Andrew Buller-Russ
After leading them to a 43-25 record across four seasons, it’s clear that the Minnesota Vikings have found their head coach. With two 13-plus win seasons already under his belt, some might say that Kevin O’Connell is one of the best head coaches in the NFL. At times, it hasn’t mattered who his quarterback is. Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, or even Josh Dobbs, KOC has been able to get wins with each of them.
But that isn’t a perfect formula either. As others, more inconsistent and inexperienced options such as J.J. McCarthy step in, the Vikings have struggled. But all that is supposed to change now that the Vikings have landed two-time Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray.
The belief is that O’Connell can get the most out of the former No. 1 overall pick, possibly even getting him to play the best football of his career alongside the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings, or the No. 1-ranked WR unit in the NFL.
But that’s just on offense.
The Vikings also have things under control on the other side of the ball, where they employ one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators in Brian Flores. Last year, Flores’ unit allowed the seventh-fewest points in the NFL while holding opponents to the second-fewest passing yards, too.
Add it all up, and the Vikings feel confident they can not only return to the playoffs for the third time in what would be coach O’Connell’s fifth season but also do more damage when they reach the postseason.
However, there will always be skeptics, and Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon is clearly one of them. Recently, he assessed the Super Bowl window of all 32 NFL teams. When it came to the Vikings, he kept it simple, saying their window is “closed.”
As for why, it all comes down to the team’s instability at the QB position.
“The talent is there at the skill positions, along the offensive line and on defense, but we need to see something from either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy first.”
Look, we don’t disagree that the quarterbacks need to show what they’re capable of. But is it really that unreasonable to think that Murray can turn in a career year while playing with his best overall supporting cast yet?
Meanwhile, Gagnon believes the Bears’ Super Bowl window is in the next 2-10 years. The Lions’ window falls in the next 1-4 years, and the Packers’ in the next 2-6 years. So, all other NFC North teams are well-positioned to potentially win a Super Bowl, but when it comes to the Vikings? Not a chance. Keep dreaming, Vikings fans.
Related: Minnesota Vikings Urged to Make Another Impact Free Agency Signing Soon
