
had an unbelievable year. You think back on so many
moments in games where we've needed to whether we're backed
up here or we're needing to flip the field. After
a slow start to the game the other night, and
Ryan ends up pinning him down in the deep and
defense gets a stop and two plays later we score
(20:02):
a touchdown. It's all complimentary football, but those guys have
been weapons for us. And I've had you know, whether
you're thinking about late late in a half, letting you know,
letting Will kick a long field goal, or even at
the end of the game playing it in a certain
way where if we get it, you know, we get
it in his range, which is you know, as you mentioned,
(20:23):
you know, there's there's no better kicker in football from
kick it from anywhere in the building than Aubrey. And
Will stepped up toe to toe and made some huge
kicks in the game to help us win that thing
and get that lead to eleven points there, Layton. The
game was all part of how we were trying to,
you know, make sure we came out of there with
a win.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Maybe Aubrey got tired on the fake field goal. I
mean it's possible. He never miss his kicks, might have
gotten tired on that thing, all right. A couple a
couple more here for Kevin O'Connell, Eric Wilson, Okay, first
and foremost watching these things back, Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman.
I mean they just bring the proverbial would when they're
hitting people in these games, right. But Eric Wilson, and
(21:02):
you probably know this is Eric. You know, when he
came here, I was calling games, undrafted from Cincinnati, and
he's been affable, you know for many years. His first
deal twenty seventeen to twenty nineteen with the Vikings five
hundred and fifty eight thousand dollars a year. He's got
a ten thousand dollars signing bonus on draft. Let's go
e Will then six years of one year, one million
(21:22):
dollar deals. You guys doubled his pay from one to
three at Green Bay to two six here and we're
right now. He'll he'll he'll play more than a thousand
snaps again this year with some special teams mixed in
fifteen and a half tackles for loss. That's sixth in
the NFL. Is he just exhausted after games?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You know what I'm saying? He plays so much and
he plays so hard.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Well, first of all, you've seen him, you know, walking
around here. He's yeah, maybe his arms, you know, yeah,
just he never misses a day in the weight room.
It seems like, you know, that's a good joke that
I walk by him every day and ask him if
he's he skipped leg day.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And but but people can lift weights every single day,
like maybe you did back in the collegiate days.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Point no, you didn't. That was more when it was
the beach season.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
But still to get that that look where it's like
there's a band or tied around your arm, the superman luck.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
But you know what people, you know last year in
Green Bay, he played a lot of defensive snaps. We
played against him in two games where he played almost
significantly as a starting linebacker with some of the injuries
that they had, and it just always stuck out the physicality,
the instincts. He was exactly where he was supposed to be,
defeating blocks, you know, making tackles, and he's been everything
(22:38):
we had hoped and and a lot more when you
think about the versatility.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I mean, you've seen him line up on the line
of scrimmage.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
You know, he helped us really weather the storm of
Andrew Van Ginkel's time where he missed right and then
you know, whether it's when cash is out he takes
over the green dot when it's you know, he's really
filled multiple roles and he still had a dynamic role
in the cicking game.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
As well.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So he's had a huge year. I'm glad you're noticing.
And lobby Will deserves a ton of credit. Yeah, like
with him and Jalen Naylor. Man, I mean there's some
decisions in the offseason that they're gonna be easy, you
know what I'm saying. All Right, A couple to close
here for Kevin O'Connell, Bira Murphy Junior needs a pick,
all right. Eighteen consecutive without one, nineteen is a career
long for him from Arizona to hear you think maybe
(23:20):
he gets one in this final road game, and.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I think maybe you just spoke it into it. He
almost did against Dallas too. I'm calling for him, man, No,
he's been he's been close on a few. Yeah, we've
ben playing a lot of snaps.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
We got we got our hands on a footballer too.
We got a couple of chances at some tips and overthrows.
We just got to keep on forcing some of those
ops to come our way and our guys will make
those plays.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
The Giants have lost four of six, all right, but
beat the Chargers and the Eagles and almost beat Denver.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
What's going on there with them?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Well, I think you're seeing a team that you know, defensively,
they're very very talented. I mean you talk about up
front with Dexter, Lawrence and Burns, and obviously they've draft
car high in the draft, and they've got some other
really impactful interior guys, you know, good middle linebacker and
and Bobby and and and then you look at the yeah,
and then they've got you know, really talented safeties that
(24:12):
show up, you know, both in the run game in
in the past game, and so defensively those guys are
keeping him in games. And then offensively, I think they've
got you know, Jackson Dart's been you can see it.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
It jumps out on the tape.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
He's he's he's shown demonstrated some really really high level throws,
you know, the ability to you know, to attack the
deeper part of the field. And then his athleticism is
real and they'll run him too. I mean, you're seeing
designed quarterback runs that go beyond the realm of just
zone reads and things like that. They're running quarterback counter,
they're running they're asking him to be a major part
(24:47):
of their run game. And uh, they've done a nice
job running the football this year and they're at their
best when they can be efficient running the ball and
stay ahead of those those distances where then they're not
in third and lungs, they're not asking that old line. Yeah,
very long, they're getting the ball out of Jackson's hands.
And and you know, obviously it's a it's a team
that's you know, transitioned, and you know, on the coaching
(25:09):
staff a little bit on really with you know, Dave's
you know, being let go and then there you know,
a new play caller on defense. So you're you're seeing
some new aspects of maybe how they want to play
and trying to match that with what they've been in
the totality of the season. But it's gonna be a challenge,
you know, it's a they're gonna go play hard, They're
gonna it's you know, it's another road game for us.
We just want to continue stacking playing good football, and
(25:32):
that's what we've done the last two weeks and we've
got to do it again this week.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Lastly, I save this for a last Purposely Jonathan Bernard
and the shoulder. He's gonna miss me. He's going to
miss the final three. What what does he mean to
you as a captain for your team?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, he's Uh.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I tried to, you know, make note of this yesterday
at the presser. But just when you when you when
you have players like JG that are are willing to
come here and truly establish them themselves as a foundational player,
and he's so talented and he's so explosive and impactful
on the edges, it doesn't you know, it's it's hard
to get the quarterback on the ground these days with
(26:10):
you know, both the athleticism of these guys at the
quarterback position, but then the rules that are set up
as well. But he's he's getting the quarterback off the spot,
he's making an impact in the run game. You're feeling
his presence when he's out there. But it's even more
so with what he's brought to this building every single day,
you know, a professionalism of focus, he's he's brought guys
(26:31):
along with them. He's you know, there's very very few
times where you see JG and you don't see Dallas Turner.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Walking right there with him.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
And the way he brought Dallas along, which is going
to be huge for these next three weeks because Dallas
is you know, gonna once again as he has at
times this year really you know, assumed an every down role.
It was when Gink was out or in the couple
of weeks JG was out, and and I think Dallas
is ready to really assume that role and try to
pick up for the huge loss that will feel not
(26:59):
have and JG out there. But h and also want
to commend him for, you know, really fighting through that
injury and rehabbing it and getting his strength back and
then getting back on on the field. And you know,
I thought he played one of his best teams of
the season against the Cowboys. Unfortunate we're not going to
have him, but he'll get fixed up and he'll be
back good as new.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And no time the best. That was fantastic. Thank you,
appreciate you man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
YouTube Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and
I'm Paul Allen. That's ex'es and o's and we're back
after this. I got a lot about the Minnesota Vikings
offense from the head coach, Kevin O'Connell. What about the
defense at this time? Weekly B flow. We just got
two in a row, four B flow. Two in a
(27:42):
row four B flow. We're speaking areas.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
You know, I think every player will say, hey, that
play and you know has some players they'd like to
have back. I'm sure he does as well. You know,
we've talked about you know, some of those, but you know, overall,
I think he's brought you know, toughness, physicality, uh, pressure
on the quarterback playmaking. You know, oftentimes you know he's
(28:07):
getting the initial pressure and somebody else is getting the
sack and kind of making the play without making the
play from a disruptive standpoint. You know, the numbers and
the stats, you know, they don't always tell the full picture.
I feel like we talk about that, you know, every week.
But I think he's he's certainly been impactful.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I think it's the pressure rate.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I want to pass pressure rates, and there it is.
You know, I think he's certainly been the impactful and disruptive.
So let's sit at most in the game, just the
backs and forths of that honest crew stuff. What did
you like the most? What what did you think kind
of aspect? Yeah, I mean I think it, uh, it
(28:48):
kind of turned in or morphed into that type of game.
You know, they did, uh, they were doing some you
know a few good things, as they always do and
it just felt like you know, sometimes when you're you're
in the game, you know, the the people who see
it best for up you know, on the field, and
(29:08):
so you know, we try to give our guys, uh,
you know, the kind of freedom autonomy to uh, you
know potentially, hey, well here's one of three calls, you know,
choose one. And so we kind of went that route,
and you know, it gave them them some issues. You know. Still,
they made some plays. I mean, you know, the the
(29:30):
one where he scrambling and it looks like we got him,
he flips it, we got a one hand catch him,
and those those plays happen. Uh, you kind of go
into it knowing that they happen. They're still they're still like,
oh my gosh, I can't believe that happened. Uh, when
you're in game. But you know, when you're playing against
an offense like that, players, you know that with that
uh you know, with the with that kind of you know, explosiveness,
(29:53):
you know, they those things happen. But you know it
was good. It's fun. It's it's fun to kind of
able to you know, coach, you know, a group of
players to say, hey, you know, we have the uh,
faith that you're going to make the right the right call,
and execute it the right way. I think ultimately that's coaching.
(30:15):
You know, that's you know, teaching so that they have
you know, the information, but also the kind of knowledge
and understanding too to make the right reads and make
the right calls. And you know that's prior of the
guys for doing that.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Brought up the situational defense. Just why are you guys
playing so well on the red zone this year?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
I think it was a point emphasis. I think it's
something that you know, I think that's you know, I
tell our guys all the time. You know, games in
the nash Football League oftentimes boil down the third down
red zone in two minutes, and so you know, every
game pretty much boils down to that, you know, and
if you know you're getting off the field almost possession downs,
(30:55):
third down, fourth down, holding teams to three instead of seven,
you kind of keep yourself in the game. And you know,
that was kind of a point of emphasis, and you know,
something we work on. It's always a point emphasis with
something we certainly work on and talk about. And I
think our guys are executing in those areas, uh, at
a pretty high level. Uh, we'll continue to work in
(31:18):
those areas.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Learn about the Red Zoe with b flow, learn about
the Red Zoe. Would it below back after this?
Speaker 5 (31:44):
M m m.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Hmm. I'm gonna watch that NBA Cup tonight. Are you
kidding me? Absolutely?
Speaker 6 (32:07):
I'm annoyed it doesn't count towards LFL. I think that's
preposterous and stupid. But yes, Wemby, Wemby the Unicorn. It's
just in certain areas where we're we're enamored with greatness.
I think we should be in sports. This is like,
this is something I just haven't seen before, so I
haven't done enough of it. Early on in the season,
he was out a bit with the calf. But anytime
(32:29):
he's on prime just prime time on national TV, I'm
gonna find a way to get It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
What do we think about Thursday night? That's a you know,
we will talk about the Sam Donald related pressure moments,
and there have been some this year. That Vikings game
for Sam Donald, even though the Vikings had a losing record,
believe it or not, was a pressure game for Sam
against his former team, and you know, he got sacked
four times in the game, had a game earlier this
(32:54):
season against the Rams, pressure game through four picks, and
now he has the Rams on Thursday Night football. But
the Rams could be down some some of their key
offensive players. But that that Thursday Night football game man
for the one seed in the NFC was still with
two to go after Thursday. But WHOA, that's a nice one.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
No, that that is the key And and we've talked
a bit about this in terms of what the what
the lot in life is for the NFC playoffs and
just you know, the the a team like the Rams
if everything goes through so far, a team like the Eagles,
if everything goes through Philly the way that first game ended.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
And and Darnold, in fairness to him.
Speaker 6 (33:31):
Despite those four picks, was driving at the end to
try and find that late field goal to beat the
Rams in the first matchup, just couldn't get it done. Uh,
not having DeVante Adams, I wonder how much that matters.
So he's not gonna play. I don't think so, especially
and I forget. I think it's lower body. It's like
a hamstring or something that he'd been dealing with. Short
though Thursday turnaround's gonna be tough. But you know, puka, puka,
(33:54):
puka till we're satisfied. We saw the Seahawks, now we
were a little undermanned and comparison from specifically at the
quarterback spot versus what Matt Stafford's gonna be. But I
think the Rams play this game just as intently because
of them knowing what's at stake as well. So to
say that this is Seattle's chance to get back, or
(34:15):
it's Donald handling a pressure moment, like, I think the
Rams put a ton of focus and a ton of importance.
They know what's at stake on Thursday night. It's going
to be these sorts of matchups. That's why when you
hear you know, the mahomes Is of the world getting
injured or good teams being out of the mix, some
of that's stolen from you in terms of the ability
late in season are teams on the negative. It's six
(34:36):
win radio sadly right now, but to this end on
a Thursday night, to be able to soak that in
just as an NFL fan, it's awesome. And but I
still like the Rams in this spot, and I can't
get off of it at this particular point where I
just feel like, you know, and Philly could be on
the come and all of those things.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I just feel like the.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Rams are the best in class in the NFC, and
you just have a ton of trust in the veteran
leadership there with Stafford. But then at McVeigh from a
coaching standpoint, I think he has the answers on Thursday
night to handle Darnold in the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Mitt McVeigh is one of those Coxshore coaches and I'm
a Sean McVay fam He's one of those competitively arrogant
that's a compliment in Coxshore coaches, where like he looked
at the Lions last game and he's like, and I
don't have this for confirmation, but hey, you guys are
really good using your running backs all over the place.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Gives them Montgomery. Yeah, So what's he do?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
He puts Kyron Williams and Blake Krum on a combined
one hundred and forty nine rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Guys are pretty goodt earbacks, watch me now.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
He's one of the masters in scheming and finding those
matchups and he's he's terrific at it, and I think
they'll be good on Thursday night at it.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Hey, Thanks everybody for listening to nine to noon if
and or when you do. Likewise, for kfam and for
Devin Ward who was a guy in the Great Ship
Left Govenant doing a great job, and Nordo.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I'm Paul Allen.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
God bless all of you and your families, and have
a wonderful Tuesday
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show, or listening back to previous
show and interview site going to the iHeartRadio app or
kfan dot com.
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