Kevin O'Connell proclaims Vikings 'most special group I've ever been around'

O'Connell gave an intense and motivating locker room speech after Sunday's overtime win over the Bears.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell surveys the field during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said it wouldn't be perfect, and it certainly wasn't, but Minnesota found a way to a 30-27 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Vikings' fourth straight win.

"We gave up a lead late, all the momentum in the world says that we shouldn't find a way to win that game," O'Connell told his team postgame. "Momentum doesn't f***ing matter when you've got what you got in this locker room."

O'Connell, like he usually does during his victory locker room speeches, delivered game balls to impact players. One went to fullback CJ Ham, whose grandfather passed away Sunday morning. O'Connell said Ham got to spend Saturday night with him, and Ham played for the Vikings in the win over the Bears. "I love this guy with every ounce of me and we gotta be there for him right now," O'Connell said of Ham. "This guy showed up, was willing to lay it on the line all day long."

Other game balls went to Jonathan Greenard, who had two sacks including one in overtime, Jerry Tillery, who blocked a field-goal attempt, Jordan Addison, who had eight receptions for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, T.J. Hockenson, who caught seven passes for 114 yards, Brian O'Neill, who accepted a game ball on behalf of the offensive line on a day he played his 100th game, and Sam Darnold, who threw for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

O'Connell ended his locker room speech with some bold declarations about his team.

"I want to finish with this: Road wins in the NFC North are hard. They're hard," he said. "Momentum can swing any which way, and you can flinch any time you want, and it would be like, 'OK, maybe that's alright.' But f**k that.

"We are on a grind and a f***ing mission the rest of this season. Every minute, every hour we work, we know we're chasing something special, and I cannot wait to do it every f***ing day with you guys. This is the most special group I've ever been around. Player for player, coach, every human being in here, I love this group. But we gotta know something — to (whom) much is given, much is required. We gotta grind this thing out."

Watch O'Connell's full locker room speech below:

We are on a grind and mission the rest of the season.

Every hour, every day we work.

We know we're chasing something special. pic.twitter.com/rtHI5qVXrw

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 24, 2024