EAGAN, Minn. — Before Vikings offensive plays become highlights, they pass the red pen hurdle.
As every game week approaches its conclusion, Head Coach Kevin O'Connell meets with Vikings quarterbacks.
Sam Darnold, the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month for September and Player of the Week for Week 14, has first right of refusal.
O'Connell loves drawing things up, using concepts and applying players' abilities to attack defenses, but he hates having something on his game-day call sheet that the QB is not looking forward to executing.
"It's a surgical process leading into it. It's making sure Sam feels total comfort," O'Connell said. "We haven't had many plays, but we've had a few where the red pens come out, and it doesn't get called because, you know, he doesn't like the play. And we've got plenty of them, so every week, I'm hoping there's more and more. Hey, let's get rid of them. Makes it easier to call the game."
He's encouraged Darnold, who has thrown 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his first season with the Vikings, to speak up and convey if he doesn't like something.
"You know, there's not a lot of times I'm going to tell him to take a play out, but when I do feel uncomfortable with a play, I'll definitely let him know," Darnold said. "But yeah, that doesn't happen very often."
O'Connell said there could be a variety of factors to why a play might get slashed, including previous experience against an opponent or with a similar concept.
"So what do we do as coaches? We try to dress it up and call it something different and sneak it around two weeks later. 'Maybe he'll forget,' " O'Connell quipped. "And then right about the time he recognizes what we did, 'I don't really like that one.' It could be a variety of different things, and maybe it's just, some hitters at some baseball stadiums, you know, have the batter's eye. It hits them differently, and they hit really well at Petco Park or wherever it is. I would equate it to that.
"Some plays, as great as we may feel that the concept is or, 'Hey, this is attacking everything we think we may see,' it doesn't hit his brain; it doesn't hit his vision. So why call it? It will just be coaching it up on Monday and wishing we didn't call it," O'Connell added. "We've got plenty of plays and great players to get activated and involved. So, that's the most important thing for me as I never want to call a play the quarterback doesn't feel really excited about when it comes into their headset. It's bad enough they have to hear my voice the whole game, but to hear my voice with a play they don't like, that doesn't sound very fun."
The dialogue during the week has helped Darnold shine consistently on game days. He leads the NFL this season with 11 games in which he's posted a passer rating above 100.
The effectiveness reached higher levels in Week 12 during overtime at Chicago (6-for-6 with 90 yards on the winning drive); in overcoming a 13-point deficit against Arizona in the game's final 17 minutes for a 23-22 win in Week 13; and in turning a 21-all tie at the start of the fourth quarter last week into a 42-21 pleasure cruise by leading three touchdown drives.
Darnold hit career highs of 347 passing yards, five touchdowns and a 157.9 passer rating (a franchise record for a game that is just shy of the 158.3 NFL max) against the Falcons.
Since Minnesota went 0-for-5 in the red zone at Jacksonville, the Vikings are 11-for-17, but the Bears have had the best success at defending Minnesota inside the 20-yard line, limiting the Vikings to a 3-for-7 showing in Week 12, a percentage negatively affected by Minnesota opting for the short field goal instead of a touchdown in overtime.
Now, the Vikings (11-2) will host the Bears (4-9) on Monday Night Football to help close Week 15.
"During the game, it's the dynamic of the coach-quarterback system with [quarterbacks coach] Josh [McCown] and [assistant quarterbacks coach] Grant [Udinski] with him on the sidelines, and then ultimately, the postgame of finding, uncovering every stone," O'Connell said. "Just make sure that, 'Hey, we're using every 60-minute opportunity for Sam to maximize it, but then how do we just take it a little further, a little bit more comfort, clarity, and then make sure we all understand Sam is wildly talented.
"He's making some unbelievable big-time throws and plays, and I think as he continues to ascend and get more comfortable, I don't — defenses are going to try to do things every week to make him uncomfortable," O'Connell added. "But where he's at in his season and in this system, I have a ton of confidence that Sam is just going to continue onward and upward."
