Even the Vikings' woodshed for wayward coordinators sounds like a kinder, gentler place to be admonished by young Kevin O'Connell as opposed to old Mike Zimmer.
In 2016, Zim's team started 5-0 but wasn't doing a great job protecting Sam Bradford. Zim, whose interpersonal communication was a bit more shall we say old-school than O'Connell's new-school vernacular, visited Norv Turner's offensive meeting room.
The defensive-minded Zim told Norv in no uncertain terms that he was to change his protection schemes because they were stale and predictable. Norv, however, was equal to Zim in stubbornness. The Vikings gave up six sacks in a loss to the Eagles and five more in another loss to the Bears at Chicago on Monday Night Football.
Norv quit the next morning with the Vikings atop the NFC North at 5-2.
Two years later, Zim gruffly scolded first-year offensive coordinator John DeFilippo repeatedly in public for not running the ball enough. DeFilippo ignored it right up to the moment Zim fired him after a 21-7 loss at Seattle. The Vikings were 6-6-1 and still in the playoff race.
"Dude, that Seahawks game on Monday night, there was tension between Zim and Flip," former Viking and then-Browns defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo told the Star Tribune last year. "I know the play that got him fired. What could have been an easy run, Coach Flip said, 'Screw it' and went for the play-action bomb. Incomplete. It was a complete debacle. Those two were like oil and vinegar," although Ifeadi surely meant oil and water.
Those days, apparently, are gone. For now, at least.
For the first time in his 13-game head coaching career, O'Connell has felt the need to remind everyone publicly that while the culture of collaboration is fine and dandy, he's still da boss. And don't let the boyish looks and softspoken nature fool you. This boss isn't happy with defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and a soft unit that's dead last in yards allowed, just set a franchise record by giving up 400-plus yards in five straight games, and is seemingly content to sit back while even middling quarterbacks hand out explosive plays and touchdowns like they're at a Toys for Tots event.
Monday, a day after Jared Goff torched the Vikings in Detroit's 34-23 win, O'Connell said schematic changes were needed. More blitz packages were needed. As for Donatell keeping his job as play-caller, O'Connell said that's not something he's considering "right now."
Tuesday, O'Connell said: "My role as the head coach is one where I'm ultimately responsible for everything we do as a football team. I tend to look at things from the background that I have from the opposite lens. 'This is what they're seeing. This is what they might attack.' This is where we may have some looks where we've got to make some adjustments, some changes, a different picture for the offense. I think all those things have been good conversations, good dialogue."
O'Connell went on for a few more minutes, but, basically, it was a very long way of saying the same thing Zim used to snort out with a few terse words and a scowl when the other side of the ball was coming up woefully short.
Like Zimmer had with Pat Shurmur in 2016 and Kevin Stefanski in 2018, O'Connell does have a Plan B play-caller to turn to in mentor, friend and assistant head coach Mike Pettine. Of course, O'Connell doesn't think it will come to that. Not now, at least.
"There are times and moments when [collaboration] has to actually be put into action," he said. "That's where the relationships matter. We got to be honest with each other. … Have the ability to communicate with people in an honest manner, respectful, but make sure that, ultimately, I'm responsible for everything we do as a football team."
We'll find out relatively soon where this kinder, gentler public paddling goes from here. Next up is a Saturday meeting with a Colts team that's 4-8-1, more interested in next year's draft and coming off a bye after being nipped 33-0 in the fourth quarter of a 54-19 loss to the Cowboys.
On paper, it promises to be a feel-good game. We just don't know which guy will be feeling better about his future come Saturday night: Donatell or Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, a 37-year-old who looks 47, leads the league in interceptions (13) and turnovers (18), ranks fourth in sacks (35), and no doubt is looking forward to taking his cuts at Ed Donatell's defense.
