Since, taking over in Minnesota, O'Connell boasts a 25-15 regular season record. When talking to Los Angeles media on Monday, McVay said he was "not surprised" by O'Connell's success in Minnesota.

O’Connell was an assistant coach for the Rams and McVay, and the teams will meet Thursday night with little prep time.

For the second year in a row, the Vikings traded for running back Cam Akers. The former Texan running back had 40 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown for Houston this season before Minnesota

It was the little things that hurt the Vikings' offense in their 31-29 loss to the Lions on Sunday. They averaged 7.4 yards per play and were neck-and-neck with Detroit on the stat sheet, but head coach Kevin O'Connell wasn't happy with the penalties and other self-inflicted wounds that may have made the difference in such a tightly-contested game between two great teams.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell met with reporters on Monday at TCO Performance Center after their first loss of the season, and ahead of their Thursday Night Football match-up at the L.A. Rams.

It was the first time they had trailed since week one against the New York Giants and they found a way to come back and nearly got the win. Overall, the team battled and found a way to stay competitive despite their own shortcomings.