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La Velle's 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions on Sundays.
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This is why Kevin O'Connell is here.
The Vikings hired their first-time head coach 11 months ago because of his pedigree. He spent the previous two seasons as the Rams offensive coordinator and has a Super Bowl ring to show for it.
Sunday he will step onto the U.S. Bank Stadium sideline looking to add to his postseason resume and prove that his Feb. 16, 2022, hiring was a good decision.
O'Connell's experience before arriving in Minnesota doesn't guarantee success Sunday, when the Vikings play host to the Giants in the first round. To make the NFL playoffs, teams have done many things right, going back to offseason training. Preparation, attention to detail and belief in your teammates are traits that are paramount in January but developed over months. It does help, though, to have experience in getting a team prepared to play in a win-or-go-home game.
"I think it's important you talk about what the playoffs mean, what type of playoff football, what standard of playoff football wins in this league," O'Connell said of what he draws from his Rams experience. "But at the same time, I think it's really important we stay true to simple things. Like what we think it's going to take to win the game. How we're going to play against this opponent in all three phases."
You could sense the energy in Vikings players as they spoke about returning to the postseason. But many of them haven't played in such games. Adam Thielen said he didn't realize both Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn have no NFL postseason experience. Playoff chatter began in the Soldier Field locker room following the Vikings' victory at Chicago and continued all week long at the team's practice facility.
O'Connell has leaned on veteran players with postseason experience to speak to those going through it for the first time. The coaching staff can fill meeting rooms with talk of postseason success, too. O'Connell brought Wes Phillips with him to be his offensive coordinator and Chris O'Hara as quarterbacks coach. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell won two Super Bowls with Denver, and Keenan McCardell won two as a player. All can relay what needs to be done to win.
"I think it's very important that they explain how important one week of preparation is — and do not worry about anything else beyond this Sunday at 3:30 p.m.," O'Connell said, "and understand it's going to take everything we've got and make sure that it starts today."
It's time to find out if the first-year head coach knows how to bring that winning postseason pedigree to the Vikings.
Twins: Keep adding
I believe teams build transactional momentum. Adding one key player can lead to adding another, then so on.
The Twins are doing this, methodically.
It began in November 2021 when they signed Byron Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million contract. It continued last week when Carlos Correa signed a six-year, $200 million contract that could grow to $270 million. Locking up two elite players in Buxton and Correa now obligates them to keep adding quality players to make the franchise a perennial playoff participant.
Scott Boras, Correa's agent, said the perception that Minnesota isn't a destination for top players is going to change. And his client will assist in that change.
"Guys like Carlos will be doing what?" Boras said. "They are going to be knocking on the owner's door and they are going to be knocking on the players' door."
Knock on an ace's door, Carlos. And knock hard.
Gophers growth
The Gophers men's basketball team got its first conference win of the season Thursday when it knocked off Ohio State. While doing so, it showed signs of progress under coach Ben Johnson.
While not the most talented team, the Gophers showed they can compete through tough defense and unselfishness on offense. But they also know to get out of the way and let Dawson Garcia work when he is on a heater.
Going forward, Johnson must figure out a way to feed freshman forward Pharrel Payne, who's shooting 72.7% from the field. Payne comes off the bench but looks like he deserves a spot in the starting lineup. Ta'Lon Cooper, who is averaging a whopping 35.6 minutes a game, must stay healthy. There's some talent on this team, it just needs time to grow. A bigger test awaits on Monday when it plays host to Illinois.
... AND TWO PREDICTIONS ...
Moving on
In addition to the Vikings, the Bills and Bengals will win Sunday, and the Buccaneers will win Monday night.
Staying hot
The Wild will complete a big week by winning at Washington and then at Carolina to complete their road trip.