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Kevin O'Connell says what every Vikings fan is thinking after brutal loss vs. Rams

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 3:48 AM ET

There are no moral victories for the Minnesota Vikings coming out of Monday night's game. They got wallopped by the Los Angeles Rams 27-9 in the wild card round, ending their season.

From the start, the Rams looked like they were on a mission to move on in the playoffs. The Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead and held a 24-3 lead at halftime. The second half only had nine points total and the Vikings couldn't do much of anything to move the ball.

Quarterback Sam Darnold had one of his worst games as the Vikings' signal caller and he did so after struggling last week against the Detroit Lions in the 31-9 loss. While he is plenty to blame, Darnold isn't the only one that deserves heavy criticism.

Kevin O'Connell addresses need for better offensive line

It's something that fans of the Vikings have been begging for over what seems like the last 15 years: a great offensive line. There were times this season that showed a lot of positive growth in that area, but there were a lot of struggles on Monday night, including allowing nine sacks, which tied an NFL playoff record.

During his postgame press conference, head coach Kevin O'Connell acknowledged a need to improve in that area.

"We've got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket. ... There could be a 1,000 excuses made, but for me, it's the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we're going to have to take a long look at."

The offensive line looked like a strength for much of the year. ESPN's pass block win rate had the Vikings second this season at 70%. However, most of the struggles the Vikings had came after that 2.5-second mark at which ESPN grades pass block win rate.

How much of it is really on the offensive line? Of the six sacks that happened in the first half, two of them came before 4.4 seconds, with all of them taking at least 3.2 seconds to get home.

OL deserves some flak. But maybe less than they’re getting https://t.co/JLSMSH5Ao3
— Luke Braun (@LukeBraunNFL) January 14, 2025

You can argue that the Vikings need a better offensive line and you'd be right. However, how much of it is truly on the offensive line when head coach Kevin O'Connell is trying to continuously generate explosives? That's a good question that we will answer when the all-22 comes out.

What does this mean for the future of the Vikings? There will, at minimum, be a competition for both Blake Brandel and either Dalton Risner or Ed Ingram. It also could be a signal that this will be the priority this offseason.

There is one huge prize that is likely going to be available in free agency: Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith, who has played at a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level through his four years in the league. Adding him next to Brian O'Neill could be a game-changer for the Vikings' offense in more ways than one.

The Vikings could also go after offensive line in the NFL Draft, where they will have the 24th overall pick come April.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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