The Vikings earned a win over the Colts on Sunday in a contest where the refs missed a seemingly obvious penalty that should have benefitted the team for the second week in a row, and head coach Kevin O’Connell made it very clear he’s at the end of his rope while taking aim at the lackluster officiating that continues to plague the league.
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Rams in a game where Los Angeles was able to seal the deal with a safety on a play where Byron Young somehow wasn’t flagged for the obvious facemask that allowed him to sack Sam Darnold in the end zone (although the NFL did end up hitting him with an approximately $7,000 fine over the uncalled infraction).
The Vikings were able to bounce back with a 21-13 win over the Colts on Sunday night to improve to 6-2, but that game wasn’t without yet another officiating controversy.
Minnesota had the ball at the start of the second quarter when Indianapolis DT Grover Stewart sacked Darnold to force a fumble that was ultimately returned by Kenny Moore II to give the Colts a 7-0 lead.
A flag was initially (and ironically) thrown for a facemask that Stewart didn’t commit, although it looked like he had essentially punched Darnold in the head before the ball popped loose.
Should there have been a flag on the Darnold fumble and tackle? Seems like the rules analyst thinks they should've thrown one. #INDvsMIN pic.twitter.com/auzz5HkUtM
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) November 4, 2024
However, the refs once again admitted they didn’t have a clear view of a play that wasn’t eligible for review, as the official with the best perspective claimed the defender made contact with the QB’s shoulder prior to hitting his helmet (therefore making the play legal) despite all evidence to the contrary.
Kevin O’Connell opted to bite his tongue as much as possible while addressing the no-call in the immediate wake of the win, but the Vikings skipper was slightly more candid while speaking with the media on Monday while voicing his frustration with officials he asserted could not care less about the feedback he’s attempted to give them.
Apparent illegal hits on Vikings QB Sam Darnold have gone unpenalized in consecutive games. Kevin O'Connell said he has been trying to seek "clarity" from officials and the NFL, but has learned "very quickly" that his opinion "really does not matter." Full quote: pic.twitter.com/MPYAFqKgjz
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 4, 2024
At the end of the day, O’Connell will probably just have to accept the reality every NFL fan has been forced to stomach as refs remind them of the inherently fallible nature of human beings on a weekly basis, but it’s pretty easy to understand why he’s fed up.
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