First-year head coach Kevin O'Connell balances a few factors – playoff seeding, health and momentum – ahead of a Vikings regular season finale on Sunday in Chicago that otherwise will only impact the 3-13 Bears' NFL Draft position this spring.
Momentum has been a livewire for these 12-win Vikings, who have made a habit of flipping near-defeats into victories with eight fourth-quarter or overtime comebacks. They have bounced back with wins after being bludgeoned in lopsided losses like last week's 41-17 defeat in Green Bay, their third loss by at least 17 points in this magically inconsistent season.
O'Connell is not expected to rest any healthy Vikings starters on Sunday with the NFC's No. 2 seed still achievable — with a win in Chicago and a 49ers loss to the Cardinals later Sunday afternoon. Younger players will mix in "here and there," O'Connell said Friday.
There is also a clear objective in recapturing momentum they have ridden to so many wins.
"To get that bad taste out of our mouth," quarterback Kirk Cousins said, "is something that would be really good to do."
O'Connell already has the most wins by a first-year head coach in franchise history, surpassing Dennis Green's 11 victories in 1992, but a 13th win does have significance. This would be just the third Vikings team – joining 1998 and 2017 – to reach that mark in the Super Bowl era, albeit with a 17th regular-season game added in 2021.
Home-field advantage in a possible second playoff game also adds motivation to a noon kickoff, an early time slot that no other NFC game with playoff implications has.
"We still have a lot to play for just from a momentum standpoint," O'Connell said, "[for] a football team that's kind of had some highs this year, for sure, and then one of our low moments of the season [Sunday]."
The Vikings offensive line is a good place to start regrouping.
Center Garrett Bradbury didn't practice this week and has been ruled out for a fifth straight game with a lower back injury. The Vikings also have to regain their footing without right tackle Brian O'Neill, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles' and calf injury in Green Bay. O'Neill was available for every NFL game through nearly all of five seasons before last week's injuries.
"It's a big loss," offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. "Brian being a captain, Brian being a leader in that room, and really on our team."
Reserve tackle Oli Udoh, who opened the season fourth on the depth chart, will get his first start of the season in Chicago. But the team's top backup tackle, Blake Brandel, said he could return in time for the opening playoff round. Brandel is eligible to return next week from injured reserve, where he's been since a Dec. 11 knee injury.
"It's a physical position," said Brandel, one of five Vikings offensive linemen who had missed snaps due to injury. "People just kind of get hurt and we're going to miss all those guys, but we have to keep it rolling."
Bradbury said Thursday that he's "feeling better," but that the Vikings medical staff wants to take a gradual approach and not rush his return with another week until the playoffs start.
"Let's not have a setback and jump into practice right now," he said. "I think we're all on the same page with the trainers, doctors and me. Let's just take careful steps along the way while doing more each day. I like where we're at."
Bradbury has not practiced since the Dec. 17 car accident, which he has described as minor. But he clarified Thursday that the collision "really set back" his lower back injury. He's hoping to return for the first playoff game.
"That's the goal," Bradbury said. "The hard thing to do, and what I'm trying not to do, is look at that and be like, 'I got to be ready.' They're like, 'Let's take it one day at a time, let's not have any setbacks. Keep progressing each day.' "
The Vikings were down to their No. 3 center — Chris Reed — in Green Bay after backup center Austin Schlottmann suffered a season-ending leg fracture.
Reed, whose 29 NFL starts were all at guard, is preparing for his first start at center on Sunday. He could remain in the lineup if Bradbury isn't healthy enough for the playoffs. For depth, the Vikings also signed veteran center Greg Mancz, who last started in 2021 for Miami.
With Reed, the Vikings were flagged twice for false starts against the Packers due to snapping issues. Reed said the week of practices has been vital for his comfort with Cousins, who had primarily worked with Bradbury and Schlottmann this year.
"Just getting the timing memorized and everything," Reed said. "Hearing it, and actually do it while I'm also making [protection] calls and other things like that. It all helps."
