After every Minnesota Vikings game, have it be preseason or regular season, head coach Kevin O'Connell has a press conference and gives his thoughts on players and how he thought the contest went. That was the case again for O'Connell after the Vikings defeated the Houston Texans in a preseason matchup this past Saturday.
O'Connell had a bunch of different things to say about the game. He had praise for Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy and second-year edge rusher Gabriel Murphy. Murphy and McCarthy are in similar positions as they both missed the 2024 season with injuries that occurred in training camp or the preseason.
But now with the preseason underway, there is room for improvement and room to shine. McCarthy is unlikely to play in the Vikings' last two preseason games this year, as Minnesota wants to stay away from him suffering another injury. Murphy, however, should get more action as the preseason rolls on.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell praises Gabriel Murphy and J.J. McCarthy after preseason win
McCarthy only played one series in Saturday's preseason win as the coaching staff wants to be cautious with him, but in limited action, he completed 4-of-7 passes for 30 yards and used his legs to scramble for a fourth-down conversion.
After the game, McCarthy got some praise about his performance from O'Connell.
"There is a level of composure and poise as to how he ran the show that was exactly what I was looking for."
O'Connell knows exactly how to use McCarthy and what his vision for him is. Minnesota's head coach has emerged as one of the NFL's top quarterback whisperers in the last few seasons, so it will be exciting to see how well McCarthy does under O'Connell's leadership this year.
When it comes to Murphy, it's a different story for him. He is competing in an edge rusher room that currently contains Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, and more. Murphy has to do everything that he can to earn a roster spot. But he showed up and showed out in Saturday's victory.
Murphy finished the game with three tackles, including one for a loss, to go along with 1.5 sacks. He was very impressive, and O'Connell shared his thoughts on him after the game as well
"He feels like a man on a mission right now in a lot of ways and I'm just proud of him."
Murphy has the great advantage of his defensive coordinator being Brian Flores, who is one of the best defensive minds in the entire league. The young edge rusher will learn a lot from Flores, and if he makes the roster, watch out for his impact in the upcoming season.