The play in question came on the Vikings’ first and only drive of overtime after the team forced the Bengals to punt in the extra period.
On third down from the Cincinnati 42-yard line, Minnesota executed a variation of the play known as the “tush push” or the “brotherly shove,” which gained popularity during this season thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Mullens, the quarterback for the Vikings, was stopped cold by the Bengals defense, resulting in a fourth-down play with less than one yard to gain.
O’Connell decided to continue running the same play on fourth down, which Cincinnati also stuffed, forcing a turnover on downs. This kept the offense on the field. After the game, O’Connell gave a press conference where he outlined his reasoning.
O’Connell stated, “I’m really looking at about 4-5 inches there.” “Really don’t want to have to go back and extend the ball before passing it off. I know our guys can perform at that precise moment.
O’Connell’s trust in this instance was misplaced. Still, Mullens and the Minnesota offensive line don’t have to bear all the blame. Rather than going with a bigger player like fullback CJ Ham, O’Connell went with wide receiver Brandon Powell as the “pusher” behind Mullens on the play. The plan of action failed.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, “O’Connell said Brandon Powell was the ‘pusher’ because he decided to use 11 personnel (3WR/1RB/1TE) in an attempt to keep the Bengals out of a goal-line type of front.
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