Who will win 2025 NFL Offensive Player of Year?
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Kevin O'Connell drops F-bomb while mic'd up on Vikings TV broadcast
NFL preseason games have added a different element to provide entertainment. As a way to give further insight into the sport, coaches and players are frequently mic'd up in contests that don't count. That can have drawbacks, as Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell learned on Saturday. The Minnesota coach was giving a live interview from the sideline when he dropped an F-bomb. Advertisement 3 Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on during a preseason game against the Patriots on Aug. 16, 2025. Getty Images 3 Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell drops an F-bomb while mic'd up on the TV broadcast on Aug. 16, 2025. Fox 9 In the third quarter of the Vikings' game against the Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium, O'Connell was on with the Fox 9 broadcast. Advertisement 'I'm excited about this year's team and excited about this play-call, fellas,' O'Connell told the broadcasters. 'We've got a fast-motion …' At that point, O'Connell realized the Vikings were going to get called for an illegal formation penalty. 'Oh no! F–k … It's coming back,' a disappointed O'Connell told the announcers. Warning: Graphic language Advertisement 3 Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell (r.) speaks with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) after a preseason game on Aug. 16, 2025. Getty Images The penalty wiped out a big play. Any penalty will draw a coach's ire, even in the preseason, and the fans got to hear it firsthand. Advertisement The Vikings lost the game, 20-12, to the Patriots. They are coming off a surprising season. They went 14-3 a year ago behind Sam Darnold and reached the playoffs, losing to the Rams. With Darnold now in Seattle, the Vikings are turning to J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick who missed his whole rookie season with a knee injury.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Suddenly, Vikings Early-Season Promise Could Be Disastrous
Here's the good news for the Minnesota Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy got through the first preseason game of the summer intact with his body intact. After playing a couple of series in the opener against the Houston Texans, head coach Kevin O'Connell called McCarthy to the sidelines and he did not play the rest of the game. A week later, McCarthy did not take a single snap against the New England Patriots. Instead, the game allowed the head coach and his staff to make a judgement about the team's backup quarterbacks. Sam Howell, Max Brosmer and Brett Rypien all had a chance to show off their skills and display their understanding of O'Connell's offense. Keeping McCarthy on the bench in that 20-12 defeat is a very questionable move by O'Connell, considering that that the quarterback has almost no professional experience. Apparently, O'Connell was satisfied with McCarthy completing 13 passes in a row in a Thursday practice session with the Patriots. He did not want to put his young quarterback at risk by playing him against that same opponent he had torched in a practice session. Vikings fans are supposed to be satisfied with that. The Vikings have a third and final preseason game Friday night on the road against the Tennessee Titans. Even if McCarthy is allowed to play in that game, it won't be for more than a series or two. Is this any way to prepare for the 2025 season? A look at the schedule reveals a midseason run that includes the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. It would not be a shock if the Vikings either lost 3 of 4 or got swept. That's why it is essential that the Vikings get off to a brilliant start. Last year's team won its first five games, and this year's schedule reveals that a similar start is possible. It is almost essential that the Vikings go at least 4-1 against the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals followed by two games in Europe against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Ignore for a moment that spending consecutive weeks in Ireland and England is likely to drain the team of energy. Apparently, the Vikings and owner Zygi Wilf are thrilled with the idea of the Vikings becoming the NFL's most beloved team in Europe. Instead, focus your attention on O'Connell's cautious approach with a quarterback he apparently believes can lead the team to its first Super Bowl title in the foreseeable future. O'Connell's brilliant WR crew has key issues O'Connell is the NFL's quarterback whisperer. He has been brilliant at working with Matthew Stafford during his time with the Rams as well as Kirk Cousins and Sam Bradford with the Vikings. That past success does not mean he is infallible. If he is wrong, the brilliant start that the Vikings must have could turn into a disaster that will lead to organizational angst and panic. The Vikings will not have wide receiver Jordan Addison in any of the first three games because of a league-imposed substance abuse-related suspension. They are hoping to have Justin Jefferson in the lineup even though he has not been practicing due to a hamstring injury suffered early in camp. If he is not going to be at top speed or even playing early in the year, the Vikings are in trouble in those early games. O'Connell recently offered an update that will not make the Vikings or their fans feel any better. "He's definitely going to hopefully start doing more and more," O'Connell said. "I can't say what that's going to look like from a practice standpoint yet." Here's where the Vikings stand: Their starting quarterback has had two series under center this summer and a few practice sessions. Their best wide receiver – maybe the best in the NFL – has not even practiced since the first few days of training camp. Their No. 2 receiver – a brilliant speedster and big-play specialist – won't play for the first three games of the season. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate this team. They are supposed to pick up their challenge of the Lions in the NFC North and give the Eagles a run for their money when it comes to NFC superiority. Instead, they may have to scramble for every one of those early games, because they are not going to be at full strength. O'Connell may start every media session with a smile, but this team appears to have several key questions that are not close to being answered. The results could be disappointing.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- New York Times
O-line steps up while D-line takes shape: Five things we learned this week at Raiders training camp
LAS VEGAS — The fourth week of Raiders training camp was an eventful one, between joint practice and a preseason game with the San Francisco 49ers. With roster decisions on the horizon and the start of the season less than a month away, time is running short to work through the remaining questions. Advertisement Here are five things I learned this week from Raiders training camp… There were some concerns about the O-line after its poor performance against the Seahawks last week, but the unit stepped up in a big way during both the joint practice and the game against the 49ers. Quarterback Geno Smith operated from a clean pocket throughout practice, and that remained the case during his two series on Saturday. He completed 6-of-8 passes for 55 yards and led two scoring drives. More encouraging, though, was how much stronger the run blocking was. Ashton Jeanty had room to operate this week and turned it into seven carries for 33 yards and one touchdown. He flashed his impressive combination of physicality, contact balance and athleticism. First preseason TD for the Silver Surfer 🌊#SFvsLV | 📺 FOX5 — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 16, 2025 It came against a shorthanded 49ers defensive line, but that doesn't change that it was still an encouraging week for the Raiders' front five. They'll look to build on that against the Arizona Cardinals next week. 'We're seeing them in practice make progress,' coach Pete Carroll said Saturday. 'I thought they carried it to the game. … It felt like we had reason to be confident that they're doing their job. I think Jordan Meredith has done a really good job. … That was the competition that we really focused on to see how that would go, and I think he's really taken that thing over and done a fine job with it. JPJ's battling at the guard spot, and we know we've got a real physical guy who's fired up and helps us out as well. The moves were well chosen, and I think we're going to benefit from them.' As the Raiders work to try to replace what they would have gotten from Christian Wilkins, it looks like they plan to mix up their D-line alignment frequently. They used several groupings during their first defensive series against the 49ers. The Raiders opened with Maxx Crosby and Adam Butler at defensive end, alongside Thomas Booker and Jonah Laulu at defensive tackle. Later in the possession, there were plays where Butler rotated inside to defensive tackle and Tyree Wilson came off the bench to play defensive end. Then Wilson rotated inside to defensive tackle and Malcolm Koonce replaced him at defensive end. Advertisement That rotational strategy continued for the starters' three series. Booker played 26 snaps, Wilson played 22, Koonce played 16, Butler and Laulu played 15 and Crosby played 12. The adjustments were made depending on down-and-distance as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham toggled between prioritizing defending the run, getting after the quarterback or having a balanced front. That's something that will likely continue into the season. Last weekend, Kelly began rotating in with the first-team defense. And in the preseason game against the 49ers, he started alongside Eric Stokes at outside cornerback. It's been a sudden rise given he'd previously spent most of his time with the third-team defense going back to OTAs, but he's impressed the coaching staff with his play. 'He's just been really active,' Carroll said Thursday. 'Seems like he's really settling in, and his aggressive style of play has really shown up. So, I'm fired up for him.' Kelly is only going into his third NFL season, but he's already bounced around the league. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens but was cut following training camp. He was claimed by Carroll's Seattle Seahawks and appeared in five games before getting cut again. He got released by two more teams before landing on the Raiders' practice squad last year. Although Kelly didn't appear in any games last year, he felt he rediscovered his confidence by making plays in practice. He also credited a conversation with his father, Brian Kelly, who played cornerback in the NFL for 11 years. 'He just always told me that, 'Your time will come. You don't know when. You don't know how. But just mentally, be ready,'' Kelly said Saturday. 'He said I had all the physical tools. It was always there. But the mental part is so big so when you get in those big moments, you just know you trained for this and you're ready to go.' Advertisement Carroll was familiar with Kelly from his time with the Seahawks and kept him around once he came onboard with the Raiders. And while it took time, Carroll has given Kelly an opportunity to compete. He's currently jockeying for positioning with Darien Porter. 'The game's really slowed down for me,' Kelly said. 'I feel confident going out there. I can see concepts more easily now. I can see receivers' releases and the way they stem their routes.' It's rare that a player from the NFL's International Player Pathway Program makes the roster, but a great example is Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro offensive tackle Jordan Mailata. Despite having no high school or college experience, the former Australian rugby player was drafted in the seventh round by the Eagles in 2018 and made the roster. Tasi, who also grew up in Australia playing rugby, looks to Mailata for inspiration. ''Wherever you go to, whatever team you go to, make sure you work hard and just prove people wrong, because that's how you win in life,'' Tasi remembered Mailata telling him at an IPP camp. 'Now that he won the Super Bowl, that just proves a lot from all the international players that can go through the NFL. Hopefully, one day I can do that.' The Raiders initially intended for Tasi to play defensive tackle, but Carroll approached the 6-foot-6, 373-pounder in OTAs and told him he'd be switching to offensive line. He'd never played football before signing with the Raiders. He's incredibly raw and it's hard to overstate how early on he is in the process of learning the game. 'It's been really scary for me,' Tasi said. 'The whole playbook with the offense is just crazy to me, especially with the numbers and the words that you've got to know and assignments you've got to go through on the field. … I was struggling at the start, but then I had the voice to speak up to the coaches and say, 'Hey, I need help with the plays.'' Tasi's unique combination of size, athleticism, strength and physicality makes his upside intriguing. He's gotten most of his work in guard, but playing tackle remains on the table. As he continues to develop, the Raiders could try to stash him on the practice squad; per NFL rules, the Raiders would be awarded a 17th practice-squad spot they can use for him as an IPP player. To get there, though, the Raiders would have to release him, which would subject him to waivers and open the door for him to get claimed by another team. That's a factor they will have to consider. Advertisement The Raiders' run defense was alarmingly poor against the Seahawks in the preseason opener but was stout when the starters were on the field against the 49ers. They allowed just 2.7 yards per carry. Their ability to tackle, shed blocks and fit gaps all looked improved. 'We played the running game with much more impact than we did in the (joint) practice,' Carroll said Saturday. 'The adjustments that the coaching staff made worked out well and the players were able to adapt in just a couple days' time. Against a really formidable running team that loves to run the football, I thought we did that really well.' The downside is that the Raiders still didn't have much of a pass rush; they didn't have any sacks and registered just one quarterback hit. Given the precarious state of the secondary, they'll need to be better in that area for the pass defense to be reliable this season. 'They're really battling,' Carroll said. 'It's not settled yet. (Defensive line coach) Robbie (Leonard) did a really nice job of making sure we got a lot of film on everybody. … But we like the guys. It's a good group. They're very active. They're athletic. They move well. They play hard. So, now we just need to see how we're going to zero in on it. The competition goes on.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
