On Friday, head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed that the Minnesota Vikings have officially ruled out Kyler Murray for their Week 2 matchup for the Chicago Bears.
Murray suffered a concussion in the first quarter of the Vikings’ season-opening victory over the Packers, and while The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones mentioned he is expected to clear protocol next week, Carson Wentz will get the start against Chicago on Sunday.
Wentz played well against the Packers, completing 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Murray in the come-from-behind victory. But his start on Sunday has plenty of implications as the Vikings look to improve to 2-0 and stake an early claim to first place in the NFC North.
Carson Wentz gets the start for Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 matchup with Chicago Bears
Murray defeated J.J. McCarthy for the starting job during training camp, but his Vikings debut went up in flames quickly, tossing an interception on his first pass attempt and getting knocked out of the game after a helmet-to-helmet hit by Packers nickel corner Javon Bullard.
The hit resulted in a scary situation at U.S. Bank Stadium as Murray exhibited the “fencing motion,” where his arms and legs become rigid.
While the hit looked rough, The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero noted during an appearance on KFXN-FM on Friday that Murray did not display symptoms after the hit, which could be why O’Connell noted that Murray was watching film on Monday and he practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
“He felt good. Basically, right after, like, 15 minutes [after the hit, he] didn’t have a headache or anything.
…There’s no two [concussions] that are alike. And so now, you know, let’s see.”
With Murray on a one-year deal and the Vikings facing a pivotal matchup in the NFC North, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he raced through the protocol and suited up on Sunday.
Instead, the Vikings will play it safe – a wise move given the severity of the injury as well as this being the second game of the season – and allow Wentz to make his first start of the season.
Pelissero also dismissed the notion that a big start against the Bears could help Wentz claim the starting job for the rest of the season. But the biggest concern in the short term is how Wentz can help the Vikings beat the Bears on Sunday.
Carson Wentz has plenty of advantages that can lead the Minnesota Vikings over the Chicago Bears
Wentz’s appearance didn’t go without some issues as he fumbled and threw an interception before they were erased by penalties in the go-ahead drive against the Packers.
While Green Bay has itself to blame for the loss, things could look a lot different if the drive wasn’t allowed to continue, but Wentz has an advantageous matchup against a Chicago defense that allowed 37 points and 361 passing yards to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers last week.
Pelissero also noted that the fact that Wentz received first-team reps this week should reduce some of the volatility that he displayed against the Packers and should allow him to take advantage of Chicago’s leaky secondary.
“You know, getting all the reps and also being the guy and knowing you’re starting, that is a different challenge than just coming in [with] house money off the bench.
He played well in the game last week. Let’s see what he does this week against the Bears team that, I know they put up 59 points against the Panthers, but it’s not like the Chicago defense lit it up.
…Let’s see what Carson can do moving forward.”
In the end, success for Wentz and the Vikings could come down to a couple of things. First, the offensive line has to protect him, which shouldn’t be an issue after Young was pressured on just 39 percent of his dropbacks last week.
The other issue is taking care of the ball. Chicago’s three turnovers and league-high 18.3 percent turnover rate could be a problem for Wentz, who chucked five interceptions in five starts for the Vikings last season – albeit with the final two starts coming with a significant shoulder injury.
With the Vikings’ penchant for quarterback drama, it’s only fitting that they would have questions going into Chicago on Sunday. But if Wentz plays within himself and limits his mistakes, he should have a chance to beat the Bears and help the Vikings improve to 2-0.
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