The Minnesota Vikings survived with backup quarterback Carson Wentz playing a majority of the game in Week 1 perhaps in part because of the discipline the team showed after Kyler Murray sustained an injury.
Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness and safety Javon Bullard collided with Murray simultaneously as he was trying to slide down on a third-and-7 scramble.
The officials penalized Bullard for unnecessary roughness. That extended the Vikings drive and enabled Minnesota to move into field-goal range for its first points of the season.
But it sounds as though in retrospect, right tackle Brian O’Neill wishes he would have earned a retaliation penalty while sticking up for Murray to the Packers.
“It was so bang, bang,” said O’Neill to reporters after the game, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “You don’t want to freak out if you’re wrong. I was probably wrong to not freak out more than that.
“So, I kind of wish I took a shot at him.”
Murray left the field under his own power and went to the locker room. He underwent evaluations for a concussion and didn’t return to the game.
Vikings’ Brian O’Neill Expresses Regret Over Reaction to Kyler Murray Injury
It’s pretty typical for offensive linemen to feel the way O’Neill does, and it was also a tad surprising that the right tackle or one of the other linemen didn’t respond to Bullard and the Packers.
But O’Neill spilling that he wanted to react rather than reacting on the field is just as good if not better. While the right tackle didn’t get to send a physical message to Green Bay, he did so through the media. And he avoided a 15-yard penalty.
Assuming O’Neill would have reacted in a way to receive a penalty, a Vikings foul right after the Murray injury would have resulted in offsetting penalties. Minnesota wouldn’t have had a first down to extend its drive. Eventually, that possession was the team’s first score.
Maybe Minnesota’s fourth quarter onslaught happens anyway. But O’Neill, and the rest of the Vikings offensive line, showing discipline directly resulted in points.
Vikings Score 29 Unanswered Points to Defeat Packers
Had the Vikings not come back to defeat the Packers in Week 1, O’Neill might have an even stronger regret about not taking a shot at Bullard. But ultimately, the Vikings earned the last laugh.
Minnesota tallied 29 unanswered points to end the game. In the second half, the Vikings turned a 12-point deficit completely on its face after four straight touchdown drives.
Thanks to the incredible fourth quarter, the Vikings knocked off the Packers 39-22.
O’Neill started his eight straight season opener. He just started his ninth season with the Vikings. The two-time Pro Bowl has started 121 of 125 games since being a second-round pick in 2018.
O’Neill made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2024.
The Vikings will have another division matchup during Week 2 — a road showdown against the Chicago Bears. The Bears scored 59 points versus the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Vikings’ Brian O’Neill Regrets Reaction to Kyler Murray Concussion in Packers Win