Vikings 10, Bears 12
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Obviously very crushed locker room right now. You know, type of atmosphere it was, did not have the performance we wanted to have offensively. Credit Flo and his guys once again for keeping us in a football game we had no right being in with how poor we played on offense with the turnovers.
Until we figure out a way to play complementary football with our defense, get a little bit more production without having the ball turned over on offense, we're not going to win football games. We have to use this bye week as a staff, a lot of reflection on what we've done, how we've gotten here. We will get healthier in the mix to go try to chase down everything we hoped to do, which is get in the dance, but we have to start playing football, especially offensively, at higher clip without turning the football over, give ourselves more opportunities.
I think we had 22 plays in the first half; just not good enough across the board. Starts with me.
Q. Kevin, what are thinking of Josh's decision making in some of the throws in some of those turnovers?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, Josh, as much as he's done some really good things for us, he is still getting comfortable in our pass game, play-pass game, knowing where quick eligibles are to put the ball in play. Drop back pass, taking the right footwork, feet and eyes, all those things. We're working through that.
Just I think three of the interceptions were off of tip balls; rhythm and timing of our offense just not feeling as crisp as we want to. You know, the biggest thing is when we are going to be in games where drives are very important, the defense is responding to the adversity that we put them in after one or two times.
We have got to find a way to be able to possess the ball, convert third downs without putting the ball at risk. There was a couple more plays in there that could have gone the other way. We've just got to continue to find way to make the quarterback as comfortable as possible, whether it is guys using their athleticism, or offensively just being that much better with our execution around the quarterback from protection to route detail to getting our head around out of cuts.
And then when we get opportunities, we got to make them and take advantage of some of the chances down the field when we take those shots. We just didn't do enough of it tonight. Liked our ability to put a drive together to take the lead, and then defense gets a stop. Just trying to make Chicago use their timeouts.
In all reality, you're fighting that battle between being aggressive and risking giving them a short field if we turn it over again versus trying to make sure you're making them use your timeouts and then trusting the side of the football, the defense, that had really gotten us to this point in the game really the last two weeks.
I know defense would love to get a stop there on that last one, but we just put them in far too many difficult situations that they did respond to, and offensively we have to be better.
Q. Why do you think in that last drive you weren't able to just run -- you were obviously trying to get them to use timeouts, but just get a first down, why were you not able to do that?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, they were in base defense. Loaded up the box pretty good. Thought we had a chance on the second down play to maybe try to see if we could attack the edge. Looked a little weak over there, but they were able to turn the ball back up inside and we weren't able to at least get it into that range where you start thinking about giving Greg an opportunity.
We ended up having a play with a can on it in the third down play. If we got the look we wanted, maybe we get a chance to push the ball down field. They kind of played a soft zone and not the best execution on that screen.
But, yeah, I think in the end you're hoping to get some field position and make them have to go further than I think 78 yards off that punt when you're punting from right there. We got to get a little cleaner and better clearly in our punts to try to pin people down deep.
There has been enough of them now that it's going to be a point of emphasis moving forward. It's great we know we can boom them and great when we get guys covering like NaJee and doing all those things, but field position is important in a low-scoring battle like it was.
If you're going to overcome the turnover margin being what it was, you have to find way to edge your way back in field position, and a couple timely plays here and there and got Jordan behind him one time and just couldn't connect in bounds. Those big plays, although we ended up scoring on the drive, those big plays do a lot for your team when it's been the kind of night it was on offense.
Q. Was trying Greg from 61 consideration at all or was the field position too much of a risk?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, the way our defense had been playing and essentially between the sudden change defense we played holding them to what we did, I just -- the best part of our football team tonight was our defense, so I wanted to make sure we didn't give them a short field in that moment.
But, yeah, we were right on that line of maybe given Greg an opportunity, and you know, didn't gain enough opt third down to really contemplate it. Thought about taking the delay and giving Ryan a little bit of extra room to try to pin them deep.
Q. In a field position battle as you mentioned, why go for it on fourth and seven there at your 49?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: I think that goes into that decision, trusting them in that moment, to the way they played, trusting them to try to give our offense a spark. We were a half yard short there on that opportunity to TJ.
I just thought it was critical. Middle eight right there we had gotten the three points to end the half, a chance to take control of the game even though we hadn't played well. I thought it was worth the risk in that moment, giving our guys an opportunity to make play for our team, and we just came up a little short on the play.
My trust in our defense has a lot to do with that decision in that moment.
Q. Will you consider a quarterback change?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: We're going to take a look, really evaluate the inventory of plays now we have of Josh. We got healthy, got Jaren back available to us, and Nick Mullens is available to us as well.
Look, I think what Joshua Dobbs has done coming in here on short notice and really going 2-2 in a stretch where a lot of people might have thought Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson being out the deck is stacked against us, that's not the way this team thinks, not the way this team operates, not the way I operate. We are trying to go out and win every football game we pray.
We are going to evaluate what we've been able to do, things we need to get better is at, and look at what that looks like. Hopefully get Justin back. He was close tonight and that will -- getting him back, any time you can infuse that into your offense it makes everybody around him better.
We will take a look at everything. We got a lot of work to do during the bye. I do want these guys to get some time. It's been a grind, a stretch for them. They have continued to show up and play very, very hard. They prepare the right way. When they come back off this bye we'll make sure we got a great plan fore going to Vegas, and whatever that looks like, we'll be ready to go.
Q. Did you think about putting Nick in?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: We definitely -- it started to get to the point where I was just trying to think almost what would give us a spark. Maybe throughout the game we got the sudden change on that turnover and then Josh took us down the field for a touchdown.
As much as the turnovers absolutely cripple you offensively, I still thought Josh battled. No flinch. Just kept playing and competing to try to help us win. I really credit him that. It's tough to do on a night where you've turned the football over with some interceptions here and there just to keep playing.
This guy is a competitor. Really proud of the way he went out there on that drive, even overcoming the long foul ball to Jordan and still moving the team down the field and making a big time throw to TJ for the touchdown.
Once again, I mean, just not enough as across the board. We'll take a look at everything. I know for sure there are some calls I wish I could have back. It's finding the mix of being aggressive and trying to get the guys going, get the quarterback in a rhythm, help him overcome some of that early adversity, and also staying true to running the football, hoping to not find yourself in third downs over and over again all night.
So it's a battle. You're hoping to get some explosives via the play pass keeper game, maybe a screen or two, and not make it such a drop back game. They just wouldn't let Josh's athleticism really get started. They kept him contained in there pretty good, and we have to try to find a way to have a little bit more rhythm to our passing game where feet and eyes are tied together.
Guys are showing up along with the progressions, and we'll continue to build comfort with that, Kevin, and ultimately I do think we'll improve in our passing game to complement hopefully a continued emphasis on running the football and playing good defense not turning it over.
Q. So to be clear, you did think about it?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, in a game like that when it's low scoring and have some guys that you know have an opportunity to maybe go in and provided a spark, just as Josh did when he came in in really tough circumstances, it's all about what's best to win game.
I did think Josh taking us down the field was a possibility, and he made some plays on that drive which allowed us to take the lead in that moment.
Q. You mentioned rhythm and timing. How much of that has to do with I guess receivers kind of being crisp as well and how much is just a matter of the quarterback...
KEVIN O'CONNELL: I think it's both. It's understanding, getting your head and eyes around on a -- you know, when you win versus bump and you win on the route, and then it just comes down to what is the rhythm of that ball coming out. Does it need to come out with urgency right there. Does the pocket allow you to sit on your back foot and allow this receiver to get into that window with their eyes around for some potential yards after catch.
All that goes into play when you're pushing it outside the numbers. If you can throw it out in rhythm, you know, on the fourth and seven play, can we have our feet set to potentially throw that out breaker just a hair quicker and try to get the six and a half, seven yards. We got six and a half on that.
You know, one of those things where we're going to trust our guys, TJ, Jordan, KJ; BP made a nice play to kind of get us going in that two-minute. It's just all about just how dialed in can we be. Eliminate any and all wasted time and footwork and just be ready to take them when they show up, progress in rhythm, check the ball down, use your legs.
He's changed a lot of football games during his short time here with that athleticism, so it's how it all comes together, Ben, and we'll take a look. Not a lot of plays again tonight. Really both times we played this team they've been really able to maximize off opportunities that we did not take advantage of offensively, and then before you know it, the whole first quarter is over and we're scratching and clawing time of possession-wise from there.
Q. You said some plays you want back. What are you thinking of when you said that?
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Well, I just think not really want any in particular. We were kind of moving in that two-minute. Try to play pass to see if we could throw it in. Got kind of the coverage we wanted. Ended up holding it there and they called intentional grounding and the hold, I believe, on probably Josh Oliver on that one.
Just an example with some time still in that drive and in the second quarter there. Can we try to get seven there. Once we had that play you're really trying to scratch and claw your way back from there. So just things like that. Plays that maybe trying to be too aggressive at times set us back a little bit. You know, even looking back first play of the game we take a shot and have a chance to make a play, and ends up second and ten and then we're into a third and longer right off the bat and they get us off the field after kind of them going on close to a nine-minute drive to start game.
It's just how it works out sometimes where your ops are going to be few and far between. Critical plays here and there get magnified that much more when you don't have the type of volume of plays throughout the game to try to overcome some of those ebbs and flows.
That's my job as the play caller to help our offense do that. Got to get great execution around the quarterback as much as we possibly can, and then just trust the system. It's all about feet, eyes, and progressions and understanding that if No. 1, No. 2 is not open, we can check it down, or like I said, we have a quarterback in there with athleticism to be able to change the game.
Yeah, there will definitely be a few when I watch it back that I'll want back. I'm sure there are a few plays that all of our guys offensively on a night like this will want back. We have to be more consistent, call it the best possible way we can to do that as an offense. Get some sustained, efficient plays, and see if we can be efficient and explosive is what we try to be.
Q. On the last series (indiscernible) throws it out of bounds. Looks like you were talking to the official.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, we got called on a similar play, that play I'm referencing where there was a hold on the play, but they did also get us for intentional grounding. That was my question, was how were the plays different. That's really what I was asking in that moment. Based upon what transpired from there, there is a lot of what ifs you can ask. They made the play.
The very next play they made the play. Got a ball down the middle on us and got well in range for a pretty easy field goal with really no time left. It was a matter of them being able to eat clock up on that, get the chunk and eat the clock and give us no time to come back at them to try to get G in field goal range to have a swing at it.
So credit the Bears. They made the play in the end. Even when you know defense had gotten stop after stop after stop, they made the one play they needed to make, and you got to give them credit for that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports