EAGAN, Minn. — Frustration remains coming out of Minnesota's loss to Baltimore, but the team shared some positive news Monday.

The Vikings lost Jonathan Greenard to an in-game shoulder injury Sunday but are hopeful to have avoided any long-term damage.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell spoke with media members Monday and said the outside linebacker is sore but is likely to get some practice time in this week with a chance to be available this weekend.

Additionally, safety Theo Jackson cleared concussion protocol Monday morning and is expected to be a full practice participant for the week.

"Josh Oliver should return to the practice field and work his way up to hopefully giving us some snaps on Sunday," O'Connell said. "And then Ryan Kelly, we're still figuring out exactly when it takes place, but barring anything changing here, we anticipate maybe opening his [21-day practice] window at some point soon."

O'Connell didn't name anyone specifically but acknowledged reporters "may see some guys limited, or get a day here and there, but it's that time of year as we shift into November, into December, where we want to have a fresh team as much as possible for the games."

Here are four other takeaways from O'Connell's press conference.

1. Reiterating self-inflicted issue

Under 24 hours removed from the Week 10 defeat, the urgency to correct mistakes remains.

O'Connell emphasized the difficulty of overcoming self-inflicted wounds.

"We ultimately never really gave ourselves a chance to win the game," he said, referencing a plethora of procedural penalties and coming up on the wrong side of the turnover battle at minus-3.

"Execution-wise, when we were able to not stop ourselves, Baltimore made some plays, but we've got to get right to work on the tape," O'Connell said. "That's what we're doing now with the players and make sure we, as I told them, the frustration of yesterday needs to be fueled by the conviction of and the determination for tomorrow. And having a really good week of prep and making sure we solve some of the things, both with real communication and dialogue of what happens, specifically in regard to the cadence.

"I've got to do a better job coaching this team, clearly, when you have pre-snap issues like that … not just relying on [Offensive Coordinator] Wes [Phillips] to get things fixed and flip over to the defensive side," O'Connell later added. "I've got to be directly involved with some of those things."

He noted there wasn't one glaring reason for the penalties and that "it's a variety of a couple things."

"We've got to make sure we fix it, and we will," he said.

2. Bears up next

Speaking of games, the Vikings (4-5) are looking ahead at their next, a home stand against the division-rival Bears (6-3).

Minnesota executed a comeback win over Chicago Week 1, and the Bears have since gone 6-2, winning six of their last seven.

Despite the Vikings struggles this season, they currently are 2-0 against NFC North foes and will look to extend that this Sunday. Minnesota knows it won't be a walk in the park, though, especially against a Chicago defense leading the league with a whopping 20 takeaways.

"The Bears are playing really well," O'Connell said, tipping his cap to new Head Coach Ben Johnson. "Ben is doing a great job. D.A. (Dennis Allen) has done a great job with that defense, forcing a lot of turnovers. That's been a problem for us.

"We need to make sure we put together a plan that limits their ability to do that, and then we've got to get the execution out of all 11 to make sure we're not doing anything from a self-inflicted standpoint," O'Connell added.

3. A nod to Nailor

Jalen Nailor's performance against the Ravens was admittedly overshadowed by the game's end result, but "Speedy" certainly deserves respect for his five catches and career-high 124 receiving yards.

"You guys have done a good job noticing him before yesterday and asking me about him throughout the year, you know, 'What does he mean to our offense and the role he's playing?' " O'Connell said. "Jalen basically had the same game he's had throughout the season; he just got some big targets and some big moments and continues to impress me with his physicality on early downs in the run game, his ability to — I mean, he had some really good blocks on Kyle Hamilton, fitting in there in the box in the run game.

"And then, you saw the speed on the third down, long ball, run after catch, turning that into a [62-yard] gain," he continued. "The touchdown on the fourth down, you know, really where we got an un-scouted look. I think they'd run that coverage one time all season compared to some of the other things they were running."

4. 'All experience is good experience'

O'Connell was asked about managing the intensity level of 22-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is learning in real-time the ups and downs of an NFL season and how to maintain an even-keeled approach.

"Because he's so competitive, and he's a very high football I.Q. guy, and wants to make the play, and as many young quarterbacks have to learn over time, sometimes I thought he had some great check-downs … one to Jordan [Addison] out in the flat on a tempo play. One to Aaron Jones on a play-action pass," O'Connell explained. "You know, out of the 21 [personnel] grouping, where he just kinds of gets to the top of his drop, feels the defense lifting a little bit, and we end up with 12, 13 yards on a very simple play.

"Sometimes there's some throws there down the field. Sometimes there's great opportunities to put the ball in play, check-down wise, that are either right in front of you, or you've got to work through a progression, when protected. And there were some really good examples of that, too," O'Connell continued. "It's just when you get 17 of these things and you're in an NFL game that, how the circumstances of the game play out (many of which we directly led ourselves into), you've got to play that game to try to win. And that doesn't always puzzle-piece fit hand-in-hand with where you would like the game to be for the ascension of his development.

"But I still think, with all experience being good experience for him right now, you'd love to make them all after wins, but we've got to do the things required as a team," he added.

View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.

See the Vikings 2026 Opponents.

Check out the Vikings 2026 Draft Picks.

View future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.