Some believe in the genius that Kevin O’Connell supposedly provides the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings offense, as their play caller. Those who pay any attention see what he brings the locker room, and the organization, as the team’s head coach.
But unlike the tree he hails from, not everyone sees the genius he brings the offense as a play designer and play caller. That is more nuanced. How he schemes receivers open, how he ties the peak of a QBs drop back with the route of a wide receiver or tight end. Those are the things that can be harder for the human eye to see.
So… who would those more casual Vikings viewers — the fans who don’t break down ‘all-22’ film every week — turn to, if they want to know whether or not the hype surrounding KOC is real? Not as a head coach, and leader of men, but as an offensive mind and play caller?
Sauce Gardner confirms: Kevin O’Connell is nice…
Well, how about those who have faced him? But not just anyone… how about arguably the best cornerback in the NFL? His name is Sauce Gardner, he plays for the New York Jets. In case you’ve buried your head in the football quicksand over the last two years, Gardner is a 24-year old 2x All-Pro and 2022 unanimous Rookie of the Year.
The 2022 No. 3 overall pick sat down on Hall of Fame CB Richard Sherman’s podcast this week, where he was asked about the biggest challenge so far in his young career, which is now in its third season. That’s when Gardner dove head first into “that OC in Minnesota”.
“I try not to play that ‘what if game’. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t at times. Like, I remember when we was playing against Minnesota and I kept second-guessing a little bit because they OC is nice. Bro, he is probably like one of the best OCs that I’ve ever played against, like ever.
I watch film and I’m like, ‘bro, they have the same exact stems and same exact everything, and they’re running the opposite route off of it also’. They literally have a void from 2 and they make you think it is a dig, and have a dig go off of it. Like, a void from 2 and then actually run a dig. Then, have a void from 2 and run an out route. So I’m like bro… he’s nice.
That’s probably one of the only games this year where I’m like, ‘bro, do I really want to gamble against him?’ They OC is the head coach, right? So I’m looking on the sideline and I just see his face and he’s got that face, he played quarterback so, I’m thinking like ‘he looking too lax, like what’s going on? What’s about to happen here?’ You know what I’m saying? But yeah, gotta give the man his flowers.”
Jets CB Sauce Gardner – The Richard Sherman Podcast
This isn’t just some cornerback raving about the Minnesota Vikings head coach
Again, Sauce Gardner isn’t just another NFL cornerback. Even if he was, this conversation would still be noteworthy. But he isn’t. At this rate, the Cincinnati alum is on his way to being one of the best cornerbacks of all time.
Take a look at the history books. There aren’t a lot of players who win all four major defensive rookie of the year awards, but Sauce Gardner did. Most players don’t make All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams in each of their first two seasons, either, but Gardner did.
Yet, here he is talking about how much Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell had him all up in his feelings during the Jets loss in London to the Vikings, just a few weeks ago.
And Richard Sherman did not have to dig very deep to get this answer out of the 3rd year NFL star. One question triggered an answer that has clearly been on Sauce’s mind since they flew back to the states back in October. WTF was Vikings head coach or “OC” doing overseas that get him so flustered? Clearly, he has yet to figure that out.
