Indianapolis Colts v Minnesota Vikings
Indianapolis Colts v Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are now one of two remaining undefeated teams through the first 7 weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Based on that fact alone, you’d probably think that Kevin O’Connell’s offense would be humming.
That hasn’t nearly been the case, though. Despite O’Connell’s reputation as an elite offensive mind, they’ve struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season. They currently average the fourth-fewest yards per game (281.7) in the league.
Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy looks like a completely different player since being traded to the Giants last month. He’s coming off arguably the best game of his career, an upset 27-21 road win in which he completed 20 of 28 attempts for 252 yards against a tough (albeit underperforming) Texans defense.
The Ringer‘s Bill Simmons thinks the onus for the Vikings’ offensive struggles falls on O’Connell’s shoulders. He also thinks McCarthy’s struggles have put a magnifying glass (under a hot sun) on his ‘QB whisperer’ title.
“If I was the Vikings owner, I’d be losing my mind,” Simmons said. “I’d be watching that Giants thing like ‘Are you [expletive] kidding me? You guys told me to draft this guy. He got hurt in his first year. You punted on him after he got hurt again last year. You were telling me he was a lemon, and now I just watched him win in Houston as 10.5-point underdogs. Like, what are we doing.’ ”
He also added, “I just don’t understand how [with] the QB whisperer Kevin O’Connell, I don’t understand how this didn’t work. And how does he still get that title? He’s the QB whisperer, but he gave up on this guy who now is immediately good on the Giants? You lose the title in my opinion.”
Could The Vikings Cut Ties With O’Connell If McCarthy’s Hot Start Continues?
There’s obviously a bit of revisionist history when it comes to McCarthy, but that should come as no surprise. Sure, he wasn’t good in Minnesota, but wasn’t it O’Connell’s job to make him good? To make sure he could develop into the player he’s been over the past two weeks?
The Giants clearly believed in his untapped potential. With two weeks in the books, it’s hard to blame them. In fact, acquiring him looks like a move that will legitimately save their season.
If that decision had been O’Connell’s first lousy call (if that’s what it turns out to be) when it comes to the QB position, then he’d deserve grace. That’s not the case, though…
The Vikings Have Seen This Story Play Out Before
The QB whisperer unfortunately just can’t seem to get the quarterback position right. Sam Darnold led them to a 14-3 campaign in 2024, and they let him walk in free agency. In a cruel twist of fate, he not only won 14 games again in his first year in Seattle, but he also won a Super Bowl.
They also let Daniel Jones, whom the team signed late in the 2024 campaign, walk in the same offseason. Like Darnold, he also had his best season in Indianapolis last year.
If the Vikings offense continues to struggle (and the wins start to dip), and McCarthy follows in the same path as Darnold and Jones, then O’Connell might be looking for a new job next offseason. The vibes are high right now, but Kyler Murray’s struggles cast a dark cloud over what would otherwise be an overwhelmingly positive season.
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Jerry Markarian Jerry Markarian is an NFL and college football writer for Heavy covering the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. He also writes about the Chicago Bears for BearsOnSI. More about Jerry Markarian
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