Expectations are high for the Minnesota Vikings heading into the 2026 season, and The Ringer has concerns about one aspect of Kevin O’Connell. The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia broke down a cause of concern for the team heading into 2026.
It’s no secret that the Vikings offense can be explosive, and that they have the playmakers to put together a competent offense. To make matters even more interesting, they have a new quarterback in Kyler Murray who will add another dimension to the unit. On top of just a newcomer, returners such as Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison should be able to elevate the group.
Despite the new addition and the key returners, Kapadia still labeled the offense as somewhat of a cause for concern in his article.
“There’s a chance that O’Connell has gotten too much credit, and Flores too little. If we’re talking just offensive acumen, look at where the Vikings have ranked over the past four seasons. O’Connell has coached a few mediocre offenses and one terrible offense. Look at it this way: If your favorite offensive coach—Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Sean Payton, whoever—had the Vikings’ group of talent on offense, would they be able to produce a top-10-to-12 offense?”
Vikings Have Intri
Looking at the offensive rankings by year, the article may have somewhat of a point. The 2022 season started strong. They are ranked seventh in total yards per game with 361.5. They were ninth in scoring with 24.9 points per game. 2023 saw them rank 10th in total yards per game at 347.8 and 22nd in scoring with 20.2 points per game.
2024 was when things really began to take a positive shift under Sam Darnold. They ranked fifth in passing efficiency and ninth in scoring with 25.4 points per game. However, that changed when Darnold went to the Seattle Seahawks. They ranked 28th in total yards with 275 yards per game and 26th in points scored with 20.2 points per game. The decline has been noticeable over the past couple of seasons, and it would be fair for O’Connell to take a lot of the blame.
Vikings Defense Has Been Different Story
Defensively, the Vikings unit has improved every season. They ranked 13th in scoring defense and 16th in total defense in 2023. They ranked fourth in scoring defense in terms of points allowed and 16th in total defense in 2024. Last year, they really began to forge their own identity. Flores and the players were able to execute his scheme. They ranked seventh in scoring defense with 19.6 points per game and third in total defense with 282.6 yards per game.
Although statistics do not tell everything, in this case, there is a trend. Flores has improved the defense yearly since he has been with the Vikings. The latter has been known to be a strong defensive coach, and his identity is showing up in these metrics. When comparing the two coaches side-by-side, it’s easy to see why Flores is being given a bit more leeway in this article. He has been able to elevate the Vikings’ defense in a major way.
With the exception of last season, O’Connell has had solid offenses to say the least. However, for the amount of talent he has had on the roster, that may still not be enough. That, and the drastic downturn from last season, is certainly fair to question. If anything, the coach needs to have a big season in 2026.