Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell explains why he didn't replace an injured Carson Wentz with Max Brosmer vs. Chargers

There is no beating around the bush. The Minnesota Vikings got absolutely embarrassed on Thursday night by the Los Angeles Chargers, 37-10. It was a brutal watch, mainly due to the offense led by quarterback Carson Wentz.

It was disastrous from the start on Thursday night. He was pressured constantly with three backup offensive linemen playing after the second series of the game, including both tackles, and they allowed a ridiculous amount of pressure. Pair that with the injury Wentz was dealing with to his left shoulder, and it was hard to watch.

Kevin O'Connell clarifies why he didn't go to Max Brosmer

The big question that many were asking as soon as halftime was why the Vikings didn't go to backup rookie Max Brosmer, with Wentz struggling and visibly injured. Head coach Kevin O'Connell addressed that after the game.

“Yeah, we did. I think what you have to - [QB] Carson’s [Wentz] a veteran player. He understands kind of some of our circumstances tonight. I think it’s very difficult to ask a rookie to go in there for his first performance and have to be weathering it a little bit for the group," said O'Connell.

There is merit to not wanting to put a rookie UDFA in a poor situation, which is likely a different story if Brosmer were also a veteran.

"I did think about that at different times in the game, but at the same time, the confidence that we have in [QB] Max [Brosmer] and the upside that we see in Max is real, but we also wouldn't want to send him out there and force a level of trying-to-figure-it-outness that’s probably beyond a guy playing for the first time," said O'Connell. "That was kind of where the decision was to continue to go with Carson as long as Carson felt like he was healthy enough to keep playing and the medical tidbit as well.”

Would Brosmer have made a difference? With the state of the offense as it's structured, probably not. O'Connell chose to bite the bullet and ride it out with Wentz, who was visibly injured and frustrated the entire night. You could make the argument that O'Connell should have pulled Wentz to protect him, but the trainers made it clear that he could play.