EAGAN, Minn. — What is Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's signature product?
The plain-as-day answer is an explosive offense, especially through the air. Minnesota's passing game ranked in the Top 5 in the NFL in pass touchdowns through each of his first three seasons at the helm.
Sadly, 2025 has transformed that production into a distant memory. Minnesota has started three QBs this year, beginning with J.J. McCarthy, then Carson Wentz and on Sunday undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, the sixth, seventh and eighth players to start at that spot since O'Connell's debut 2022 season.
This year's trio has 12 TDs. McCarthy owns the longest scoring pass among the three, with a 27-yarder to RB Aaron Jones, Sr., in his NFL debut. Wentz flicked the second-longest TD – 16 yards to RB Zavier Scott in Week 4 – and former backup RB Cam Akers, who coincidentally is on Seattle's practice squad now, is the club's current leader for longest TD pass thanks to his 32-yarder that was crucial to winning overseas.
O'Connell met with Twin Cities media members on Monday to debrief Sunday's 26-0 loss at Seattle and described it as a "very disappointing" day for the offense, led by Brosmer, who threw four interceptions.
Including the first shutout of the Vikings since 2007, Minnesota has totaled 307 yards over its past two games. That's the team's second-lowest yardage output in a two-game span; the only stretch worse was Weeks 8-9 in 1971 (254). (Incredibly, that roster went 11-3 and claimed the NFC Central division crown.)
Furthermore, combining Sunday's shutout and the pair of field goals at Lambeau Field, the six points scored by the Vikings is tied with Weeks 4-5 in 1991 for their second-fewest in consecutive games. The 1980 squad managed three points in Weeks 7-8. So you know, the 1962 club scored seven in Weeks 3-4.
When one reporter asked about home fans possibly expressing themselves negatively in a normally advantageous environment, O'Connell said it's not something to prepare for but empathized with how the fanbase may feel about the poor play on offense and the frustration that's mounted because of it.
"I understand how passionate our fans are and how much they love the Minnesota Vikings and that is not lost on me [for] one moment," O'Connell assured. "If anything, you feel a total, complete obligation to our team, first and foremost – everybody that puts so much hard work in at this organization – but it's not lost on me how important our fans are to us and how much they mean to us from an energy standpoint and the support we do get. And you want to provide them with reasons to cheer and reasons to be excited about their team. And [it's] not always the easiest thing to do when you're kind of having to transform what you are in your current state as an offense. But also, it's about winning football games."
He added: "We've got five opportunities left. And I really look at it like opportunities to take every moment we have – sunup to sundown, all day, every day – to see the fruits of the improvement show up so that we can play complementary with a defense that's getting healthy and should be in a good place."
Here are four takeaways from O'Connell's day-after-game press conference:
1. Introspection time
O'Connell cited three main areas he wants to personally improve: 1) determining ways to coach the details of the plays that are called; 2) figuring out what types of plays are going to be used; and 3) evaluating the number of plays that the offense will take into games (more on that in the next section).
After being asked how he plans to look inward to solve the offense's problems, O'Connell discussed a few topics, including his effort to commit to the run and his aggressiveness to get seven points instead of settling for three on failed fourth-and-1 attempts (one run, one pass) in the red zone the past two weeks.
"But I think, overall, it's just kind of figuring out exactly what we need to be [as an offense]," he said.
"My job as a coach is to acknowledge [the lack of execution we're accustomed to] and understand A) how to coach it better – and still try to strive to see the improvement and try to stay true to who or really what our offensive philosophy is and has really helped us have a lot of success," O'Connell added. "You don't really get mired down in the feelings of it; it's just – what's the best path moving forward?"
The play isn't "remotely acceptable," O'Connell said, but his focus is "finding a way to press onward."
2. Assessing inventory
O'Connell didn't talk in depth about Brosmer's grasp of the offense, but he detailed some missed opportunities by the group early in the game and emphasized his discontent with the fourth-and-1 play call that allowed Seattle OLB DeMarcus Lawrence to freely attack Brosmer and incited him to flip an underhand pass near Josh Oliver that was intercepted and returned for an 85-yard TD by Ernest Jones IV.
"Ultimately, I didn't like the play call," the coach said, noting his confidence in the run game was low due to an inefficient start. "I think at that point we were right around a 1-yard [per carry] average, maybe, and in that moment we better have a schematically more sound play, and that's totally on me. It's not on Josh. It's not on Max. It's not on anybody. That one was on me, and it was a massive play in the game."
O'Connell spoke extensively about scaling down the playbook.
Decreasing the number of plays available to increase the potential for success is an adjustment that could help struggling young QBs. A reduced menu could also raise execution across the entire offense.
"It's handling movement, defensively, in the run game so that you don't end up with unblocked players at the point of attack," O'Connell detailed. "Or in the pass game, it's maybe where there's a concerted effort to move Justin [Jefferson to scheme him open] and the formation is required for that where even if there's one play in a 10-play sequence, where if we don't align properly, whether it's a backside player's split, whether it's on the inside edge or the outside edge or in a normal split, or if it's where we want the location of a grouping of receivers we've just got to do a better job being a little bit more detailed.
"And I do believe that will lead to a little bit more rhythm and timing to our pass game," he continued. "And then we've got to continue to work through finding ways to still throw the football where maybe we're using two of our eligibles to help with some of the things that have gone on up front, whether it's on the left side this week (missing starters Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson) or losing Ryan [Kelly] in-game or at different times throughout the season where we've had a rotation [on the o-line]."
View game action photos from the Vikings vs. Seahawks Week 13 game at Lumen Field.
The bottom line is O'Connell knows he must minimize his spread of plays to maximize outcomes.
Sidenote: We rabbitted down a hole this morning to supply perspective on Brosmer's performance.
Here's worthwhile historical context regarding QBs of Brosmer's ilk: Undrafted rookies playing on the road in career start No. 1 are 5-12 since Chicago Cardinals QB M.C. Reynolds lost at Cleveland in 1958.
Brosmer was the third straight to lose after Tommy DeVito (2023) and Anthony Brown (2022). The most recent winner was Devlin Hodges leading Pittsburgh past Philip Rivers and Los Angeles on Oct. 13, 2019.
In first-start roadies at Seattle, undrafted QBs in any season of their career are 0-3 all-time. David Archer preceded Brosmer, losing a game in 1985, and Terry Luck lost eight years earlier in the Pacific Northwest.
Ignoring draft status and seasons, Brosmer became the 10th QB ever to make his starting debut on Seattle's visiting sideline. The last to do it before him was 2024 12th overall pick Bo Nix. The last to win was Dave Walter, a product of Michigan Tech, whose only NFL victory was beating the sea birds in 1987.
Also of note: Brosmer is the 81st undrafted QB to start a game as a first-year player – and the 36th to do so as a rookie based on Pro Football Reference's rookie qualifications – dating to 1953. And while Brosmer is one of 13 from the pool of 81 with three-plus picks (and one of six with four INTs) in those initial starts, he happens to be one of 18 with a completion rate greater than 62% – his clip ranked 16th.
Brosmer, by the way, is the third undrafted QB to make his first start dressed in Vikings garb. Todd Bouman, a Lyon County, Minnesota, native, and former QB at St. Cloud State, signed with the club as a UDFA in 1997 and later was allocated to NFL Europe. Bouman finally got his starting shot in 2001 and passed for 348 yards and four TDs in a rout of Steve McNair's Titans. Before that, journeyman Sean Salisbury replaced Rich Gannon as the starter in 1992 and had 238 yards in a 31-17 win over the Rams.
3. Injury check-in
The Vikings arrived at Lumen Field banged up and left with some additional concerns.
O'Connell kicked a new week off with primarily positive updates on a handful of players, though.
Darrisaw is expected to resume his normal practice workload this week, which has been restricted all season as part of his recovery from an ACL injury. There's hope the starting left tackle will be able to suit up at home against Washington. His buddy on the line, the rookie left guard Jackson, is improving and is expected to be day-to-day. Also in the trenches: Kelly sustained a hip flexor injury but has "a real chance" to play in Week 14, and veteran Blake Brandel is in the concussion protocol, although he's symptom-free.
Additionally, O'Connell mentioned that starting RB Jones reaggravated a shoulder injury he sustained several weeks ago but isn't "any worse for the wear" after a big hit knocked him out of Sunday's action.
As for McCarthy, the coach anticipates him stepping back in as the starter "barring any unforeseen changes to where he's at today." One of the final phases of McCarthy clearing the concussion protocol is logging a full practice, which could happen as soon as Wednesday. The 22-year-old is 2-4 as the starter.
4. On the bright side
Amidst the darkness, several players on Minnesota's defense and special teams continue to flash.
On Sunday, rookie returner Myles Price compiled 169 yards on six kickoff returns (28.2 avg.). He leapfrogged David Palmer in 1998 for the most punt/kick return yards in one season in franchise history.
Punter Ryan Wright was solid, as well, pinning Seattle inside its 20 twice. His long punt went for 60 yards and his average of five was 50.4. Twelve of Wright's past 25 punts have landed inside the opponent's 20.
Defensively, the Vikings are doing their best to keep games tight.
O'Connell said, "I didn't want to end today without talking about Dallas Turner and the game he had yesterday. Eric Wilson having another great game. We saw Jay Ward get out there and play his role that he's found, kind of, as of late in our defense from a physicality standpoint, tackling – all those things."
Turner's 2.0 sacks surged his 2025 total to a team-high 5.5. Wilson is right behind him with 4.5, and his four tackles for losses at Seattle improved his single-season highwater mark to 14 – and four in one game counted as the most by a Viking since Jonathan Greenard had that many at Chicago in Week 12 last year.
(Note: Antoine Winfield and Kevin Williams matched each other with efforts of five TFLs, the most in Vikings annals, in back-to-back weeks during the 2008 slate – at New Orleans and then against Detroit.)
"We're just not doing enough offensively to allow some of those bright spots to help us win," O'Connell concluded. "And that is what we've got to try to continue to work towards. I know this, everybody's going to be totally all in on whatever needs to get done. And we're going to continue to work to do that."
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