Kevin O'Connell's come a long way since breaking into the coaching ranks as Johnny Manziel's position coach in 2015. The Minnesota Vikings head coach was NFL coach of the year in 2024 and has his team in contention despite several injuries.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns v. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, 9:30 a.m, in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Record: 2-2.
Last game: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-21, September 28, in Dublin, Ireland.
Coach: Kevin O’Connell, 36-21, fourth year.
Series record: Vikings lead, 12-5 (counting postseason).
Last meeting: Browns won, 14-7, October 3, 2021, in Minneapolis, MN.
League rankings: Offense is 23rd overall (20th rushing, 24th passing), defense is seventh overall (24th rushing, third passing) and turnover differential is zero.
Things to watch
1. Expectations for a post-season berth in the competitive NFC North division are being undermined by injuries at multiple positions. They are currently missing seven starters among their projected 22, including at quarterback, running back, and three on the offensive line. They’ve stayed afloat by averaging 25.5 points a game and vexing opponents with an exotic blitzing defense coordinated by Brian Flores that produces turnovers.
2. Sunday will mark their fifth different offensive line alignment in five games. Starters missing will be rookie left guard and No. 1 pick Donovan Jackson, center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Brian O’Neill, who’s probably their best overall linemen. And with RB1 Aaron Jones on injured reserve, a consistent running game has been difficult to build.
3. Which puts more pressure on Carson Wentz, who was Kevin O’Connell’s choice to back up J.J. McCarthy after Sam Darnold departed to Seattle via free agency. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain in Game 2 after looking overwhelmed in seven of the eight quarters in which he played. Wentz benefitted from two defensive TDs and four takeaways in an easy win over Cincinnati and threw for 350 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh.
4. Whomever’s been at QB under O’Connell, the focal points of the offense have been receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Expectations of more multiple tight end sets to aid McCarthy early on appear to have been shelved until he returns.
5. Flores attacks and confuses QBs with a variety of blitzes in his 3-4 scheme. The defense’s 11 sacks have come from seven different players and six players have combined for its seven turnovers. The Vikings invested in two veteran interior defensive linemen in the offseason, Jevon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, to complement edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Kyle Van Ginkel. Dallas Turner, a first-round pick in 2024, has replaced Van Ginkel (neck injury). Also, inside linebacker Brian Cashman’s been on IR, which has hurt the Vikings’ run defense.
Did you know … ?
1. Kicker Will Reichard has been perfect, 8 for 8 on field goals and 8 for 8 on PATs. He tied a Soldier Field record with a 59-yard field goal in Chicago, and broke a Vikings franchise record with a 61-yard field goal in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
2. Undrafted return specialist Miles Price has been a godsend, rectifying a long-time weakness in their special teams. He’s already had three returns longer than any the team had last year and also had a 56-yard kickoff return erased by a penalty.
3. Carson Wentz won his NFL debut as a starting QB for the Eagles against the Browns in 2016. This will be his fifth game against the Browns with his fourth different team. He also appeared in games for Washington and Kansas City.
4. Rams coach Sean McVay is often credited with developing O’Connell as an offensive genius. But the coach who gave O’Connell his first NFL job was former Browns head coach Mike Pettine, now the Vikings assistant head coach.
5. John Jefferson had 34 100-yard receiving games entering this season – the most of any player in his first five seasons. His 7,557 receiving yards also were tops over the first five years.
6. The Vikings elected to play back-to-back International Series games in Dublin, Ireland, and London. Why? They eliminate one road trip and avoid playing on the home fields of the Steelers and the Browns. In return, the NFL gave them a bye after this week.
Small world: General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensa was Browns VP of football operations in 2020-21 … Head coach Kevin O’Connell was Browns QB coach in 2015 … Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell played receiver for the Browns in 1992-95 … Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown was Browns QB in 2015-16 … Assistant head coach Mike Pettine was Browns head coach in 2014-15 … Tight ends coach Brian Angelichio was Browns tight ends coach in 2014-15 … Game management coordinator/pass game specialist Ryan Cordell was Browns research analyst and assistant coach in 2019-21 … Defensive assistant coach Charlie Frye was Browns QB in 2005-07 … Linebacker Sione Takitaki played LB with Browns in 2019-23 … Safety Tavierre Thomas was a Browns special teamer in 2018-20.