On this episode of Two Old Bloggers, Dave Stefano flies solo while co-host Darren Campbell is busy losing a softball game. Stefano wastes no time dissecting Kevin O’Connell’s appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, where KOC deployed six certified clichés — including the gem, “I’m not familiar with a closed competition” — while revealing exactly zero about the QB depth chart.
Dave breaks down the Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy competition with candor: Murray brings 20,000+ career passing yards, a 92.2
passer rating, and a losing record; McCarthy brings leadership, the “it factor,” and a stat line (11 TDs, 12 INTs in 2025) that still needs work. Dave also spotlights KOC’s emphasis on the run game, quoting O’Connell: “If we can limit giving the ball away and generate some explosives and get a run game going” — and notes that new assistant head coach Frank Smith and OL coach Keith Carter could finally make that a reality.
The episode takes a sobering turn as Dave covers a landmark Boston University CTE study of nearly 20,000 NFL players, finding neurodegenerative death rates among players under 60 were twelvefold higher than the general population. The show closes on a high note with four Minnesota Vikings legends — Paul Krause, Carl Eller, Alan Page, and Randall McDaniel — topping the all-time Approximate Value charts at their positions, and a look at breakout CB candidate James Pierre and the future of linebacker Blake Cashman.
Key Points
- Kevin O’Connell went on The Dan Patrick Show and delivered classic coach-speak — Dan Patrick and Paul counted six clichés in real time
- KOC quote: “I’m not familiar with a closed competition” — the QB battle between Murray and McCarthy is officially on
- Kyler Murray: 20,000+ passing yards, 92.2 passer rating, 3,000+ rushing yards — but a losing record
- J.J. McCarthy: 11 TDs, 12 INTs in 2025, but elite leadership and locker room respect
- KOC emphasizes the run game and “explosives” — Frank Smith (assistant HC) and new OL coach Keith Carter expected to be key
- Boston University CTE study: 19,824 NFL players studied (1960–2019); neurodegenerative death rates under age 60 were 12x higher than general population
- Skill position players had nearly twice the rate of neurodegenerative cause of death vs. linemen — a surprising reversal of prior assumptions
- Helmet technology update: Vicis leads for offensive linemen; Guardian Caps only help when used with the top three rated helmets
- Four Vikings top the all-time NFL Approximate Value list at their positions: Paul Krause (safety), Carl Eller (DE), Alan Page (DT), and Randall McDaniel (OG) — all with elite seasons in 1969 or 1995
- Randy Moss was notably absent from the all-time AV list — surprising
- James Pierre flagged as a Vikings breakout candidate: only 49.8 passer rating allowed over 219 coverage snaps
- Blake Cashman entering final year of his deal; extension talks complicated by rookie Jake Golday’s arrival
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Open Question
Who do you want to see win the Vikings QB competition — Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy — and what would it take to change your mind?
