Souhan: Here’s some advice for Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. Run. The. Ball.

I met Jeff Saturday after the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl justifiably best known for Prince’s halftime performance in Miami.

Super Bowl XLI was the first to be played in rainy conditions. After the game, I asked Saturday, the Colts center, how he and quarterback Peyton Manning had handled the precipitation.

“Wet ball drills,” he said.

“Excuse me?” I said.

“Wet ball drills,” he said. “When we had a break in practice, Peyton and I would stand on the side. I’d dunk a football in a bucket of water, then practice snapping it to him.”

I found Archie Manning, the former Vikings quarterback and father of Peyton and Eli, outside in the hallway. “Wet ball drills?” I said.

“Excuse me?” he said.

Saturday was funny and passionate, so it’s not surprising to see him thriving as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He’s at his best when former players are on a panel and someone asks about the key to winning.

“Run. The. Ball,” Saturday will say, as if this strategy could solve all of humanity’s problems.

I would recommend that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell hire Saturday and have him stand next to him on the sideline when O’Connell is calling plays.

This past offseason, the Vikings traded for power runner Jordan Mason, signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, and spent their first-round draft pick on guard Donovan Jackson to add beef to their running game.

With young J.J. McCarthy and battered old Carson Wentz playing quarterback for the Vikings this season, certainly O’Connell would use all of that running-game power to control the ball, wear down opposing defenses and simplify the game for his quarterbacks.

This year, the Vikings are averaging 18 handoffs per game to running backs, yielding 80 yards per game.

The Vikings have won one game by a wide margin, their 48-10 victory over Cincinnati that included two defensive touchdowns. Remove that game, and the Vikings are averaging 17 running back carries for 69 yards.

On Sunday, in a 27-19 loss to Baltimore, the Vikings threw 42 passes, had five quarterback runs, and handed the ball to their running backs just 13 times for 72 yards.

O’Connell said again Monday that the Vikings’ frequent false-start penalties led to him calling more pass plays, because he was often facing first-and-15, but that doesn’t make sense. The backs were averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Three average carries Sunday would have yielded 16.5 yards and a first down, without the risks inherent in a McCarthy dropback.

The Vikings had four of their five starting offensive linemen healthy. Aaron Jones Sr. looks dynamic, Mason still looks powerful, and today they are both strangely well-rested.

Wearing down opposing defenses. Controlling the ball and the clock. Reducing pressure on your quarterback. Slowing down the opposing pass rush. Protecting your young quarterback.

On Sunday, McCarthy wound up running the ball more times than Mason.

There were two play calls that defined O’Connell’s bad day.