Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell holds great admiration for how Kevin O’Connell has developed the Minnesota Vikings into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Vikings began the season with modest expectations and struggled early on after rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury, forcing the team to rely on journeyman veteran Sam Darnold.
Darnold has had an MVP-caliber season, leading the Vikings to a 14-2 record and setting up a season finale game against the Lions to decide the NFC North title — along with a first-round bye.
Ahead of the game, Campbell offered high praise for O’Connell’s success in constructing a competitive team in Minnesota.
Dan Campbell Faces a Major Challenge Speaking to reporters before Sunday’s season finale, Campbell acknowledged that the Vikings head coach had excelled in exploiting opponents’ weaknesses.
“Yeah, listen, he’s an excellent coach,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “I mean, you look at what he’s done, now, going on three years, their offensive scheme is, they do a great job, man. Very creative and they understand how to find weaknesses and pick at them, get the most out of their players, put their players in position to have success.”
Campbell has also developed a strong contender in Detroit, transforming a team that finished near the bottom of the NFC into NFC North champions in 2023, with a chance to repeat on Sunday.
The Lions head coach has built an aggressive defense, making significant moves to improve the secondary. But Campbell knows his team faces a major challenge against Justin Jefferson. He also praised O’Connell for ensuring the All-Pro wide receiver remains involved, even when opposing teams prioritize shutting him down.
“When you have a player like [Justin Jefferson], it’s, ‘Well, you’ve got Jefferson,’” Campbell said. “But it’s not always that easy because everybody’s trying to, you’re trying to double him, you’re trying to do your best to take him away, and for them, he’s your best player, so you still have to find ways to get him involved and get him in the game so that he helps you, and they do a really good job of that.
They move him around, Jefferson’s smart as well as everything else, he can handle all that. And so, that’s just a couple things they do. I like what they do in the run game as well.”
Lions Getting Healthier as Playoff Time Nears After dealing with a number of injuries this season, the Lions are gradually becoming healthier as the playoffs approach. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin returned to action last week, and linebacker Alex Anzalone along with wide receiver Kalif Raymond could make their return this week.
The Lions may see another key return as well. Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who fractured his leg in October, has been progressing through rehab and could return if the team makes it to the Super Bowl.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, with an emphasis on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins. Previously, he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor for athletic trade magazines such as Coaching Management, Athletic Management, and Training & Conditioning. He is based in Rochester, New York, and is passionate about football. More about Nathan Dougherty.
