The rub lies in what the Vikings define as “clean” versus PFF. Outside evaluators dissect results, whereas coaches and players focus on the process.
O’Neill might not have allowed a defender to obviously get in Darnold’s way, but he can think of plays in which he messed up and didn’t face consequences.
“What I’m talking about is I do something dumb, and I get away with it,” O’Neill said. “Something might not be a pressure or hit or sack, but it’s not necessarily the standard of how I should be operating. Sometimes you take a bad step, but your guard is there to help you. But your guard is not always going to be there.”
Blockers go unnoticed when they’re playing well, but O’Neill’s play has been referenced frequently by O’Connell throughout this 11-2 season.
“Especially in a year where we’ve lost C.D.,” O’Connell said, referring to left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s season-ending knee injury in October. “If Brian wasn’t playing to the level that he consistently has every game all season long, maybe we’d be in a little bit more of a crisis management mode. But it just doesn’t feel like that because Brian’s been so dang good, so consistent, and everything he’s been on the field, he’s been times-10 from a leadership standpoint.”
Center Garrett Bradbury, who has played with O’Neill for six seasons, said it starts off the field for the tackle.