Former QB Rental Blown Away by Vikings’ Advanced Prep

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Daniel Jones
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kevin O’Connell has developed a reputation across the football world as a “quarterback whisperer”, this after lifting up Matt Stafford as offensive coordinator in LA, then Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs (among others) as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

In 2024, not only did KOC’s Vikings rip off 14 wins with veteran castoff turned MVP candidate Sam Darnold under center, but O’Connell, OC Wes Phillips and QB coach Josh McCown (among others) seem to have fixed the former 1st round bust for good.

This offseason, Darnold spread his wings and flew West to Seattle, where he’s become Test Example No. 1 that KOC’s QB School is legit. Going into week 6, Sam Darnold has thrown for the 7th most passing yards (1,246) and touchdowns (9) in the NFL. He also ranks 3rd in completion % (73.1) and 1st in yards per pass attempt (9.3).

Oh, and the Red Rocket has thrown just 3 interceptions on the season, too. But believe it or not, Sam Darnold has some competition as Kevin O’Connell’s star pupil. Because another former top 10 draft pick who came through TCO Performance Center last season has been nearly just as good.

Daniel Jones found the QB key in Minnesota

Across five games this season as Indianapolis Colts QB1, Daniel Jones owns a 4-1 record while completing a career-best 71.3% of his passes, nearly identical to Darnold’s, while racking 1,290 passing yards (slightly more than his fellow 2024 QB school graduate), along with 6 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.

The only thing keeping him behind his fellow 2024 QB school graduate, are touchdowns, of which he has thrown “just” six (vs 2 interceptions). So what is it that Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings do different that is changing the way these quarterbacks play, even after they leave the building?

Well Daniel Jones sat down on the “Fitz & Whit” Podcast recently, where he spilled the beans on just that, revealing how much he learned about how to properly prepare as an NFL quarterback, and the attention to detail it takes to be consistently successful at the hardest position in all of sports.

“I always thought I worked really hard, I tried to work really hard. It was important to me to prepare, watch film, study. I think I did that, but then going to Minnesota I saw how Sam [Darnold] prepared. How Kevin [O’Connell] prepared those guys, Josh McCown, Grant Udinski, that crew, and how detailed they were day in and day out. Every little bit of the plan, and how they’re going to study. What they’re looking for, walking through it, quizzing each other in the quarterback room. That made a big impression on me. I was like, this is maybe the next level of some of that stuff. I think Kevin, just how aggressive he was in the playcalling…That made an impression on me too.”

Daniel Jones – Fitz and Whit

Jones’ offseason decision to join/leave Minnesota Vikings paying off

This offseason the MN Vikings made a play to retain Daniel Jones and, to a lesser degree, Sam Darnold. Ultimately, he chose to sign with the Indianapolis Colts, where he would have a better chance of winning the starting job against Anthony Richardson, then he would have in Minnesota vs JJ McCarthy.

His play worked perfectly, after he was named the starter over Richardson late in the preseason. Still, it’s the QB work he saw while working under Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings offensive coaching staff in 2024 that gave him the opportunity to be the QB he has been through a quarter of the season with the Colts.

It’s beyond evident that Daniel Jones credits plenty of his growth, as a quarterback, to the time he spent in Minnesota. What’s may be the more eye-opening talker of this interview is Jones saying the quiet part out loud, despite his being on another roster in 2025; and especially because he was only here for a few months.

Remember, Jones never actually played in a game for the Vikings, and he was active only once. His success this season, combined with his public praise above, tells us all we need to know about how good of hands this organization is in, going forward.

Daniel Jones is on a one-year deal worth $14 million this year with the Indianapolis Colts. If he continues to perform the way he has, he’ll be getting a heck of a lot more than that after the 2024 season.

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