The past week has shown me that fantasy football has ruined the average Fan’s perspective about what is important in the game. So much so that even the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings has gotten caught up in it. Kevin O’Connell admitted after the victory over the Packers that he probably hasn’t coached the best when his starting quarterback wasn’t healthy because he got caught up in the offenseive stats in stead of just winning the game. He fears the stats in the paper would make him look like a better coach. In his fifth year he FINALLY has realized wins is what will consider him a good head coach.
That was an unbelievable admission, considering you could tell that was the case when the likes of Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullenss, J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer were forced into action because he was still calling the game as if Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold were the starter. That play-calling led to losses for the Vikings when they didn’t make the playoffs in 2023 and 2025.
Fans are caught up in the same thing. After Sunday’s 9-3 win over Chicago the hosts and the listeners calling into Viking Fanline were saying Kyler Murray should start again when he is healthy because the offense may be more efficient? Really? You want to take Carson Wentz out after starting the season 2-0 against division opponents?
I have never been accused of being a NDSU homer, so this has nothing to with Wentz being a former Bison or a North Dakota native. It has to do with Carson being a veteran who has a calming control of the offense and wins games even if he doesn’t get 300 plus yards or three touchdown passes on the stat sheet. I know fantasy football fans who draft Justin Jefferson want him to get multiple touchdowns a game, but is that more important than your favorite football team winning games? Sadly for some stats do matter as much as wins for them and it skews their analysis of football.
Speaking of the Bison, we have the same thing in the FBS as we had in the FCS. Fans upset that the games are boring and it’s a blowout at halftime or at the end of the third quarter like the Jacksonville State and Fordham games, or they didn’t win by enough in the Air Force or Sacramento State games. My message to football fans: a win is a win, both teams are trying, so take “the dub” and enjoy your favorite teams being undefeated early in the season.
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