3 scapegoats from the Vikings loss to the Packers in Week 17

With fingers being pointed all around after a Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, which members of the Minnesota Vikings deserve less blame than they are receiving right now?

The tail end of this Minnesota Vikings season has been as bad as it gets. Losses are stacking up, not only on the schedule but on the depth chart as well.

With a game left to go in the regular season, the Vikings are all but eliminated from playoff contention, with almost nothing to play for this weekend other than a higher pick in the 2024 draft if they were to lose.

This past weekend against the Green Bay Packers was the nail in the coffin for Minnesota, as they were blown out at home, ending their playoff hopes with a very sour taste in everyone's mouths.

While the blame is being tossed around the entire organization, which members of the team are getting unrightfully bashed for their part in the Week 17 loss to Green Bay?

Vikings Scapegoat No. 1

Kevin O'Connell - Head Coach

Scoring 10 points at home certainly isn't ideal when you're the leader of the team as well as the offensive play-caller. In Kevin O'Connell's case, he was dealt a very rough hand this past weekend, and it showed out there on the field.

O'Connell may have asked too much of Jaren Hall this past weekend, and the rookie quarterback didn't look great. Both of these are true.

While O'Connell dialed up some plays for Hall that were far too much for the inexperienced rookie to execute, there were also plays that fell right into Hall's lap, and he just couldn't compete.

Even when Hall got benched, Minnesota's backup quarterback Nick Mullens didn't light things up either. The Packers were hitting both quarterbacks far too regularly for the Vikings offense to get any momentum, and it spiraled out of control.

It's hard for anything to get going when you're working with your third and fourth-string quarterbacks, and they were also going out there without their reliable Pro Bowl tight end to help them.

Minnesota's offensive line didn't do any favors for the team's abysmal situation on offense either, and this just led to a dud in the scorebook. O'Connell hasn't been great this season, but the hand he was dealt this week was one that any coach would struggle with.