Is Kevin O’Connell the Minnesota Vikings “New Hope”?

It sorta feels just like the winds are altering a bit right here in Minnesota in the case of the fates of our main sports activities groups. After twenty years full of first spherical exits and common season futility a breath of recent air has been pumped into the system and optimism has taken maintain.

The Minnesota Wild made the choice to maneuver on from Parise and Suter and whereas their presence nonetheless impacts the payroll, new management and the infusion of a brilliant star in Kirill Kaprizov has modified the way in which that followers have a look at the workforce.

Nonetheless a strong starter or two away from turning into true contenders the Minnesota Twins proceed to make strides in the case of growing younger gamers. The play by Kiriloff, Buxton and Arraez has the workforce on the high of the division and looking out like a playoff product.

Then there’s the Timberwolves who simply made the largest splash transfer that Minnesota Sports activities has seen in years. Buying and selling away future property and function gamers to amass a star participant like Rudy Gobert has immediately put the Wolves in consideration for the Western convention. Making this form of transfer on the heels of a play-in win and playoff look final season has Wolves fever spreading by way of the Twin Cities at a speedy charge.

After which there’s the Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps essentially the most constantly fascinating workforce in our state’s latest historical past they’ve undergone the newest full scale change for our groups. A brand new Normal Supervisor and a brand new Head Coach in the identical season will try this. Thus far, they’ve been saying the precise issues, implementing the precise issues and followers are excited for what we’re all anticipating to return from this workforce.

But it surely’s not like the cabinets had been left naked for O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah once they got here in. On the contrary, they walked within the door and had among the best broad receivers within the league, a top-5 working again, a totally succesful quarterback, defensive property which might be able to pop and high notch services to attract others in. That allowed for just a few massive free agent strikes and a brand new draft class to hitch the combo and land on a roster that can probably be favored to win the division.

That is all nice, however it’s what we’re persevering with to listen to from the gamers mouths that has followers actually enthusiastic about what’s to return from this Kevin O’Connell led offense and workforce.

With only a handful of weeks earlier than Coaching Camp kicks off and the true enjoyable begins, consideration to the Vikings normally wanes as we enter what’s the solely actual down time within the NFL’s yearly schedule. However this 12 months is completely different. When many of the sports activities consideration normally shifts in the direction of the Twins on area play and the Wild/Wolves free company, the Vikings are persevering with to pop-off and splash on the headlines each domestically and throughout the nation. And with the mud settling and the preseason roster taking form, the persevering with pleasure stems from the groups new hope, head coach Kevin O’Connell.

O’Connell checks numerous containers for the followers who had been sick and bored with the identical previous, usual coaches that had been spinning their tires with the Minnesota Vikings of late. He’s younger, he’s new age NFL, he’s offensive minded, he comes from a formidable teaching tree, and he’s cross first.

Much more thrilling, he’s seeming to cross the attention check with the gamers up to now.

Blended into the offseason information you’ve acquired little tidbits from all kinds of gamers showcasing how excited they’re to get again onto the sphere for 2022. Kirk Cousins is learning flash playing cards, Adam Thielen is exclaiming how thrilling the offense is, Justin Jefferson is jacked for the workforce’s cross first assault. These gamers have now had sufficient alternative to dive into the playbook, expertise the brand new tradition and meet the brand new management and so they’re nonetheless raving about all of it.

We’re definitely nonetheless in a little bit of a honeymoon section with the brand new regime, particularly given the truth that O’Connell has but to teach a single sport…however nonetheless.

The tides are turning girls and gents, might Minnesota be on the verge of a resurgence? When you’re pondering that, soar into this little ballot beneath and tell us which of the 4 main Minnesota sports activities groups you assume would be the first to lift a banner?