Wes Phillips - Offensive Coordinator, vikings Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-15 | Full transcript (primary source).
Wes Phillips, Offensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, addressed the media during a press conference on September 15, 2026. The session focused on the team's recent performance and the challenges faced by quarterback Carson Wentz in a game where he had limited practice reps with the first team.
Transcript
Phillips: Hello. Good afternoon. Almost. Good to see everyone. Any questions?
Reporter: Wes, how would you describe how difficult it was for Carson Wentz to do what he did without many practice reps, pretty much no reps with the first team, and then come in and find a way to win a game?
Phillips: I don't know. I don't know what Carson said about it particularly, but I think that's why you have a guy like Carson Wentz, a guy who's got experience under his belt, played a lot of different roles in this league, just about all of them thus far. And I think from a team perspective, I know from a coaching perspective, we were all very confident that Carson was going to go in and execute. And he's a guy that's going to be prepared, regardless, knowing that he's one snap away. And sure enough, I think he showed that throughout the game.
Reporter: We talked last week a little about just the complexity of preparing for a new coordinator. What is the process, or what has made you guys so successful at being able to adapt within the game the way it seems like you guys can?
Phillips: Well, obviously, it didn't start about as bad as you could get. I mean, you have a turnover, and you have a couple of penalties on your first, really, two-third downs of the game. And I thought it was collective. At least the players settled in some. There was good communication on the sideline from players to coach, coach to coach throughout the game. I was really, really pleased with that as far as whether it was scheme things they were doing, protection stuff that we were adjusting to or making sure we were ready for as soon as guys came off. And I thought guys were dialed in on a lot of those things. Now, there's certainly a lot to clean up. And we expect to go out and start better within any football game, regardless. It's a collective thing where our job is to try to set them up in the best possible looks they can get. And their job is to sometimes bail us out if we don't put them in the right position. And there was a little bit of both there. There was a little bit of both where we put them in some tough spots. And I did love the way the guys responded. You never saw any kind of the cliche, no blink, no flinch type mentality. But you really didn't feel any of that from our guys. Our quarterback gets hurt. Carson goes in. Third downs. I thought situationally, there was some really, really good things in that game. And that's where you saw kind of the weighty downs execution. The stat sheet has us over 50% on third down. There were obviously some penalties that got us third down conversions. Really, you're over 70%, which is extremely high for the league. The red zone, it's nice when you get the ball on the 3-inch line. We'll take that. We'll just work on red zone offense from now. But to put all those in for touchdowns on four ops in the red zone, we had two short yardage opportunities. We got them offsides and threw a touchdown. All kind of situational things that I thought the guys were really well prepared for.
Reporter: Some of the protection issues, how much of that was just unscouted looks with Gannon, or was it just execution and stuff?
Phillips: Well, I thought we were dialed in on a couple of their pressure looks. On the first fall start, they had a pressure that I thought we were ready for and dialed in for. And they brought it again. And we were able to block it. But there's going to be some unscouted. So that's why it's critical. Even personnel-wise, getting in three down linemen, three backers with Cooper as kind of a down guy, things that you just have to come off the sideline, immediately address it, and hit the right people on it, and make sure we're ready to go. So I was really pleased with the communication from the players to the coaches, and then the coach-to-coach across the sideline. I thought it was really well done.
Reporter: What did you see from DJ Dallas to want to put him in there in those third downs?
Phillips: DJ, I'm just impressed by the human. He's very smart. He's picked things up extremely well, to a point where we trusted him to put him in in kind of that third and sixth to 10, or five to 10, whatever you want to say, which is usually the highest pressure situations. He was in there to do a job, and he did it very well. And I got him a catch. We didn't get him a lot of space to work on that one. But I told him before the game, I said, I'm glad we have you, and I trust you completely. And I meant that just right from the start. He's worked very hard to learn how we do things and showed very early that he's very capable.
Reporter: Did he come in with a reputation for being on the Blackwells?
Phillips: I mean, I don't know how much practice in, like, life. He did come in as a guy. We knew he had experience. And a lot of times, that's just understanding NFL football and coming in. They kind of understand, hey, maybe we call it different. I understand what these routes are, and generally in protections, there's going to be some carryover just learning the verbiage. But from the first night he was here, he's in there with Maude talking through protections to start off with, just making sure we're good there. We'll get you right on the tracks and the reeds and all that stuff in the run game. But the protection is critical, and he did a great job.
Reporter: As a whole, Wes, what did you think of the run game kind of in this first iteration of some of the new concepts and Max Redesen, I guess, being part of that as much as he was. What were your impressions of him?
Phillips: Yeah, I mean, I think first things first with, like, the run game, I think a lot's been made about wide zone or this or that. You know, I think what I would say is that we have an NFL run game system, meaning we have multiple schemes, and we can attack the defense however we see fit. But with that being said, there were certainly some opportunities that I felt like we missed out on early in the game. But I did feel the play style from the guys up front. Max, particularly, some of the lead blocks that you saw, the physicality, his demeanor coming off. I mean, he absolutely loves the contact. He wants more of it. He doesn't want us to be in 11 personnel. What do you think, 21 here? So he's everything you want a fullback to be. He's smart and tough, and he's only going to get better.
Reporter: How would you sort of describe the degree of change to the running game this year, then, from what, I mean, I know it's evolved every season to an extent, but just from last year to this year. Tweaks, significant overhaul. How do you kind of view what's available to you now?
Phillips: I think we have some more mechanisms to, whether it's ball handling mechanisms, motions. A lot of things that we are trying to do, you're just trying to, I think like the first iteration of all the jet motions back and forth in running the football were ways to get zoning defenses, eyes, just get guys not to just be able to react downhill as quickly as possible. And then, of course, they started moving big people. And you saw, you know, San France is moving big guys across and use check. And all these guys, you're trying to give your guys angles. But at the same time, I think the players in this league, if they know what gap they have, and you're just standing there in front of them, and they can react that way, it just makes it a little bit harder on your guys. So you're trying to find ways to move people, whether it's moving that second level, whether it's creating angles for your guys in whatever scheme that might be in. You know, some of those things I think were really thought out. I think we had a couple good looks at that and a couple where I think we can get a little better at and have some explosive runs in there.
Reporter: Last couple for Wes. You talked early on when Josh Oliver got here, just about believing that he could be more going past catching state of point. Just like, how did you see him acclimate in this form over time in that area?
Phillips: Yeah, I thought Josh had two outstanding catches. I mean, you know, just a little over the ball, that's kind of up and left that he catches. And then really a great catch when he's crossing the field there, when Carson hit him, working across the left. You know, Josh was really, you know, I've talked about, he was really a past catching guy at San Jose State. He was split out a lot. He caught a lot of footballs. You know, he was probably about 25 pounds lighter at that point, running around up in San Jose. But you know, he's got big hands. He's got good ball skills. And kind of the thought I remember coming out was, is he going to be able to play in line? He's big. He's long, you know, but he just hasn't done it. And of course, he's developed that over time. Really, before he got here, he really developed as a blocker. And we're doing some more things for him. So I think he's just expanding what he can do, run game, pass game, as we go.
Reporter: Kevin talked last week and a little bit after the game about how he's learned over the course of time. It doesn't matter what the stats he looked like as long as you win the game. Like, where have you seen him grow as a play caller in all the years you've known him?
Phillips: Well, I've always felt like Kevin can adapt to whatever the game is telling us. There are times where, you know, you want to establish a run game. You want to do things. But if you're ending up with zeros or negatives or one-yard gains and you're in second and long situations, I think more and more you're seeing more third down defense really on second and long. They look at those as pass-type downs, these coordinators. And it makes it really challenging to just say, hey, we're going to go hit another run in there. They get a bunch of guys at the line of scrimmage, whatever it may be. So I think he's always adapted well to those things. But we all, as offensive coaches, we'd love to put up 500 yards. And those are great feelings and all that. But ultimately, what do we need to do to win the football game? And it really is about how all three phases complement each other. And I think Kevin is more aware of that than anyone.
Phillips: Thanks, everybody. Thank you.
