Veteran Addition May be MN Vikings Secret Weapon
Kevin O'Connell showed how impactful he can be on a quarterback by turning Sam Darnold back into a legitimate asset. He'll have his hands all over the development of McCarthy as well.
Unlike the situation Darnold was in last year, McCarthy has a revamped offensive line. Among the most overlooked spots there is Ryan Kelly taking over for Garrett Bradbury. The former Pro Bowler isn't just talented at his position, but he could be the key for McCarthy too.
Related Headlines
One Minnesota Twins Pitcher Devastated by Trade
Minnesota Vikings Add More Pass-Catching Help
Report: MN Twins Reliever Requested Trade
Ryan Kelly could be the difference for Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O'Connell will do everything he can to help prepare McCarthy get ready between the sidelines. He can't be on the field though, and that's where veteran offensive lineman Ryan Kelly comes in. The head coach outlined just that to The Athletic's Alec Lewis.
'Between the whistles,' O'Connell said before training camp, 'you can't have a more valuable piece for J.J. (than Kelly).'
Centers in football are similar to catchers in baseball. Bulldozing a defender is easily identifiable, like hitting a home run, but there are hidden advantages to being cerebral. In baseball, the great catchers call the game intellectually, carrying with them a mental bank of tendencies for each opposing hitter. In football, the great centers not only recognize defensive tells but also have the bandwidth during the stress of the 40-second countdown to voice or signal those observations to those around them.
The Athletic
Bradbury had upped his play in recent seasons enough to stick around for the Vikings. When the franchise decided to attack the line though, a total interior makeover was necessary. Kelly joined first and then helped Minnesota to land Will Fries.
That sort of recommendation and recruiting prowess is just another footnote of the influence a key veteran can have. For McCarthy, Kelly is determined to be his eyes and ears when the game gets going.
Kelly won't be able to throw the ball for McCarthy, but he's going to be a steadying presence. He has played 121 games over the course of his nine year career. He has seen it all, and the quarterbacks he has worked with trust him unconditionally.
Related:
The more that Kelly can generate the buy-in of his young new teammate, and the more McCarthy can lean on his front man, the better the Minnesota Vikings will be. The chemistry has already started, and it will only grow once things kick off in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
Related Headlines
One Minnesota Twins Pitcher Devastated by Trade
Minnesota Vikings Add More Pass-Catching Help
Report: MN Twins Reliever Requested Trade
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Twins win again behind rookie Luke Keaschall and ‘grandpa' Ryan Fitzgerald
MINNEAPOLIS — Since the Minnesota Twins called up Luke Keaschall on April 18, teammates, coaches and media members have made frequent note of his stoic demeanor and matter-of-fact reactions to his non-stop success. Despite being just 22, no moment has seemed too big. And despite season-ending elbow surgery last August and a broken forearm a week into his big-league career in April, Keaschall is off to one of the greatest starts to a career in Twins history. Advertisement Through 12 games, he's hit .415 with a 1.207 OPS and 12 RBIs , reaching base safely in all of them and notching at least one hit in each of the 11 games in which he logged an official at-bat. Yet while everyone around Keaschall has been marveling at his incredible performance, he's mostly just smiled, kept his head down and acted as if it were normal. But even he has his limits. Keaschall had a career-high three in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, the last of which was a two-run walk-off homer to right-center field in the 11th inning. And as he rounded the bases, the emotions finally flowed out of him. Luke Keaschall #WALKOFF homer! The @Twins win it in the 11th! — MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025 He pointed to the Twins' dugout as he rounded first base, leapt into the air while doing a fist pump as he neared second base, screamed all the way to third base and jumped directly into the celebratory chaos waiting for him at home plate. And then for good measure, Keaschall bear-hugged and chest-shoved veteran reliever Michael Tonkin, who wriggled out of jams in the 10th and 11th innings to clear the stage for the red-hot rookie's latest heroics. 'I'm usually calm, cool and collected,' Keaschall said, 'but I kind of lost my crap and went crazy. That was probably the most fun game I've ever played.' It continued a post-trade deadline roll for the Twins that no one saw coming after their fire sale sent 10 players packing, including Carlos Correa and basically the entire bullpen. They've won five of the last seven games, with back-to-back series wins for the first time since the All-Star break. 'We're trying to make things happen out there,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'We're trying to win a game by getting guys in spots where they can succeed. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't. No game is going to be perfect. But the way we're able to work together as a group right now feels good and looks good.' Advertisement Keaschall hit .368 with five steals in his first seven games, but a hit-by-pitch on April 25 sidelined him for over three months. He returned on Aug. 5, and has picked up right where he left off and then some, hitting .454 with two homers and 10 RBIs in five games, four of which the Twins have won. 'It's just about believing in the work you've put in, believing you can do it and staying confident,' Keaschall said. 'I was pretty bummed when I broke my forearm. I was doing pretty well at that time and I wanted to keep playing, but sometimes it doesn't go your way. Sometimes you've got to fight through it.' Sunday's dramatic, mistake-filled, back-and-forth win over the Royals played out in a way that was able to draw big emotions out of even Keaschall. Tonkin, who was the pitching hero, is a 35-year-old journeyman in his third different stint with the Twins, who originally drafted him out of high school in 2008. He spent much of this season rehabbing a shoulder injury alongside Keaschall at the team's year-round facility in Florida. 'We were on the IL together and he kept me in a good head space the whole time,' Keaschall said. 'So to go out there and watch him just destroy guys on the mound for two straight innings in a high-leverage situation, and then to be able to help him out and get the game-winning hit, was fun.' Ryan Fitzgerald's first Major League hit is a two-run homer! — MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025 Before it became another 'Luke Keaschall Game,' it was shaping up to be the first Ryan Fitzgerald Game, as the 31-year-old journeyman infielder homered in the third inning for his first career MLB hit after nine seasons in the minors. Fitzgerald spent most of the season at Triple-A St. Paul, where he became fast friends with Keaschall. '(Fitzgerald) is the man,' Keaschall said. 'Finally getting his chance in the big leagues and showing he plays the game super hard, plays the game with his hair on fire. He's been really great to me. One of my best friends down there. It was pretty cool to see.' Advertisement Fitzgerald described Keaschall as 'like a little brother to me' and noted that he could tell the prospect was capable of greatness within just a few games of watching him with the Saints. 'I give him a lot of s— behind closed doors,' Fitzgerald said. 'And he calls me his grandpa. Just being around Keasch, I was like, 'Dude … you're going to be playing this game for a long time.'' That certainly seems like a safe assumption at this point, but in the meantime it's remarkable how much of an impact Keaschall has made in a short time. He's set Twins records through the first 12 games of a career for OPS (1.207), times on base (24), RBIs (12), stolen bases (5) and Win Probability Added (1.2). 'Right away, I could tell he's a ball player,' Fitzgerald said. 'It's guys like him that give you energy. That's who you build a team around.' And the Twins have repeatedly gotten unexpected contributions from unheralded players like Fitzgerald who were added to the roster after 40 percent of the team was traded at the deadline and have taken advantage of what might be their best — and maybe only — chance in the majors. Fitzgerald knew 'the window was closing' on his big-league dreams this offseason and was pondering an offer from a Mexican League team when the Twins called him in January with the promise of a Triple A roster spot. He didn't even get a spring training invite to major-league camp. 'I've been doing this a long time,' Fitzgerald said. 'Nine seasons in the minor leagues. Not everyone gets to make it this far. I'm just blessed to have the opportunity. This group of guys, too. They cleaned house last week, but it's fun. It's a good group of ball players and I think it's a good brand of baseball.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
8 hours ago
- New York Times
Bears preseason takeaways: Ben Johnson nails clock management; backup QBs show poise
CHICAGO — The result of the Chicago Bears' preseason opener matched the message head coach Ben Johnson gave his team: Preseason games don't count, but they matter, he said. The Bears and Miami Dolphins finished in a 24-24 tie on a hot — the on-field real feel temperature reached triple digits — Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. It was the Bears' first preseason tie in 52 years. Advertisement With nearly every starter on both sides of the ball on the sideline and in street clothes, we weren't going to learn much that will matter for the season opener in four weeks against the Minnesota Vikings, but Johnson, general manager Ryan Poles and the rest of the staff still have plenty to evaluate. Here are my five top takeaways from Sunday's game: The end of the first half provided Johnson with an opportunity to get some experience managing the clock. With 1:57 left, Johnson used his first timeout on defense following a Dolphins first down. Miami scored on the ensuing play, giving backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and the offense 1:40 to play with. Bagent's two-minute drill lasted seven plays and ended with an interception. Normally, the offense wouldn't get the ball back, but the Dolphins ended up going four-and-out while using only 21 seconds. The Bears got the ball back at their own 48-yard line with just six seconds left on the clock. If you're wondering how much can be accomplished in six seconds, that's how much time was on the clock when QB Jayden Daniels got the Washington Commanders 13 yards closer to the end zone before his Week 8 Hail Mary. Bagent threw it to rookie receiver Luther Burden underneath, and the rookie got out of bounds with one second left, enough time for Cairo Santos to drill a 57-yard field goal — more on him in a bit. Cairo Santos drills it from 57 yards out to end the first half 🫡 Watch live out-of-market games on #NFLPlusBlackout restrictions may apply — NFL+ (@NFLPlus) August 10, 2025 'I knew I could get the ball and get out of bounds and get some points before going into half,' Burden said. 'Shoot, it was a big three points we needed.' 'Heads-up play by him,' Bagent added. 'Got him in the ball in space; he's able to race out of there, get out of bounds with one second to go. You got to see how much stronger Cairo got in the offseason. That was huge.' Advertisement The clock at Soldier Field read triple zeroes at first, before referee Scott Novak added one second to the clock, enough time for Santos to drill the field goal. The result meant Johnson succeeded at his first chance to use the clock to the team's advantage. Clock management would be a closely monitored part of any new head coach's first few games, but especially in Chicago. 'You always talk about how you end halftime; you want to end with the ball and by scoring points,' Johnson said. 'That was really well done by the whole group.' Back-to-back punts weren't what anyone on the Bears' sideline wanted to see Sunday, but then Bagent got going, leading a 9:33 touchdown drive — the Bears haven't had a drive that long in the regular season since Week 1 of 2021. 'The only un-fun part was the start we had,' Bagent said. The second quarter was more fruitful for Bagent. He finished 13-of-19 for 103 yards with a fourth-down touchdown pass to Maurice Alexander, who high-pointed the ball in the back of the end zone and got both feet down. Maurice Alexander with the toe tap TD 😮💨 📺: FOX32 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 10, 2025 'Had a race route back line. First in the progression was the speed out by the tight end,' Bagent said. 'Kinda saw the safety react to it just enough for (Alexander) to squeeze in behind him, and then I really couldn't see the rest. I just kinda put it high where only he could get it. I can't take any credit for whatever happened after that. It was a helluva catch.' Alexander spent the past few seasons in Detroit, so he's comfortable with Johnson and the scheme. 'No. 1 wasn't there, so Tyson got to No. 2 and gave him a chance, and he climbed the ladder, got both feet in-bounds,' Johnson said. 'Huge play for us there.' Advertisement Case Keenum took over after halftime and threw two touchdown passes, including a pretty anticipation throw that dropped into the arms of undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker. 'I really trust Jahdae in the short time I've gotten to know him,' Keenum said. 'I thought he played really well today. He got a great release off the line, and I've just gotta give him a chance.' .@casekeenum drops it in the bucket to @dae2walker 🪣 📺: FOX32 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 10, 2025 Keenum, entering his 12th NFL season, was impressed with how Bagent managed a shaky start to the game. 'I really liked how he responded to not the start that we wanted, whether it was a high pass here or getting backed up or protection issue, whatever it was, there are a lot of things that go on in a football game,' Keenum said. '… He responded. He stayed the course. He wasn't freaking out. He just stayed the course, and that was really good.' It's only preseason, of course, and the QBs' success came against backups, but Bagent and Keenum's performances still had to make Johnson feel at ease about the guys behind starter Caleb Williams. 'Both of those guys operated at a high level,' he said. 'We've been having some ups and downs over the course of camp, just operation, pre-snap penalties, all that. We weren't 100 percent, but we were pretty smooth. There were things thrown at us over the course of the game — Cover 0 or they're playing base vs. 11 (personnel) — things are changing pretty quickly there, and yet they were able to stay calm and composed and make sure we were organized and gave us a chance to have a good play.' While the four starting offensive linemen, top three receivers, tight end and running back, as well as QB Caleb Williams all sat out, the Week 1 starting left tackle did play Sunday. We just don't know who that will be yet. Advertisement Braxton Jones got the start and played most of the first half before second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo replaced him for the final two drives of the half. Trapilo then played two series in the third quarter before Theo Benedet took over. Then Trapilo came back late in the fourth quarter when Austin Reed came in at quarterback. On Bagent's touchdown to Alexander, Jones surrendered a pressure; Trapilo might have as well on his first snaps. We'll see what the film tells the coaches about how they want to proceed during Bills week. We'll also find out soon if Kiran Amegadjie has enough time to reenter the competition if he can get healthy, but he has lost a week of reps. Keenum felt good having Trapilo protecting his blind side in the second half. 'Sometimes, at the end of preseason games, there are guys who have been hurt or pulled, and guys are playing different positions. But having Ozzy, I literally looked at him and was like, left side, it gave me a good sense. That's a good feeling as a quarterback, when you have a left tackle you feel really good about.' Santos enters the 2025 season needing three field goals from 50 yards out or longer to pass Robbie Gould for the franchise record in 50-plus-yard field goals. He set the single-season mark last year with eight. Despite that, there's long been a question about whether Santos has a big enough leg. Despite the success from 50 yards out last season, his career-long in the regular season is 55 yards. He infamously had a 46-yard kick blocked against the Green Bay Packers last season. 'That was pretty strong,' Johnson said of Santo's 53-yarder Sunday. 'I was joking with him that we probably didn't even need that many yards. We could've kicked it from backed up the way he nailed that thing.' After one half, defensive end Austin Booker is the league leader in sacks this preseason. He tallied three, along with four QB hits, including a strip-sack that led to a touchdown. Have a day, @austinbookerr 🔥 📺: FOX32 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 10, 2025 Last preseason, Booker delivered 2.5 sacks, but that didn't translate into regular-season production. He put on eight pounds this offseason and said he's being more consistent this year. On his strip sack, Booker used his length to his advantage. 'Hit a long arm, he fell, and I kept rushing,' he said. 'He decided not to throw away, so I gave it another two steps and reached out for the ball.' Advertisement Booker is competing with Dominique Robinson and Tanoh Kpassagnon for the No. 3 defensive end role. 'He was a factor for the entire game. He was a menace. You really feed off that,' Johnson said. '… That's obviously a huge thing as far as ending drives, but the offense, who's sitting on the sidelines, they see that, and they feel that, and that momentum carries over to the other side of the ball as well, that we look to capitalize on. We're always looking to pick each other up, and you could certainly feel his impact on the game.' • Williams got in 70 pre-game throws with wide receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus, tight end Cole Kmet and running back D'Andre Swift. 'There is no substitute for real live bullets, I get that,' Johnson said, 'but at the same time, when you can accumulate 70-plus reps in a day, that's pretty good. That goes a long way in terms of where you want to go with the connection with the quarterback and his pass catchers.' • Third-year linebacker Noah Sewell continued his push for the starting 'Sam' linebacker spot with a forced fumble and a big-time tackle for loss on fourth-and-goal. • Safety Alex Cook, defensive end Dominique Robinson and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens each recorded a sack. Linebacker Power Echols recovered the fumble Booker forced. • Five Bears suffered injuries in the game: linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (shoulder), safety Major Burns (knee), running back Travis Homer (calf), Luke Newman (concussion) and cornerback Terell Smith (groin). (Photo of Tyson Bagent: David Banks / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Keaschall hits 2-run homer in 11th as Twins top Royals 5-3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luke Keaschall hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, Ryan Fitzgerald homered for his first career hit, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Sunday. With two outs, Keaschall hit a fastball from Royals closer Carlos Estévez (4-4) to the first row of seats in right-centerfield for Minnesota's ninth walk-off win of the season. It was the third hit of the day for Keaschall, who has reached base in 12 straight games to start his career. Michael Tonkin (1-0), Minnesota's seventh pitcher, pitched scoreless 10th and 11th innings for his first win since July 30, 2024. Adam Frazier had four hits and Maikel Garcia three for Kansas City. Vinnie Pasquantino hit his 20th home run for a 3-2 lead in the seventh. The Twins tied it in the eighth when Ryan Jeffers drove in Austin Martin, who tripled on an ill-advised diving attempt by John Rave with the ball getting past the left fielder and rolling to the wall. In his fourth career game, Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old who signed a minor league contract with Minnesota in January, hit a third-inning slider from Ryan Bergert off the top of the right field wall for a 2-1 Twins lead. Key moment Seeking his second career five-hit game, Frazier flew out with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth. Kansas City was 1 for 15 with men in scoring position and left 15 runners on base. Key stat The Royals lost for just the fourth time in 50 games when leading after seven innings. Minnesota won for the third time in 48 games when trailing after seven. Up next Kansas City LHP Bailey Falter (7-6, 4.14 ERA) hosts Nationals' RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 0.00) on Monday. RHP Zebby Matthews (3-3, 5.17) gets the ball Monday for Minnesota against Yankees RHP Will Warren (6-5, 4.44). ___ AP MLB:
