A day after the Vikings’ 27-19 loss to the Ravens, a critical third-and-a-half-yard early in the third quarter was still a topic of discussion.
With the Vikings leading 10-9, possessing the ball at midfield and trying to recapture the momentum they had lost after a poor end-of-half sequence, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell dialed up a deep shot to Justin Jefferson.
The single coverage was favorable. The potential outcomes were, too: Maybe he catches a TD. Next would be a long pass interference call. An incompletion would set up a short fourth down that the Vikings would go for and quite possibly make.
But the worst-case scenario happened, [leading to plenty of second-guessing](https://www.startribune.com/yes-kevin-oconnell-has-thought-about-that-one-play-call-no-he-wouldnt-change-it/601522616).
“Spent a lot of time thinking about that third-and-1 call late into the evening,” O’Connell said Monday. “You know, zero coverage, Justin Jefferson in a one-on-one situation. ... Hundred times you call that play, you don’t think that one out of 99 where he gets tripped up and \[it\] ends up being an interception going back the other way.”
“Best receiver in football in a one-on-one with a run call you feel good about on fourth-and-one,” O’Connell added. “I would not change that call.”
I think it’s still debatable, but I’ve moved on. O’Connell can thank Eagles coach Nick Sirianni for that.
While O’Connell made a debatable but defensible decision that had a reasonable probability of working out well in a game the Vikings lost, Sirianni made a baffling and indefensible decision that he got away with in a game the Eagles won.