Vikings' Brian O'Neill shares instant thoughts on 2025 schedule
The team has a lot of primetime games, highlighted by a game set to be played on Christmas Day as they look to play spoiler to the Detroit Lions after being swept by them in 2024. Other pivotal matchups include the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears. There are more important games reriddled throughout and it has Brian O'Neill excited to get the pads and helmet back on for the season.
Advertisement
In a video shared by the team's social account, Brian O'Neill shared his excitement with the team and fans.
"I love playing on holidays, theres a lot of primetime games which is fun...I think it shows that we have a lot of players that they want to see."
That last part is proving to be especially true.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has built this Vikings roster into one of the most talented in the NFL. Both the offense and defense can score at a moment's notice, they have Pro Bowlers and All-Pros on both sides, and on the sidelines, their coaches are both well-equipped.
No better time to be a Vikings fan.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings OL Brian O'Neill shares instant thoughts on 2025 schedule
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers fires hilarious jab at Cam Heyward's contract drama
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers doesn't pull punches — which veteran DT Cameron Heyward found out in the most hilarious way possible. On Tuesday's episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, Rodgers and Heyward shared some dialogue on what Zach Frazier brings to the offensive line, when the veteran defender claimed he was the one being referenced — which led to a cheeky response from the Steelers quarterback. "Yeah, it's all about you," Rodgers told Heyward. "And your money." Heyward couldn't help but laugh off the playful jab, as his contract situation and potential holdout have weighed on everyone's minds over the past few weeks. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on August 7 that Heyward wasn't practicing in full while he awaited a restructured contract from Pittsburgh. Heyward even referenced potentially sitting out games until he gets a new deal. The comedic relief provided by Rodgers was much needed, as whether Heyward could actually miss some of the regular season is becoming a genuine concern. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' Aaron Rodgers fires jab at Cam Heyward over contract drama
Boston Globe
25 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Training camp absences of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis have given other Patriots cornerbacks time to shine
'Obviously, we've had some guys that have filled in with [Gonzalez] being out for a little bit and [Davis] being out for a little bit. But it's been good for guys like Alex Austin, for DJ James, for Kobee Minor, to get some work out there. Miles Battle,' Hamilton said. 'It's a group that's hungry to learn and eager to try to do things the way we've coached them to do it, learning a new system. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up '[Coach Mike Vrabel] says it all the time: Next man up. The next guy that's ready to go out there and showing you're prepared, and that you're ready to take advantage of whatever opportunity you get.' Advertisement Hamilton said Gonzalez and Davis are working to be back for the regular-season opener. 'He's doing everything he can do to get back out here,' Hamilton said of the 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound Gonzalez, who went down late last month. 'He's got a good plan with [trainer] Jim [Whalen] and [Vrabel] and [director of sports performance] Frank [Piraino]. He'll be back as soon as he can be back.' Advertisement Hamilton said he's learned a lot about Gonzalez in the short time they've worked together. Namely, his muted approach can trick a lot of people. 'Don't let the quiet, soft-spoken [act] fool you,' Hamilton said. 'He has a great sense of humor. He's quick to pull jokes on people, and he's very smart. 'That's what I've been impressed by, just in conversations with him, the type of questions that he asks and the things that he's expecting from a coach, to me, are the things that you want at this level. He's still learning and still, he's not played for a lot. But you can tell that he's a student of the game and it's very important to him to know the nuances.' The 28-year-old Davis has been on and off the field for much of the summer. '[Davis is] doing everything he can to be full speed,' Hamilton said of the 6-1, 206-pounder. 'You can tell the veteran's savvy, craftiness. He's played a lot of football. It's been interesting to have conversations with him about the way he sees things and the way he's played in the past, whether it be different personnel, different teams, play-callers, so he's been good for the room. 'He's the elder statesman. I call him 'Unc.' He does not like that, so we've changed that to 'Big Bro.' ' Davis has been in the NFL seven seasons, and was part of the 2020 Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl. (He had a career-high four interceptions that season.) He spent a year with the Lions before signing with the Patriots as a free agent this past offseason. Advertisement Hamilton said Davis has been a solid addition on and off the field, serving as a guide for rookies such as Minor, Brandon Crossley, and Jordan Polk. 'What's funny to me is all three rookies, they're always with him. Every time I look up and see one of them, I see the other three close by,' Hamilton said. 'He, to me, is a guy who has done this for a long time, and he understands what it takes to be successful in this league. Not only as a [defensive back] but just in general. And if I were a young player, I would be around him all the time, too, trying to just soak up whatever information I could get.' While Hamilton is optimistic the Patriots' two top corners will be back soon, he explained the ultimate role for anyone in the cornerback room: Communication builds confidence. And the best way to shape that approach comes with shared reps. 'The biggest thing to me is understanding the nonverbal communication,' he said. 'You have things in the playbook where we say, if this happens, say this. Or if this is said, this is what it means. But if you do play with the same people, whether it's the ones, twos, or you wind up with the same safety group, however it happens, you start to understand that we don't necessarily have to say the playbook word. 'And those things come with time. They come with reps. And those are good to have. But at the same time, we understand that regardless of who's out there, the communication has to be at a high level, and we all have to be on the same page. If we can get that done, then we'll be just fine.' Advertisement Christopher Price can be reached at
USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
Anthony Richardson and the plight of the 2023 NFL Draft's developmental QBs
Bryce Young was the No. 1 overall pick, going from Alabama to the Carolina Panthers. Young wasn't a developmental type of quarterback, however; he came from a pro-style offense with several years of experience successfully operating NFL-type concepts, and his mental maturity and poise shone on game film. The pre-draft knocks on Young were his exceeding lack of size and questions about his deep ball velocity. No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud wasn't really a developmental prospect, either. As with every player making the jump from college to the NFL, Stroud had some issues to iron out, but understanding how to read defenses and knowing how to handle pressure (both from the defenses and his own coaches) were not among them. Both Stroud and Young were ready-made NFL starters, by and large. That was not the case for the next three quarterbacks selected in 2023. Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker all bore the "developmental" or "project" label from most analysts and pundits. None more so than Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick out of Florida. An athletic wunderkind, Richardson was a one-year starter for the Gators as a prospect who hadn't even turned 21 yet ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. CBS Sports nicely summed up Richardson as a prospect with this blurb in their scouting report, Anthony Richardson has off-the-charts athleticism both in the pocket and outside of it, but he is so incredibly raw that he has a long way to go to be a starting NFL quarterback. He will leave the pocket too early and too often miss open reads to attempt more difficult throws. After two seasons in Indianapolis, the Richardson scouting report would largely read the same. Through 15 starts in two injury-marred years, Richardson has barely completed 50 percent of his pass attempts and thrown for more INTs (13) than TDs (11). He still routinely misreads the defense, missing easy opportunities and failing to establish any sort of offensive flow for the Colts. There are the occasional flashes of "wow", but not nearly enough to convince head coach Shane Steichen or GM Chris Ballard to anoint him the starter and keep riding the development road. The Colts effectively pulled the plug on the Richardson project this week. Steichen named underwhelming vet Daniel Jones the starting QB over Richardson. Jones has thrown for more INTs (13) than TDs (10) in the last two years in 16 starts with the Giants, playing his way out of New York after six largely uninspiring seasons. Steichen went so far as to name Jones the unquestioned starter for all of 2025 (barring injury, of course). That's a white flag on developing Richardson any further. As for Levis and Hooker, both remain well behind the developmental curve. Injuries have hindered both, with Hooker coming into the NFL with a knee injury that wiped out most of his rookie campaign, and Levis now sidelined for the 2025 season. Levis was the first pick of the second round, No. 33 overall by the Titans. While Levis did get one season at Kentucky playing under Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen (the Wildcats' 2021 OC), he was seldom asked to make more than one progression. Levis' college tape showed high-end athletic potential sullied by an inability to read defenses, notably picking up blitzes, and erstwhile struggles with completing relatively easy throws. Two years of reps in Tennessee did nothing to convince a new Titans regime to have any further faith in Levis' development, and the Titans selected Cam Ward No. 1 overall in 2025. It's still preseason, but already there are positive signs that Ward can manipulate a defense and manage an NFL offense better than Levis did before his season-ending injury. Hooker has fumbled away the backup QB spot in Detroit, still struggling to adapt from a simplistic college offense to an intricate NFL system, and also the bigger/faster/smarter NFL defenders he's going up against, too. Faced with the challenge of longtime journeyman backup Kyle Allen, Hooker wilted in preseason games too frequently for the Lions to trust him behind Jared Goff. Hooker is essentially the same in-game project three years after the Lions selected him in the third round (67th overall) to be nothing more than a quality No. 2. Tennessee and Detroit can at least take some solace in the fact that they didn't burn a top-20 pick on a developmental project, unlike the Colts did with Richardson or the 49ers did with Trey Lance in 2021. There is a cosmic balance needed with drafting a developmental quarterback highly. The team has to give enough time and reps, both in practices and game situations, for the project to progress. The coaching staff has to be willing to take the inevitable lumps, not to mention the losses that come with the growing pains of bringing a young QB up to NFL speed. For the Colts, that patience with Richardson ran out after two frustrating seasons. That's despite having a proven QB coach in Steichen at the helm, with a veteran OC in Jim Bob Cooter by his side to help, too. Now the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will enter his fourth NFL season (2026) with even less development than expected. It's difficult to envision this Colts regime being willing to invest much more time, resources or patience into Richardson — if they even survive the failed gamble on his development. That fate now largely lies in the hands of Daniel Jones and not the Colts' self-chosen solution in Richardson.
