Vikings' Kevin O'Connell responds to question about 'lower' expectations

O'Connell certainly doesn't sound like a coach whose expectations are all that low...

Kevin O'Connell / Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

There are only eight teams with lower odds to win the Super Bowl this season than the Minnesota Vikings and with an over/under win total set at 7.5 the betting markets expect the Vikings to be watching the playoffs on the couch.

Don't tell that to Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings head coach was asked about leading a team that is supposed to have lower expectations and he sailed through his answer by focusing entirely on the now while making sure to note that predictions don't always come true.

"Yeah, right now we're in the portion early on in training camp where we've got so much work to do on ourselves and our own team, we're really not concerned at this point in time with what's being said, projections. Year over year you can look at those things and see a totally different outcome at the end of the season," O'Connell said before the Vikings held the first practice of training camp on Wednesday.

"We've gotta focus on having a great first day of the ramp up period today," he continued. "Now that we're really transitioning, from what we do in the spring from that learning and teaching phase, this is a whole different phase now where we're going to work through these first two practices in helmets but we're going to be moving, full-speed work in every facet of our practice. Moving into shells on Friday and Saturday before we get to put the pads on Monday."

Last year, the Vikings' preseason win total was set at 8.5 and they finished 7-10. Granted, they likely would've won more games and perhaps found a spot in the postseason had quarterback Kirk Cousins not been injured in Week 8 and if star receiver Justin Jefferson didn't miss nearly half the season with a strained hamstring.

The Rams and Texans were greeted with win totals set at 6.5 just before the start of last season and both teams won 10 games and made the playoffs. Moral of the story? Anything can happen.