Vikings 22, 49ers 17
KEVIN O'CONNELL: First of all, want to commend our fans. I thought this building was unbelievable tonight. Our fans never cease to amaze me, how they can transform this building into such an unbelievable home field advantage.
We had talked a lot about trying to play the type of performance that they deserved. Incredible atmosphere tonight. I'm so proud of our football team, how we've kind of handled really this first portion of the season.
I talked a lot about this being a culmination of a lot of learning moments, a lot of growth as a team, growth for individual players collectively, the three phases of our team and they responded and continued to show what complementary football and winning the turnover battle will inevitably do for a good football team, which I believe we are.
Across the board there was a lot of elite performances in my mind. Jordan Addison with his first 100 yard game. TJ Hockensen, 11 receptions, 86 yards. Danielle Hunter with his 80th career sack. The offensive line as a whole and throw TJ Hockensen in there as well for are huge block to essentially play the best front in football and not give up a single sack.
Credit to Kirk and for sure that group up front. Kam Bynum with the two interception, but Kirk Cousins was fantastic tonight in critical moments time after time, progressing, seeing the whole field, and absolutely dialed in in every phase of our game plan.
You know, so could have finished a little better in the red zone. Had some opportunities. I got to give our guys some better plays down there. You know, we'll continue to improve there. Just want to credit Flo, his staff, up against Kyle and that group, that's a heck of a challenge. They responded tonight with a great plan. Our guys went out and executed.
Just quick injury update, Addison did have the cramps and was able to return for a couple big plays there at the end. TJ Hockensen was able to return from an ankle, as well as Brian Asamoah.
Q. ...telling TJ to get down in the first half. Is that just you want him to not...
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, it was more so about if he is coming out, similar to what you guys saw when we took a delay in a game earlier this year. When a guy comes on or comes off late, we are pretty meticulous about what personnel is on the field and what we're going to call with those guys on the game.
Just allows us a chance to reset. He was injured, so I credit all of our guys' toughness, but sometimes depending on the time of the game and situation of the game where the clock really is not an issue, he was able to come back in the game from that, which was really impressive.
Q. First series Jordan was out-muscled for the interception and then comes back. What are you learning about the toughness of maybe one of the smaller guys on the field?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, physical and mental toughness. We ask him to do a lot. He did a lot for us tonight in the game plan, and you just take that end of half play that he makes and essentially it's the same type of thing. This was versus an all-out pressure. The guys up front, Kirk made a great check, and for him to make that play on that ball where it was was a game-changing play.
It's everything that -- listen, Jordan has been everything that I hoped for from the moment I cut on the tape of his time in college. But he's been more than that. He's been really taking on a role within our team, within our offense. He's earned an incredible amount of trust from Kirk and the rest of our guys. Jordan was fantastic tonight.
This is a for sure performance he can build on for the future.
Q. For the offensive line to so what they did against that front, did that mean more to that group, do you think?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: I think so. They knew the challenge. Listen, Nick Bosa is a phenomenal, phenomenal player, and you have to be locked in on every single snap all night long, regardless of circumstance.
But they also have Armstead and Hargrave and they have other players that continuously come at you. If you're not locked in in one moment it can be catastrophically bad.
Tackles have been really, really good all year for us, but to answer the bell like they did tonight, can't say enough about CD and Brian O'Neil for what they mean to this team.
How about Dalton Rosner stepping in there. How about Ed Ingram's continued progression. To me this guy just continues to get better and better, and obviously having Garrett back in there now consistently running the show, the rapport between him and Kirk is tremendous.
I gave that whole group a game ball. This one will be special for them.
Q. Going against this offense without Davenport, are you surprised they were able to hold them to 17 points? Did you see that coming into the game?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, I'm not surprised at all. I know how well coached that group is over there. I know that we're going to come up with the best possible plan to put our guys in position to have success.
And then as we challenged our players all week long, they needed to try to match physicality of one of the more physical teams in the NFL. Played on their line of scrimmage. Thought we set great edges. DJ Wonnum, Danielle, Pat Jones, and that allowed our backers and safeties to be involved in some plays.
They were going to make some plays, but it was about the next snap and about finding that opportunity with that next snap to go make the play. You never know when it's going to come, and a lot of guys made plays tonight.
Q. What was it like to have your football team as a group play the way you know they can play?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, we been talking about it. I know sometimes, especially for me, early on in the season I talked a lot to you guys and our team about still chasing that performance that we feel like is inside that locker room, that we feel like we can collectively do, regardless of circumstance, regardless of adversity.
Like I said, I thought our team has grown. Our team has grown closer. We have great leadership. I feel very strongly about our coaching staff and really these players. Tonight is about these players. I just can't say enough for not only our captains, young leadership, we're filling some voids of some guys out right now, JJ, Marcus, but nothing is ever going to be an excuse.
We're gifted with another opportunity, in front of our fans, getting our first home win, long overdue. Hopefully we can build on this.
Q. You said Kirk was locked in. What was he locked in on? What was the vibe with him?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, you know, he talked a lot to the offense yesterday about when the schedule comes out and you know you're going to be playing at home on Monday Night Football against this team, I have so much respect for Kyle and the whole offensive and defensive staff, and they have really good players. They built that team the right way.
Kirk talked to our offense about how these are the types of games you can really measure what you're capable of, and really meeting the moment and capturing the moment with your execution and being willing to turn it lose regardless of what happened on the previous play. Just turn it loose, be confident in the guys next to you, and I think his message was really received clearly by our offense.
That carried over to the whole team. That's leadership. We could go for the next 35, 40 minutes about the way he played individual plays where he was overcoming some circumstances, moving within the pocket, trusting the protection, and seeing the whole field. Against that team, that's big time quarterback play in my mind.
Q. When did he talk to them?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yesterday during the day, yeah. And then we had a team meet this morning and I could tell they were locked in ready to go. It was just going to be about trusting in the guys next to them and turning it loose, and our guys did that tonight. I'm really proud of them.
Q. Kevin, you talked this year about fighting that here-we-go-again mentality.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yep.
Q. (Regarding fumble.)
KEVIN O'CONNELL: I thought it was huge. I thought it was absolutely huge. Our defense has done that for us. Think about last week at Chicago late in the half. Kirk's arm gets hit. Regardless of circumstance, adversity provides an opportunity. This is really one of the few sports on the planet where if one group of guys is out there and a negative play happens, that group comes off the field and a whole other group that wasn't on the field has to go respond.
Whether it was Jordan last week, Cam this week, Flo and his staff, that was a huge, huge play. And then offensively to come back on the field, drive it, and go score on a critical third down, pitch and catch there to Jordan behind some great protection, it all came together in a way where I think there will be some real growth opportunities from this.
We have a short week. Second opportunity in the NFC North. That is going to be a challenge going to Lambeau against a really good football team on a short week, and we have to move on and go back to work and be ready to sustain the success we're able to leave U.S. Bank with tonight.
Q. Bynum has taken hold of that spot. What do you see that he does so well?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: To me, all year long his tackling has really jumped out. He's been consistently right around, if not near the Top 5 in tackling in the NFL. He's in a different kind of position than he was a year ago where he played a little bit more in the deep part consistently, but when we ask him to do that now, Harry or Metellus around the line of scrimmage, cam still is really, really good around the deep part of field both times tonight.
That last interception was, you know, as far as him going up to get it, very tip of his fingers, looked familiar going back it the Kansas City game.
He makes that play. That's what I'm just so proud of our guys. Not worrying one bit about what has transpired but letting that fuel us. A, we're capable, we're confident, and we are going to go make those plays. Just go out there and play. We didn't talk a lot about what we couldn't do. Just emphasized the things we had to do to win the football game.
Q. Cam mentioned that the Kansas City one when he was talking to us.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah.
Q. Just went over his fingers. In some ways, do you look at what happened in the first few games compared to the last few games?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, like I said, I really do think it's a culmination of the team's growth and how we dealt with adversity, their belief in one another to put on a performance like that; complementary. The way it did start would've been very easy for a lot of groups to say here we go again. Not against this team. We better pack it in and get ready to play Green Bay next week.
There wasn't one person collectively on our sideline, or it felt like in the stadium wearing purple, that didn't feel like we were going to find a way to capture that momentum back, capture the lead back, and then didn't give it up.
Q. Flores has talked about an identity for the defense. How did that show up tonight?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: I just think, like I said, I think Flo and his group are doing a great job. Really painting a picture of what it's going to take to play our style and find ways against really -- we're really played some really good offensive units this year, and when the complementary football happens, when we can possess the football, convert third downs, stay on the field offensively, they can go back out there and be fresh. That's how it all works together both phases.
But I think the identity of this defense, the best part about it in my mind is we can morph and change based upon what's required. That's a really good formula with the type of coaches we have, and especially because the type of players we have to allow it continue to evolve and change, understand what we're strong at, and continue to try to find ways to keep people off balance. Can't say enough about the job that he and his staff and our players did defensively tonight.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports