{"id":75110,"date":"2023-12-27T02:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T02:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/?p=75110"},"modified":"2023-12-27T02:05:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-27T02:05:00","slug":"kevin-oconnell-reveals-costly-decision-to-bench-starter-in-loss-to-lions-kieu-linh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/kevin-oconnell-reveals-costly-decision-to-bench-starter-in-loss-to-lions-kieu-linh\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin O\u2019Connell Reveals Costly Decision to Bench Starter in Loss to Lions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback Akayleb Evans went missing late in the team\u2019s Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions \u2014 and it proved costly.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Already without No. 1 cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., the Vikings thrust undrafted rookie Jaylin Williams, who hadn\u2019t played a single snap this season, into the game with five minutes left after a poor performance from Evans.<\/p>\n

Williams committed a costly illegal contact penalty on third-and-7 that gave the Lions an extra set of downs and forced Minnesota to use its final timeout on the following series.<\/p>\n

The defense made the stop and allowed the offense a chance to win the game with 2 minutes, 24 seconds left. But had Williams not committed the penalty, the Vikings would have been afforded more time and a timeout for insurance on their final drive that ended with an interception by Nick Mullens.<\/p>\n

In his postgame news conference, head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell was asked why Williams was on the field for the Lions\u2019 final drive and revealed that Evans was benched.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe at that point Akayleb Evans was out of the football game,\u201d O\u2019Connell said, per the Star Tribune\u2019s Andrew Krammer.<\/p>\n

Krammer asked to clarify: \u201cBecause of injury?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe he was taken out,\u201d O\u2019Connell replied.<\/p>\n

Vikings Bench Akayleb Evans After Poor Tackling<\/h2>\n

\"Jameson<\/p>\n

The reason for benching Evans was evident from the Vikings\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n

While Evans kept the Lions receivers largely in front of him, allowing five-of-six targets to be caught for 52 yards gained, he struggled to tackle tremendously.<\/p>\n

On fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs juked Evans out of his cleats earlier in the game, a move that led to an 18-yard gain and a go-ahead touchdown by Detroit.<\/p>\n

\n

I can\u2019t stop watching this pic.twitter.com\/1dVP6G800x<\/a><\/p>\n

— FFTony (@ItsJustFantasy_) December 25, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n