The Minnesota Vikings could not have been closer to securing the number one seed in the NFC and the highly coveted bye week that comes along with it. The Vikings traveled to Detroit to face the Lions in a game where the winner walked away with the first seed in the NFC and the loser had to travel for the Wild Card round.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, quarterback Sam Darnold turned in his worst performance of the season and the Vikings lost 31-9.
Shortly after the game, the Vikings promoted former New York Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones off of their practice squad, in a move many viewed as a contingency plan in case Darnold’s struggles continue into the playoffs.
Now, head coach Kevin O’Connell has addressed Jones’ call-up and whether he’s looking at turning to him should the need arise.
“It’s such a fluid thing here the rest of the way,” O’Connell said in his press conference. “We’re gonna do whatever we think gives us the best chance to win.”
O’Connell also addressed the fires that have ravaged California, as he is a California native himself.
“You think about people that lose a lifetime of memories and things and a home that they’ve, in many cases, built their families. There’s also a lot of people who have been evacuated that are trying to basically make sense of all this during this time. So, there’s just so many people impacted.
“And then you think about these heroes in my mind who are out, whether it’s wind or circumstance of fighting this fire that you think about just the adversity they’re up against and how much sacrifice there is. It’s just, this one does feel different though.
“It’s something you experience in Southern California based on the time of the year when these winds kick up and it’s dry. There’s never one of these where I hear about it, and it seems like a small thing that, ‘oh, there’s just another one.’ They’re all so impactful based on my experiences.”
Hopefully, California receives the support it needs to recover, and also O’Connell can remain focused enough to give his all in the playoffs.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.