Vikings HC hints turnovers could start costing players their jobs
Not much has gone right for the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings.
Despite having individual leaders in passing, receiving and sacks, the Vikings lead the NFL in one team category that head coach Kevin O’Connell is not proud of: Turnovers. In fact, O’Connell is so bothered by Minnesota’s issue with giving the ball away that he put some of his players on notice that there will be consequences if the issue persists.
"I think that's something we're going to fix one way or the other," O'Connell told reporters on Monday. "Either guys are going to [fix] it, or we're going to have to put other guys in the game that have ball security."
O’Connell’s frustrations are valid. The Vikings lead the NFL with seven fumbles and nine giveaways this season. They’re also tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the worst turnover differential in the NFL (minus seven).
Minnesota’s seven lost fumbles are also tied for the second-most through the first three games of a season over the last 23 years.
However, O’Connell’s ultimatum is all the more unexpected considering the players he’s speaking to are some of the team’s most important. Minnesota’s biggest offender when it comes to turnovers is Kirk Cousins, who’s lost three fumbles and thrown two interceptions through three games.
Star wideout Justin Jefferson, starting running back Alexander Mattison and starting tight end T.J. Hockenson have all also fumbled the ball away.
But the second-year head coach wouldn’t really bench the quarterback leading the league in passing yards, or the wideout leading the league in receiving yards who many consider the best at his position, would he?
Well, if the losses keep piling like the turnovers have, it shouldn’t be ruled out.
"We need to end every snap with the football in our hands, and that's going to be continued urgency and emphasis like it was last week,” O'Connell continued. “We're going to continue to do it, and do it differently, and emphasize in different ways until that value is received, because that is a losing formula as we've seen where we're at in the turnover differential."
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