Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has a lot of respect for the way Kevin O’Connell has built the rival Minnesota Vikings into a Super Bowl contender.
The Vikings entered the year with low expectations and got off to a rough start when rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury, forcing the team to turn to journeyman veteran Sam Darnold.
Darnold has turned in an MVP-caliber season, leading the Vikings to a 14-2 record and a season finale game against the Lions that will determine which team takes the NFC North title — and a first-round bye.
Ahead of the game, Campbell shared some big praise for O’Connell’s work in building a contender in Minnesota.
Dan Campbell Has Big Task Ahead
Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday’s season finale, Campbell said the Vikings head coach has done a great job in attacking opponents where they’re the weakest.
“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 built his own contender in Detroit, taking a team that finished near the bottom of the NFC and turning them into NFC North champions in 2023, with a chance to repeat on Sunday.
The Lions head coach has put together an aggressive defense, making big moves to shore up the secondary. But Campbell said his team will face a big challenge on Sunday against Justin Jefferson. He shared praise for the way O’Connell has gotten the All-Pro wide receiver involved even when other teams focus on 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 Playoffs Approach
After being hit with a spate of injuries this year, the Lions are starting to get healthier as the playoffs grow closer. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin returned to action last week and this week could see the return of linebacker Alex Anzalone and wide receiver Kalif Raymond.
The Lions could have another big return down the line. Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a fractured leg in October, has been progressing through rehab and could take the field again if the team advances to the Super Bowl.
