Kevin O’Connell, head coach for the Minnesota Vikings and former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator, recently expressed frustration with star quarterback Matthew Stafford after a poor team performance. In a post-game analysis, O’Connell reportedly singled out Stafford’s mistakes as a pivotal reason for the team’s disappointing result, even going so far as to remark, “Your mistake has made us to be here,” signaling the depth of his dissatisfaction.
This critique marks a shift from O’Connell’s typical focus on collective accountability, hinting at how significant the ramifications of Stafford’s error were. Stafford, an experienced and highly respected quarterback known for his competitive edge, has been a key player for the Rams, guiding them to multiple victories since joining the team. However, his recent performance—plagued by critical mistakes—placed an extra burden on the defense and undermined the team’s offensive momentum.
O’Connell’s comments suggest an unusually high level of frustration, indicating that he felt the stakes in this game were heightened. The Rams have relied on Stafford’s precision and leadership, and any deviation from his usual standards inevitably affects the team’s ability to execute critical plays. O’Connell’s disappointment underscores the shared expectation that Stafford would lead the team through pivotal game situations, especially when victories are essential for keeping playoff hopes alive.
While both O’Connell and Stafford have years of experience working together from their time in Los Angeles, this public calling-out may be O’Connell’s way of urging Stafford to reassess his approach and return to his best form.
Stafford, with his vast experience and competitive history, is likely to respond constructively to the challenge, aiming to rebuild confidence and consistency in his gameplay. O’Connell’s comments, while pointed, could be part of a larger strategy to motivate the team into correcting course, uniting behind a focused, cohesive game plan in future matchups.
A fairly glaring missed call was the Los Angeles Rams’ last blow in their Thursday victory over the Minnesota Vikings, 30–20.
The Vikings had to go 95 yards and make a two-point conversion to force overtime after falling behind 10 points with 1:46 remaining and no timeouts. Rams linebacker Byron Young outran two blockers to sack Sam Darnold and score a safety, so they didn’t make much progress.
But even after seeing the play, it was quite obvious that Young had brought Darnold down by grabbing and pulling his face mask, which should have given the Vikings a 15-yard penalty to restart the game.
The severity of this missed call was further reinforced by the replay. As he was brought down, Darnold’s head was pulled 90 degrees to the left:
Instead of sealing the victory for Los Angeles, Young grasped his head after the play as if he had made a mistake because the penalty was so evident. Instead, it was a rare competitive “Thursday Night Football” game that ended with the Rams kneeling out the clock and receiving two points and the ball.
When the officials don’t even attempt to refute it after the game, you know it’s a poor mistake. Referee Tra Blake essentially stated that none of the officials witnessed Young defeating Darnold in an interview with a pool reporter.
It should be mentioned that the Vikings only lost the opportunity to play again because of this play, not the game. In addition to the two-point attempt and overtime, Minnesota would still need to cover 80 yards in 1 minute and 36 seconds even if the face mask was called. Matthew Stafford’s four touchdown throws were only one of many reasons the Vikings lost.
Nevertheless, it’s a poor way to conclude a game, and there’s a case to be made that face-mask penalties ought to be subject to review. However, a much more dramatic play on the same field at SoFi Stadium served as the catalyst for the decision to make pass interference decisions reviewable, and it was so horrible that the NFL dropped the rule after just one season.
