Kevin O'Nagy

The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday afternoon, and Vikings fans did not take the defeat well.

Perhaps it was because of the pair of three-and-outs in the fourth quarter that allowed the Bengals to stay in the game. Or maybe it was the decision to run back-to-back “tush pushes with 180 lb. receiver Brandon Powell as the bulldozer.

It could have even been the historic magnitude of the loss. According to ESPN’s Kevin Siefert, the loss marked the first time since Halloween night 1993 and just the fourth time in franchise history that the Vikings lost after carrying a lead of 14 points or more into the fourth quarter.

In today’s world of instant analysis, angry fans run to their keyboard after any loss — but this one hit differently. Some fans suggested that Minnesota should fire Kevin O’Connell and replace him with defensive coordinator Brian Flores or Michigan head coach and former Vikings coaching candidate Jim Harbaugh.

While the Vikings suffered a devastating defeat in the middle of a playoff race, O’Connell isn’t going anywhere. If anything, the complaints highlight that fans should appreciate what O’Connell is doing to keep Minnesota in the hunt for a playoff spot.

If you told anyone about the Vikings season without disclosing their record, you would have thought that fans would be spending Saturdays preparing for a top-five draft pick by watching Caleb Williams or Drake Maye‘s tape. But Saturday’s game meant a lot, which is why fans went over the edge when Minnesota suffered a soul-crushing loss.

But the Vikings still have a chance at a playoff spot after losing to the Bengals. To examine how this happened, you must look at the culture O’Connell established. Perhaps there is a better play-caller or person to make game-day decisions than O’Connell at this stage of his career. But how many coaches can create a better culture? That’s where this discussion hits a snag.

The Vikings probably aren’t winning the Super Bowl this year. But if they make the playoffs, they can get a taste of what the postseason is like and prepare themselves to make a run in the near future.

It’s the path the Philadelphia Eagles took when they made the playoffs as the NFC’s first seventh seed in 2020. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers destroyed the Eagles, 31-15, in the Wild Card round. But Philadelphia used that experience to go to the Super Bowl last year and go 24-6 over the past two seasons.

McDaniel’s Dolphins are another team on that list. They made the playoffs despite losing Tagovailoa to multiple concussions. After the Buffalo Bills bounced them a year ago, Miami is 9-4 and on the verge of making a return trip this season.

Going back over the past 20 years, 75% of the teams that went on to win the Super Bowl made the playoffs the previous season. While Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes led some of those squads, teams rarely go on a championship run without any prior success.

That makes what O’Connell is doing even more impressive, considering the replacement-level team he’s working with. O’Connell needs to learn from his mistakes on Saturday afternoon. But they are the growing pains of a head coach in his second season with the Vikings, and it makes forging ahead toward a playoff berth a major accomplishment.