KOC: Changing Play-caller Isn't Realistic Option
While many want the Kevin O'Connell to surrender play calling duties, it's not that simple, and arguably not smart.
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) October 26, 2026
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Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell’s offense has been a problem this season, and the solution many want isn’t a realistic option
You may want Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell to stop calling plays, but it’s not nearly as simple as just not doing it.
The Minnesota Vikings are 6-0 after a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. However, the offense continues to be a major problem for head coach Kevin O’Connell, and the Vikings’ latest performance brought the play-calling debate right back to the surface.
When you look at what Minnesota did offensively against the Colts, it was not nearly good enough. The defense and special teams are carrying this team, and the offense has to start pulling its weight.
Quarterback Kyler Murray finished with an EPA per play of 0.16. That isn’t too bad, even if the vibes were much different than the results themselves. When you look at the overall numbers for the offense, though, that figure drops to -0.07.
One of the biggest reasons why is the running game. It hasn’t been nearly as efficient or explosive as you’d want, especially considering how often the Vikings are running the ball. When a team has been leaning on the run that heavily, it needs to get something out of it. Minnesota simply isn’t.
Over the course of the last two years, fans have called for O’Connell to give up play calling. It’s been a major topic of discussion around the team, and for good reason. Plenty of head coaches call their own plays, but it can take attention away from other areas of the roster.
Should Kevin O’Connell give up play calling?
Here’s what makes this debate so complicated for Minnesota. If O’Connell hands off play calling, where does his diverted attention help the Vikings? The Vikings have the No. 1 defense and the No. 1 special teams unit. Plus, the in-game decisions have been good for the Vikings, so game management doesn’t need improvement. Is his attention really best diverted elsewhere right now? The answer is probably no.
Even with that being the case, you can make the argument that O’Connell shouldn’t call plays simply because he hasn’t been very good at it. There is a real case there. His sequencing of plays has not been very good, and the offense has failed to find any kind of consistency when it comes to sustaining drives.
Yes, Murray is a brand new quarterback, and that has a big impact on any offense. That isn’t the only thing going on, though. The run game is neither efficient nor explosive, and the passing game can’t find any consistency.
At a certain point, you also have to ask another question: are the players executing well enough within the concepts O’Connell is calling? I think that’s the bigger question that needs an answer. These players are not playing that well either, and you can’t always just blame the play caller.
Even if you wanted to remove O’Connell as the play caller, who gets the call sheet? Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has never called plays in the NFL. It hasn’t even been a question posed by the beat, whether that’s asking O’Connell if he’d give it up or asking whether Phillips is ready.
Phillips has been given opportunities to call plays during the preseason, which is good for his development. That’s a long way from calling plays in a regular-season game, though. A change doesn’t automatically mean improvement. The other option on staff would be quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. Neither he nor Phillips is equipped right now to call plays for this team.
I don’t see this being a situation where Minnesota can make a change at play caller for the betterment of the franchise. As frustrating as the offense has been, change isn’t always good. If the Vikings switch play callers this early in the season to someone who may not be ready for the job, it could end up making things worse.
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Kevin O’Connell: We’re confident we’re not far off offensively
With the 49ers and Chiefs losing on Sunday, the Vikings are the last unbeaten team standing in the NFL and they are in some rare company when it comes to how they’re winning games.
The Vikings have scored 10 touchdowns in their six wins and, per ESPN, they are tied for the third-fewest touchdowns during a 6-0 start in NFL history. On Sunday, the team scored its only touchdown to take their first lead of the day in the fourth quarter and they finished their 16-10 win over the Colts with 275 yards of offense.
After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell pointed out near misses in the passing game and penalties as things that kept the offense from finding a groove and said that there’s strong belief that things are going to fall into place.
“I think our guys are very confident that we’re not far off,” O’Connell said. “The far off changes a little bit as you go, but I’m very, very confident we’ll get it going.”
The Vikings will kick off November with a trip to Detroit before moving on to face the Bills, Packers, 49ers and Falcons over the rest of the month. That makes it an ideal time for them to make a move from “not far off” to clicking in a way that will allow them to remain at the front of the NFC playoff race.
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