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KOC, Vikings prep for London and Jets on 4-0 start
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell spoke with reporters Monday after their win at Green Bay and ahead of heading to London to face the New York Jets.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0 after a 31-29 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field, and now they’re on a short week as they prepare to jump across the pond.
The Vikings, for the second time in three years, will head to London as they face the New York Jets at 8:30 a.m. local time at Tottenham Hotspur. They Vikings have a chance to be 5-0 heading into their bye week, which almost nobody thought was possible when the schedule was released.
Most teams might complain about the prospect of going to London so early in the season. Not the Vikings. It helps that they’ll have a week off after.
"I actually love going. I think it’s a really cool experience, we won a football game there," Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. "I kind of looked at it if we play good football, we could find ourselves in a pretty good spot."
O’Connell said the Vikings will have their normal work day on Wednesday, have an adjusted practice schedule Thursday, fly out and land in London Friday morning.
Surviving Green Bay’s scare
It looked like another blowout win Sunday for the Vikings, until it wasn’t. Jalen Nailor muffed a punt late in the fist half, which the Vikings turned into a touchdown. The Packers scored 22 fourth quarter points and forced the Vikings to get a Will Reichard field goal and recover an onside kick to seal the win.
What did O’Connell learn?
"We’ve been on the other side of those 60 minutes where we’ve come back from big deficits. It’s a big picture thing. When you’re on the road and you allow a team, you allow the momentum and the energy of the stadium to start roaring back. I was happy with our response," O’Connell said.
4th-and-1 fail
The Vikings faced a 4th-and-1 at the Green Bay 4-yard line, a chance to run clock and ice the game with a score. Nailor slipped on a jet sweep and came up short. The Packers quickly scored, forcing the onside kick. O’Connell wanted to be aggressive, rather than take a field goal and go up 12 points.
"Calling that play with a lot of confidence we were going to not only get the yard, maybe even score. They made a play, we didn’t. They made that game come down to an onside kick, which is not what you want to have to do," O’Connell said.
Returns for T.J. Hockenson, Dalton Risner imminent?
We’ll find out Wednesday if the Vikings open practice windows for T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Riser. Hockenson has been on IR since having knee surgery, and Risner had a back issue. O’Connell wants to be smart with them, knowing after London the Vikings have a bye week. He also wants them to get in several practices before they play.
That’s why it’s a safe bet Hockenson doesn’t return until Week 7 against the Lions.
"We’re working through that right now. Based upon the unique aspect of this week and leading right into the bye week, we’ll have some dialogue and try to do what’s best for both those guys to be in their best positions to maximize that window," O’Connell said.