While the game itself may not be the most exciting, the Vikings’ defense pulled off the celebration of the year.
The Raiders threatened to break the scoreless 0-0 tie after a play to Hunter Renfrow put the Raiders in field-goal range. However, safety Josh Metellus punched out a would-be catch-and-run, and rookie Mekhi Blackmon recovered it to give the Vikings possession deep in their territory.
The defense ran to the end zone and flipped rookie Mekhi Blackmon upside down on top of fellow rookie Ivan Pace to replicate a keg stand in celebration of the rookie’s fumble recovery.
It was cool then but now the team is receiving backlash.
That celebration came days after offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was arrested for DWI. Phillips was pulled over in a Tesla Model S for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis, police told KARE.
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Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Jill Frankfurth said in a statement that Phillips “showed signs of impairment” and registered a blood alcohol level of 0.10, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The legal limit in Minnesota is 0.08.
Now the team is being put on blast after the release of a viral TikTok:
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed Phillips’ DWI arrest after a 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday:
“It’s going to be something we’ll continue to evaluate, but with it being late on Friday and kind of gathering more information on it, I made the decision after really circling up with our leadership and everybody that Wes would travel and ultimately coach today, and we will continue to process the information as we move forward and work through whatever discipline there may be at that point,” O’Connell said in a postgame news conference.
“I was incredibly disappointed, there’s no question, but we want to allow kind of the facts and do our due diligence from that standpoint. The league is clearly involved as well. It’s very important that, as coaches, we understand where we’re setting the bar for our organization and for our players, and Wes knows he fell short of that,” O’Connell added.
“Wes is one of the closest coaches I’ve ever been around. I care about him deeply, and we’re as an organization going to support him and know ultimately, that we know that Wes knows he made a mistake and we’re going to handle that accordingly as we get more information and ultimately work through it. But I think it’s a lesson for all of us. No matter whatever you think, this amount or that amount, you have to have a plan and make sure, because it was something we were all very disappointed in.”
Vikings offensive coordinator Philips traveled with the team to Las Vegas despite being booked in Minnesota’s Hennepin County Jail on Friday night.
Philips is in his second season with the Vikings. The coach previously worked for the L.A. Rams as a tight ends coach and pass game coordinator, and won a Super Bowl with the team.
