Minneapolis MN – Minnesota Viking Coach Kevin O’Connell’s confidence in the Vikings defense isn’t wavering after Thursday’s 30-20 loss at Los Angeles.

But the Vikings head coach knows there’s elements to fix. Minnesota, after all, has lost back-to-back games, dropping to 5-2, and its defense has weakened. On Thursday, its success at pressuring the quarterback reached a season low.

The Vikings pressured the Rams on 9% of dropbacks and for the first time failed to get a sack. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores has seen consecutive opponents average 29.5 points and 388.5 total yards.

“I think you’ve got to take a really high level look at it,” O’Connell commented Friday. “You really have to say, ‘You know, of some of these explosive plays, were we in position defensively to make a play?'”

On a few at SoFi Stadium, the Vikings were right there.

Case in point, the Rams converted a 27-yard pass to Cooper Kupp on third-and-9 with 3:26 left despite seemingly good positioning by Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Before the snap, Gilmore followed Puka Nacua on a motion across the formation. When Nacua flashed hands for a screen, Gilmore drifted deep into coverage and executed a speed turn to stick onto Kupp, who wheeled out of a bunch up the sideline. It looked like Gilmore was in a good spot, right there for a PBU. But Matthew Stafford threw Kupp inside instead of to the sideline and Gilmore’s on-top leverage wound up being a disadvantage.

O’Connell said: “We’re right there playing Cooper, and Matthew just makes a play.”

Now, after two veteran quarterbacks in five days have succeeded against Flores’ once-impenetrable system, the Vikings must balance a challenging stretch with the reality that teams may have a recipe to beat them.

“It would be naive just to say it’s the four- or five-day stretch,” O’Connell said. “I know Flo’ and his staff will take a line-by-line look at it, and where we need to adjust, we will. And I think that’s where my confidence comes from with that side of the ball – just because they’ve done a lot of great, great things this year. They did some good things yesterday. It was just a matter of a few too many plays; some of those chunk plays that we try to keep off the tape. And I think getting off the field ignites kind of a chance for momentum for our whole team, especially early on when we’re moving the ball.”

Remember, the Vikings’ first 18 plays on Thursday Night Football resulted in 140 yards and 14 points.

“But, clearly,” O’Connell added, “the Rams were able to kind of counter those touchdowns with touchdowns of their own, and then we didn’t do enough as a team down the stretch to go win it.”

Here are four other takeaways from O’Connell’s virtual media session Friday before the mini bye.

1. Pillar of team lost for season

As stinging as a second straight loss feels, it’s far worse losing star left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

The 25-year-old was locked down this summer by the Vikings on a four-year extension through 2029 and has locked up some of football’s excellent pass-rushers across the first six-and-a-half games of his fourth season.

On Thursday, as Darrisaw was fending off Rams rookie linebacker Jared Verse on a run play to his side, he was hit from behind in his left knee and suffered an ACL/MCL injury that requires season-ending surgery.

In some twisted poetry, Darrisaw’s spot on the 53-man roster is being taken by tight end T.J. Hockenson, who has completed his return from an ACL injury.

“I know C.D. will be right back to where he was this year, which is one of the best left tackles in football, playing at a really high level” O’Connell expressed. “He’s got great folks around him, both teammates and our medical staff that will spearhead an effort to get C.D. back with us as soon as possible. But for right now I’m just really thinking about Christian – he really developed into one of our core leaders.”

2. Trying to find ‘Best 5 O-line’

David Quessenberry, Dalton Risner and Walter Rouse are several names to familiarize.

The first replaced Darrisaw on Thursday, and O’Connell said “did some things to help us,” but also got beat by bull-rushes – and hasn’t been more than a spot starter for a team since 2021 with the Titans.

Quessenberry, who is 34 years old, might be best suited to stay as the team’s swing tackle. That scenario only works of course if Rouse, a rookie, is ready for his NFL debut, or the o-line is shuffled.

“Walter had some real flashes, especially just the power he played with in the preseason; big, strong guy. He’s very smart,” O’Connell mentioned. “He’s on a great trajectory as far as his development goes.”

The Vikings could always slide left guard Blake Brandel to tackle, where he’s played in the past and then insert Risner, who’s close to coming out of his 21-day evaluation window, left of center Garrett Bradbury. Risner, O’Connell said, will be part of conversations focused on finding the best five OL moving forward.

O’Connell and his staff are tasked with identifying more than just five guys, obviously. They’ll exhaust all options to configure the best group of eight offensive linemen that they’re allowed to carry on game day.

“I do feel like this is where [the] o-line depth that we felt good about throughout training camp and then leading into the season, gives you possibilities,” O’Connell stated, adding there’s a few options available.

3. J.J. McCarthy reaches next phase of rehab

The franchise’s top draft pick in 2024, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, is knocking his rehab out of the park, according to O’Connell.

The next step involves getting him around the team on game days so that he is able to experience dialogue that’s often unique from anything else. That’s why McCarthy, who is out of his bumper cart and off crutches in his recovery from meniscus surgery, traveled to roam the sidelines in Southern California.

Thursday night’s game flow provided lessons for McCarthy – to see what it’s like for an offense to be humming and then hit roadblocks; to be firing on all cylinders and then get its wheels stuck in the mud.

The rookie quarterback watched, listened and interacted with teammates and coaches.

“There’s some things that go into that that the quarterback plays a significant role in,” O’Connell shared. “And for J.J. to be hearing those things and experiencing those in real time, totally present with everything going on, I think will be huge for the long-term development of him, and that’s all part of it.

“We certainly cannot cut any corners or miss any ops from a mental preparation and development phase either,” O’Connell added. “Any and all areas we can find to maximize those chances, we’re going to use.”

4. Players to keep an eye on

ookie outside linebacker Dallas Turner was quick to the quarterback, sacking New York’s Daniel Jones in the first half of his first NFL game. Turner, the 17th overall draft choice this past year, played 36 snaps on defense in the 28-6 win that day. It looked like the start of a promising rookie season for the 21-year-old.

But Turner’s role on defense has dwindled. On Thursday he received a six-game-low three snaps. He played four times as many on special teams. So, what must Turner do to get back into the fold?

O’Connell doubled-down Friday on recent reassurances that Turner is doing everything asked of him.

“I think he’s going to make a big kind of impact for us [over these next 10-plus games],” O’Connell said.

Another player whose role could potentially increase in the gauntlet 10-games-with-no-break stretch that the Vikings are about to face is running back Cam Akers, who was acquired via trade 10 days ago.

Akers has been relegated to four snaps on special teams since his post-London Games arrival. He already scored a touchdown at U.S. Bank Stadium this year, catching one for the Texans in Week 3 and is versed with O’Connell’s schemes having played under him in L.A. in 2020-21 and in six games in Purple in 2023.