The Biggest Decision Kevin O’Connell Got Right Against the Packers (And What It Means Moving Forward)

His best call came before the game even kicked off.

Here's what Vikings fans need to celebrate from head coach Kevin O'Connell's long list of Week 1 decisions. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Sunday’s 39-22 victory against the Packers was anything but ordinary for the Vikings, but in a sense, that’s exactly why it was an entirely on-brand performance. This team certainly has a knack for theatrics. Nothing seemed to go as planned early, especially as Kyler Murray struggled in limited action before a brutal hit ended his day with a concussion. 

What ultimately led the team to victory? A lot of luck, critical errors from their opponent, and a newfound level of self-awareness from head coach Kevin O’Connell, particularly around his backup quarterback decision. 

Naming Carson Wentz the QB2 was Kevin O’Connell’s best Week 1 decision

It doesn’t take much digging to identify the biggest storyline of Sunday’s game for the Vikings. It wasn’t Murray, Justin Jefferson, or any of the team’s stud defenders. It was Carson Wentz, or as Levi Drake Rodriguez calls him, “Pawpaw.” (h/t: vikingzfanpage)

I could hear Levi Drake Rodriguez talk about the #Vikings offense all day 😭

“Carson, old head, pawpaw.” pic.twitter.com/jAG8uIPJCy

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 14, 2026

While many saw Wentz as the clear choice for the QB2 spot, it was not always clear what O’Connell would decide to do, especially as the team’s position battle between Murray and J.J. McCarthy raged into training camp.

Whoever loses has to be the backup, right? Not so fast. O’Connell announced last week that Wentz would be QB2 while McCarthy served as the emergency QB3, at least for the time being. Turns out this decision would almost immediately be thrust into the spotlight, and luckily for O'Connell, he seemed to make the right call.

Wentz was certainly far from spectacular and had some inexcusable misses. But when it came down to it, he made winning plays when he needed to, and he did so by reintroducing the world to Justin Jefferson. The star receiver ended the day with two touchdowns, matching his total from all of last season.

Wentz finished 12-for-19 for 133 yards, with 3 passing TDs, and most importantly, no turnovers. Mostly boring, sometimes frustrating, and completely clutch when it was needed most.

There’s zero reason this shouldn’t have been a gimme throw. pic.twitter.com/ZlkKHI5Rmo

— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) September 13, 2026

Not exactly the stat line to get the masses excited about another possible game with Wentz next weekend, but O’Connell’s entire approach was largely based on prioritizing winning football over flash and stats (h/t: vikingzfanpage). 

“Two of our years here, we've had our starting quarterback for essentially the whole season, and we won 14 and 13 games. In some of the adversity, I don't think I've coached very well. Trying to maybe worry about the stat sheet, worry about what it's gonna look like when you pick up the paper.”

Kevin O'Connell postgame

O’Connell’s self-awareness should bring optimism 

This single quote from the head coach gives me more hope than anything I see on the field on Sunday.

As O’Connell enters year five in desperate need of his first playoff win, self-evaluation and growth will be essential to this team’s success, especially when things don’t go to plan. It's clear the decision to name Wentz the team’s backup, and the game plan built around him, came from O’Connell’s reflection: play smart, play safe, trust your all-world wideout.

News around Murray’s progress seems positive based on O’Connell’s Monday presser (h/t: ESPN's Kevin Seifert), but he’ll still have several protocol-related hurdles to overcome if he wants to play on Sunday.

Kyler Murray is participating in meetings today, per Kevin O'Connell. So his symptoms are not such that he can't do that part of the preparation for Sunday's game at Chicago... https://t.co/dJ3v5BszZU

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 14, 2026

In the meantime, the Vikings will likely plan for Wentz to get another go under center, this time against a feisty Bears team with a Swiss-cheesed defense. O’Connell will need to balance his patented offensive aggression with smart, safe football once again on Sunday if he wants to set the journeyman up for success.

The good news? Week 1 proved he’s fully capable of doing just that.

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