Post by Purple Pain on Feb 17, 2022 15:57:34 GMT -6
Purple Insider: Everything we're looking for from Kevin O'Connell's opening press conference
Link:
purpleinsider.substack.com/p/everything-were-looking-for-from
The Kirk question
As the Vikings face a decision regarding Kirk Cousins and his $45 million cap hit, O’Connell will be the first member of the new brass to comment on the situation. We might be able to predict O’Connell’s answer but there are different layers to coach speak. How committal will he be? What light can O’Connell shed on his work with Cousins in 2017? Will there be any indication that he believes there’s more levels to Cousins’ game? Or will we get general statements that leave the door open for just about anything?
This question is a bit of a minefield because anything O’Connell says is going to become one of the top headlines of the day across NFL media.
How his team won the Super Bowl
If you haven’t heard, the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl and haven’t reached The Big Game since Fran Tarkenton was running around in the backfield. O’Connell’s previous franchise has made the Super Bowl twice in the last four years with two different quarterbacks. What has he learned about building and leading a Super Bowl squad? What can he take away from one of the league’s top coaches in Sean McVay? What put the Rams over the top this year? How does a team sustain success?
Whether O’Connell can bring the same type of performance from L.A. to Minnesota will be seen over the next few years but his experience as a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator will at least provide some insight into how he plans to get the job done.
A player’s coach?
O’Connell may want to prep himself on the previous regime’s issues with handling players so he can explain his philosophy without sounding like he’s taking jabs at his predecessors.
Upon Mike Zimmer’s exit, multiple team leaders made it clear that they want a different work environment going forward. O’Connell’s introductory comments need to get across that he’s going to be more open to listening to the players and forming relationships with them but the Vikings’ first-time coach also can’t come across like the tail is going to wag the dog. If he says he’s going to collaborate with players, that sets a standard and he has to stick to that mantra. If he says he’s going to rule with an iron fist, there will be too many shades of the previous regime — though it would be very surprising if that was the tone.
Offensive philosophy
We shouldn’t expect O’Connell to draw out on a white board all of the new things he’s going to do offensively but players and fans will want to hear that there are indeed going to be new things. After all, that’s why he’s here, right? The Vikings didn’t hire O’Connell to get the defense back on track, he was brought to Minnesota to get the football to Justin Jefferson and all his friends.
Will he specifically reference the ways in which the Rams force-fed Cooper Kupp? What will he say about the previous regime’s run-first approach? Do we get some McVay stories about maximizing players’ talents? Or will O’Connell hold his cards close to the vest?
Relationship with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
We are certain to hear collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. What we’ll be looking for is details on how the Vikings’ new head coach and general manager actually plan to work together and about the process that brought them together. What’s the shared vision for what makes a winner in the NFL? Are they on the same page about key parts of revamping/retooling/rebuilding the roster?
The timeline
Again, it would be pretty surprising if O’Connell gave anything definitive about whether he believes the Vikings can compete for a Super Bowl next season or if he thinks the situation is going to require some patience but inquiring minds would like to understand whether he views his presence in Minnesota as a long-term project or a quick fix. If we hear comparisons to the Rams getting Stafford and winning the Super Bowl, it’s going to raise some eyebrows about how the Vikings are going to make up that ground without much cap space to work with and a bare cupboard on defense. But if he says that the entire foundation needs to be rebuilt, it will contradict what owner Mark Wilf said after firing Zimmer and Spielman.
Bottom line: Opening press conferences can be more than just pep rallies. They set the tone for the beginning of a new regime. O’Connell only gets one chance at a first impression this week.
As the Vikings face a decision regarding Kirk Cousins and his $45 million cap hit, O’Connell will be the first member of the new brass to comment on the situation. We might be able to predict O’Connell’s answer but there are different layers to coach speak. How committal will he be? What light can O’Connell shed on his work with Cousins in 2017? Will there be any indication that he believes there’s more levels to Cousins’ game? Or will we get general statements that leave the door open for just about anything?
This question is a bit of a minefield because anything O’Connell says is going to become one of the top headlines of the day across NFL media.
How his team won the Super Bowl
If you haven’t heard, the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl and haven’t reached The Big Game since Fran Tarkenton was running around in the backfield. O’Connell’s previous franchise has made the Super Bowl twice in the last four years with two different quarterbacks. What has he learned about building and leading a Super Bowl squad? What can he take away from one of the league’s top coaches in Sean McVay? What put the Rams over the top this year? How does a team sustain success?
Whether O’Connell can bring the same type of performance from L.A. to Minnesota will be seen over the next few years but his experience as a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator will at least provide some insight into how he plans to get the job done.
A player’s coach?
O’Connell may want to prep himself on the previous regime’s issues with handling players so he can explain his philosophy without sounding like he’s taking jabs at his predecessors.
Upon Mike Zimmer’s exit, multiple team leaders made it clear that they want a different work environment going forward. O’Connell’s introductory comments need to get across that he’s going to be more open to listening to the players and forming relationships with them but the Vikings’ first-time coach also can’t come across like the tail is going to wag the dog. If he says he’s going to collaborate with players, that sets a standard and he has to stick to that mantra. If he says he’s going to rule with an iron fist, there will be too many shades of the previous regime — though it would be very surprising if that was the tone.
Offensive philosophy
We shouldn’t expect O’Connell to draw out on a white board all of the new things he’s going to do offensively but players and fans will want to hear that there are indeed going to be new things. After all, that’s why he’s here, right? The Vikings didn’t hire O’Connell to get the defense back on track, he was brought to Minnesota to get the football to Justin Jefferson and all his friends.
Will he specifically reference the ways in which the Rams force-fed Cooper Kupp? What will he say about the previous regime’s run-first approach? Do we get some McVay stories about maximizing players’ talents? Or will O’Connell hold his cards close to the vest?
Relationship with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
We are certain to hear collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. What we’ll be looking for is details on how the Vikings’ new head coach and general manager actually plan to work together and about the process that brought them together. What’s the shared vision for what makes a winner in the NFL? Are they on the same page about key parts of revamping/retooling/rebuilding the roster?
The timeline
Again, it would be pretty surprising if O’Connell gave anything definitive about whether he believes the Vikings can compete for a Super Bowl next season or if he thinks the situation is going to require some patience but inquiring minds would like to understand whether he views his presence in Minnesota as a long-term project or a quick fix. If we hear comparisons to the Rams getting Stafford and winning the Super Bowl, it’s going to raise some eyebrows about how the Vikings are going to make up that ground without much cap space to work with and a bare cupboard on defense. But if he says that the entire foundation needs to be rebuilt, it will contradict what owner Mark Wilf said after firing Zimmer and Spielman.
Bottom line: Opening press conferences can be more than just pep rallies. They set the tone for the beginning of a new regime. O’Connell only gets one chance at a first impression this week.
Link:
purpleinsider.substack.com/p/everything-were-looking-for-from
... and neither is this Chris guy.