Inside The Vikings

Watch: Kevin O'Connell roars in passionate speech after win at Lambeau

O'Connell gave game balls to Jordan Addison, Sam Darnold, Shaq Griffin, Byron Murphy Jr. and Aaron Jones.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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Kevin O'Connell is really good at delivering speeches in the locker room after wins and losses, and Sunday inside the visitor's locker room at Lambeau Field was no exception as he passionately expressed his views about the team and individual players following the Vikings' 31-29 win over the Green Bay Packers.

"We knew coming here, more than likely, this thing was going to be a four-quarter street fight to the very end. They competed. We knew they would," O'Connell began, clearly acknowledging that the Vikings nearly blew a 28-0 lead. "But here's what I wanna tell you. The way that this game started and the avalanche that happened out there in the first half, do not forget what that feeling's like because it's happened a few times now, right? That is our formula."

Minnesota blew out the Giants 28-6 in Week 1. They were a goal-line fumble shy of blowing out the 49ers in Week 2, but they still won 23-17 in convincing fashion. They crushed the Texans 31-7 in Week 3. Sunday at Lambeau was the first time they've faced a wave of adversity as Jordan Love and the Packers stormed back with 22 points in the fourth quarter.

"Then comes our ability to finish football games, like we're going to do a at a world-class level," O'Connell said. "You guys are learning new things about yourselves as a football team every single week. We all are."

O'Connell then gave out game balls to Jordan Addison, Sam Darnold, Shaq Griffin, Byron Murphy Jr. and Aaron Jones.

He called Addison "one of the best at his position in football."

He called Darnold "a real one."

He said he "loves" that Byron Murphy Jr. plays for the Vikings.

He said Jones has "changed our team" and "changed our organization."

The most passionate part of his speech was when he recalled driving to Green Bay to convince Jones to sign with the Vikings last spring.

"I was willing to drive up wherever I had to in this place and get this guy out of here and make him a Minnesota Viking," O'Connell exclaimed.


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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

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