Kevin O’Connell Calls New Sledgehammer “Really, Really Good”

Maybe Kevin O’Connell will be a fullback guy by the time it’s all said and done.

Upon arriving in the Twin Cities in 2022, Coach O’Connell was an 11-personnel assassin who had to grow into using a fullback. C.J. Ham, second to none in leadership and ruggedness, had become a Vikings mainstay before many Minnesotans even knew who Kevin O’Connell was.

So, there was an adjustment period.

Over the years, the pass-first skipper figured out more ways to lean on Mr. Ham. Oftentimes, the plan involved using the bowling ball of a man to help in pass pro. Sometimes the approach was so obvious he would line up directly behind the interior of the offensive line; no disguise needed, apparently. Or, at times, he would chip a defensive end trying to fly off the line of scrimmage. Moreover, Ham was always an underrated athlete, somebody who could catch better than most at his position.

Ham opted for retirement following the most recent season. Minnesota’s pivot was toward Max Bredeson, much to the delight of J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell thinks that the new add has been doing well, especially once the players were allowed to increase the physicality.

Kevin O’Connell Thinks Max Bredeson is Doing Well

Ham was a bowling ball. Bredeson looks like a sledgehammer.

A touch taller than his predecessor, Bredeson stands at 6’2″ and is listed as weighing 252 pounds. The rookie should be more athletic than the retired FB. Quite possibly, he’ll arrive with increased ability to get shuffled around.

A lot of the time, Bredeson played tight end while with the Wolverines. His college career featured 12 catches for 132 yards, good for a reasonably explosive 11.0 yards-per-catch average. Not too shabby, at least in terms of the average yardage per catch.

“Max Bredeson is off to a really, really good start,” O’Connell explained, “I felt his pads popping yesterday with some contact at the point of attack.” High praise.

If you’re not familiar with the football lingo, fret not. What O’Connell is referring to is the sound that Bredeson’s pads make when he blocks a defender. There’s a distinct sound in football that coaches love to hear. Think of the sound that the bat makes in baseball when the contact is just right. Or, perhaps, the sound of the net in basketball when the perfect 3-point shot falls through without once touching the rim.

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A fullback getting that audible pop when blocking somebody is what coaches love to hear.

Part of what makes the Bredeson add sensible is that he doesn’t need to touch the ball a lot to make an impact. He magnifies the guys around him by doing the dirty work rather than requiring the spotlight. That’s a vital detail from within the context of Minnesota Vikings football since guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and the rest of the skill is going to demand a pile of attention.

In all likelihood, the Vikings will continue featuring the pass prominently. However, the wise approach would be to turn down how lopsided the play calling is. The 5th-Round rookie might help.

Either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy is going to claim the Vikings’ QB1 spot. Regardless of who wins, the Vikings will benefit from a head coach who at least pretends to prioritize the run. Max Bredeson is a fullback who can function as a pass catcher. Quite possibly, that will lead to some pre-snap uncertainty between the run/pass that will prove fruitful for the team more broadly.

Regardless of whether he’s blocking for the run or pass, Bredeson needs to keep bringing the pop that’s impressing O’Connell.

Mr. Bredeson is 23.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.