5 most disappointing Vikings in the comeback win vs. the Colts
By Nik Edlund
Kevin O’Connell (First Half)
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has done a tremendous job in his first year in charge. He’s turned the entire culture around in Minnesota and has gotten his team to believe they are never out of the game, no matter the score or how dire the situation is.
That being said, his first-half play-calling and decision-making against the Colts were horrible. His play-calling had no rhythm whatsoever, and on crucial downs, he opted to run a jet sweep with his fullback, and then a dive with his running back behind his backup center, resulting in a turnover on downs deep in his own territory.
He also went for it on fourth down with a fake punt that led to another turnover on downs, basically handing the Colts three points. It was like watching a kid play “Madden” and have everything go the wrong way due to taking too many gambles instead of making smart play-calls.
Things got much better for O’Connell in the second half as he started going to his playmakers with the ball and not relying on trick plays with his fullback or backups. While that was great to see, that first half was tough to witness and something he can’t let happen in the playoffs.