It’s a buzzword that has become synonymous with the Vikings since head coach Kevin O’Connell was hired on Feb. 16, 2022. He talked at length about “culture” in his introductory press conference, and fittingly, everything the Vikings have done since then has been rooted in that abstract concept.

It was undeniable when O’Connell took over and the Vikings transformed from a joyless group under former head coach Mike Zimmer into a joyful group that played for each other and finished last season 13-4 in the process. The postgame speeches in the locker room routinely went viral on social media. You started to feel a tangible shift as the results started to pour in on a weekly basis.

Then came the hard part.

As important as last season was for the Vikings as they adjusted to change, this season has provided a true test of the values O’Connell worked so hard to instill from the top down. It’s easy to preach “culture” dirng the good times. It’s much more difficult to preach “culture” when adversity is popping up at seemingly every turn.

“I think our guys have battled,” O’Connell said. “I think we’ve had the right mindset to have guys step up in certain roles and be ready for that opportunity when called upon.”

As the Vikings prepare to play host to the rival Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve, they will do so with rookie quarterback Jaren Hall getting the nod. There’s no other option for the Vikings at this point, with franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins on injured reserve, veteran Nick Mullens benched for his recklessness and journeyman Josh Dobbs incapable of running the offense.

That instability under center is just the tip of the iceberg for the Vikings.

After the Vikings opened the season 1-4, star receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss a couple of months. After getting back to 4-4, Cousins suffered an Achilles injury that required surgery a few days later. After falling to 7-8, tight end T.J. Hockenson suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of this season.

“It’s just been something we have to work through,” O’Connell said. “We’ve worked through it as a coaching staff trying to kind of adjust and adapt to what we think is going to give us the best chance to win games based on the personnel we do have for that particular week.”

That’s where the “culture” has come into play with different players ready and willing to step up for the Vikings if called upon.

It’s why Cousins was able to help them claw their way back to relevancy. It’s why Mullens came off the bench and led them to a win. It’s why Dobbs captured lightning in a bottle for a couple of weeks. It’s why Hall has a chance to make something happen these next few weeks.

“We were just talking the other day about all that has happened and the injuries that have been going on,” Jefferson said. “It’s something that we can’t control. It happens. We have to live with it and think about the next man up.”

The fact that the Vikings haven’t quit along the way can be traced back to the infrastructure in place. As right tackle Brian O’Neill put it last month, “The best part of our team comes out when (expletive) gets tough.” That mentality is a byproduct of the way O’Connell has led.

“I think he’s done a phenomenal job,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. “There’s been a litany of things that have gone on over the course of this season and he’s steered the ship in the direction. There are no excuses that are being made and no fingers that are being pointed. We’ve just moved on to the next situation and tried to go out there and get wins.”

That has been on display this season as the Vikings somehow still have a chance to make the playoffs despite the ups and downs. Though they only have a 25 percent chance to make the playoffs right now, according to a New York Times simulator, the Vikings can raise those odds to nearly 48 percent if beat the Packers on Sunday, and to 96 percent if they beat the Detroit Lions next week in the final game of the season.

If anything is clear at this point, it is that the Vikings won’t give up until they are completely out of it.

“That’s really kind of been the motto: How are we going to respond?” special-teams coordinator Matt Daniels said. “We start off the year 0-3. How are we going to respond? We lose our starting quarterback. How are we going to respond? We lose our best player on the team. How are we going to respond?”

The response has been outstanding because of the “culture” cultivated by the man leading the charge. There hasn’t been any flinch from O’Connell. He’s been the same person every single day regardless of circumstance.

“He’s a great leader,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “I couldn’t think of anybody better to be that guy setting the standard for all of us.”

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