The Minnesota Vikings haven’t lost a game this year, but fans have been waiting for Kyler Murray to find his rhythm. Murray’s opening weeks in Minnesota were marred by a concussion and the absence of wide receiver Justin Jefferson, but the quarterback finally showed signs of progress in the Vikings’ 23-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Murray passed the stats test on Sunday, completing 24 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown. But he also passed the eye test, overcoming the loss of tight end T.J. Hockenson and a few growing pains to show what the Vikings offense could be as they head into their bye next week.
“I think time on task, [getting] more comfortable in this offense with [head coach Kevin O’Connell], what he’s seeing, and our conversations throughout the week,” Murray said when asked about what the difference was in Sunday’s win.
“I feel like offensively, we’re ascending and the defense, they’ve been doing their thing. But I’m excited where we’re going. Get back, get off this bye, get healthy [and] I got a couple of guys coming back. I feel like the sky’s the limit for us offensively, as long as we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot and keep K.O. on track.”
Kyler Murray is finally giving Minnesota Vikings’ offense a reason for hope
Shooting themselves in the foot has accurately described the offense so far. During a training camp competition, Murray split reps with J.J. McCarthy and didn’t get the full allotment of the starter’s work until mid-August. That process was further derailed when Murray left after 11 snaps in the season-opening win against the Green Bay Packers with a concussion. When Murray came back, Justin Jefferson suffered an ankle injury, throwing another wrench into the Vikings' offense.
The moving parts took a toll on the Vikings’ efficiency. Minnesota entered Sunday 19th in points per game (21.5) and last in yards per play (4.4). But naturally, most people fixated on Murray’s performance at quarterback.
Through two full games, Murray completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 415 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. But things began to click late in last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, completing 11-of-12 passes in the fourth quarter to help secure the 15-10 victory. That performance also would have included a touchdown if the coaching staff hadn't told Hockenson not to score just before the two-minute warning, and it set the foundation for Sunday’s win.
Murray started by completing his first 12 passes on the afternoon. While it led to just three points, it also kept the offense moving, which he stressed was important after the game.
“I know that word…it doesn’t mean much to people who are watching this or listening, but it’s a deeper meaning to throw completions,” Murray said. “That allows you and the offense to get into a flow and feel good about things, whether it’s a checkdown, whether it goes for one yard or 10 yards, it’s a mental thing that I think for any quarterback is good to feel the ball get caught and go forward.”
By keeping the offense moving, the Vikings opened things up downfield, and it came in handy as Murray floated a pass over triple coverage to Jefferson in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Murray also got more comfortable taking off and scrambling, running 10 times for 51 yards.
Murray’s road poise gives the Vikings more to build on
Murray’s performance wasn’t perfect, but it was a good sign for the future. While getting Jefferson back on the field obviously helps, so will the return of Jordan Addison, who missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury; T.J. Hockenson, who left with a concussion on his second snap of the game; and Jordan Mason, who has missed the past four weeks with a thumb injury.
While the Vikings also have a bye next week to make more adjustments and return to health, O’Connell sees progress and believes that the unit could get even better as Murray gains more experience.
“You can talk about every practice rep you want against a scout team or even a training camp rep, but the game reps of being in it, and it’s his huddle, and it’s him running the show on the road [in a] noisy building…And he just kind of stayed the course,” O’Connell said. “Tremendous poise all day long, decision-making, using his athleticism. I think this performance, like the second half from last week, is a lot for us to build on.”
That process is what led O’Connell to cite “what could be” as a reason for naming Murray the starter during camp, and with performances like Sunday, Murray is turning that into a reality.
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