Daily Norseman
Are the Minnesota Vikings leaving wins on the table because Kevin O’Connell isn’t putting in the late-night film sessions that Ben Johnson is doing with Caleb Williams in Chicago? Or is he? That’s the provocative question Dave Stefano and Darren Campbell tackle head-on in this week’s episode of Two Old Bloggers, a Minnesota Vikings podcast produced by Vikings 1st & SKOL.
The Bears’ 12-4 turnaround — after Williams credited his two-hour nightly film sessions with Johnson — has Dave asking out loud: “Is somebody in the organization sitting down there and spending that extra time with the quarterback?” It’s a question nobody in the Twin Cities media seems to be asking, and it might be the most important one of the offseason. Or is it a big nothing-burger?
The Caleb Williams–Ben Johnson film room revelation from the Pardon My Take podcast, where Williams described daily one-and-a-half to two-hour meetings with his head coach during the season. The duo contrasts that with what’s publicly known — and not known — about Kevin O’Connell’s mentorship habits with J.J. McCarthy and now with Kyler Murray. As Darren notes, “O’Connell’s big on empowerment and trust — and that trust paid off with Darnold in 2024.” But does it go far enough?
They draw comparisons to Belichick/Brady and Payton/Brees, both marathon film-room partnerships that produced Super Bowl rings. From there, the show pivots to the NFL rumor mill’s latest offering: NFL insider Jason La Canfora floating a Jordan Addison trade to the Baltimore Ravens. Darren breaks down the case for and against, weighing Addison’s drop issues, off-field arrests, and contract situation against the reality that “his poor stats were largely driven by poor quarterback play.”
The show wraps with three “This Week in Vikingsland” topics: Nolan Teasley’s completed front office rebuild (with Ryan Pace, Trent Kirschner, and Tyler Hamblin now aboard), a Mac Jones-to-Vikings 2027 scenario worth monitoring, and Darren’s bold bounce-back prediction for T.J. Hockenson — fueled by improved QB play and Kyler Murray’s history of targeting his tight end.
