Dave Portnoy Dumbfounded by Vikings Moronic Tush Push Personnel Decisions

While much of the NFL world does battle today, the Minnesota Vikings are at home sulking over a loss vs Cincinnati Bengals from Saturday that never should have happened. But it did, leaving questions over how?

Well, we’ve already covered how much blame pie Nick Mullens deserves, after two red zone interceptions ruined an otherwise incredible game. But there’s no doubt Kevin O’Connell slice is bigger than Mullens. KOC has his fair share of coaching flaws, especially in-game, and he made mistakes throughout Saturday’s contest.

The Tush Push Controversy

But it was O’Connell’s decision to run the tush push two times in a row during OT, just beyond midfield. Neither attempt was successful in moving the ball the 3-5 inches needed for the Vikings to reach a 1st down.

It’s not the first time Minnesota has unsuccessfully run the tush push this season, but it might have been their most egregious try at it.

A view of the Bengals' defense on the second tush push in OT. Kevin O'Connell said he used 3 WR to keep the Bengals out of goal-line/short yardage, usually defined as 5 or 6 DL. But the Bengals still had 2 DL lined up over C Garrett Bradbury and pushed him back into Nick Mullens. pic.twitter.com/mNWFJGxTv5

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) December 17, 2023

Related: Jake Browning Admits Revenge Game Mindset vs Vikings: ‘They Never Should Have Cut Me’

A lot of teams have tried to copy the unstoppable goal line tush push that Philadelphia has deployed this season. Most, including the Vikings, have been unsuccessful. If KOC needs some tips on why his version of the tush push isn’t working, he might need to call Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.

Dave Portnoy dumbfounded by Vikings decision to make Brandon Powell a tush pusher

Even better, Dave made a video and put it on Twitter for the Vikings head coach and anyone else with an internet connection to view. And it’s difficult to argue his logic.

If designing a good tush push for your offense… I wouldn’t recommend making Brandon Powell, probably the smallest player on the Vikings roster and one of the smallest players in the entire league, as your main tush pusher. But, with the game on the line Saturday, that’s exactly what KOC did… twice in a row.

You have to fire everybody if you're the Vikings for this pic.twitter.com/MNugr2KyxU

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 16, 2023

“Listen, this tush push that the Eagles do. The Vikings have 3rd and inches, 4th and inches and they try this tush push. I don’t get how dumb… Number 4 is 5-foot-1, 102 pounds and he’s the tush push guy?!

I just… Do you know how impossibly dumb, and I don’t know [what the correct term is], little people, midget, dwarf, whatever you want to call it. The guy who is the tush push guy on the Vikings twice in a row is a little person!!! You need a lineman to push or something! Don’t put the littlest guy, who gets blown over by a strong gust of wind, you MORONS!!”

Dave Portnoy – Barstool Sports

Kevin O’Connell, defend yourself…

O’Connell said after the game that he kept three wide receivers in the game because he didn’t want the Bengals to have a heavier personnel setup on defensive. Even if that is your reasoning, you’d think he’d find a way to motion a running back or tight end behind Mullens to be the pusher, instead of Powell.

Related: Nick Mullens Proves Kevin O’Connell Right, Even in Vikings Loss

KOC said he didn’t want to turn around and go backwards to hand the ball off when they only needed a few inches to reach the sticks. Most don’t like that logic, given Ty Chandler had been running all over the Cincinnati defense all day, prior to those tush pushes.

But I’m with Dave Portnoy on this one. If you are going to decide that a tush push is the best route to a first down or touchdown, then give yourself the best opportunity for it to be successful. And that cannot be with Brandon Powell, the team’s smallest player, as the main pusher.