The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0, baby! Seriously, 5-0. But everyone’s asking if Kevin O’Connell’s ball-control offense can really take them all the way to a Super Bowl run with Kyler Murray at the helm. It’s the big question hanging over U.S. Bank Stadium right now.
The “Boyfriend and Girlfriend” Foundation
Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano on The Real Forno Show just broke down why this offense is trending up, even though we haven’t seen the full picture yet. Get this: through five weeks, Murray, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison have been healthy together for a grand total of just 18 snaps! That’s it! Tyler’s upfront about it, admitting, “We still don’t have a clear picture of what that will look like.” And for anyone in the national media throwing shade at Brian Flores’ defense, doubting if it can hold up for one game or if Murray can “shoulder the load,” Tyler calls it out as “kind of bullshit.”
The real juice of the conversation, though, is all about the evolving bond between O’Connell and Murray. Tyler dropped an analogy that’s gonna stick: “This is essentially a boyfriend and girlfriend trying to build a foundation for future success.” He even took it further, saying, “You’re getting engaged. You’re getting married. You’re buying a house. You’re having kids. We need to start seeing some of that coming out of the bye.” O’Connell isn’t some rigid coach either. Tyler shot down the idea that O’Connell doesn’t adapt to his QBs, calling that narrative “a load of crap.” He’s done it for Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer, Josh Dobbs, and now Murray. The dude knows how to tailor an offense.
Historically Good Defense and an Unlocked Offense
The Vikings’ defense, led by Brian Flores, is seriously good. Like, historically good. And O’Connell’s offense is clearly built to complement that. It’s simple math: “the less you can keep your defense on the field, the better they’re going to be long term.” These guys rank 2nd in time of possession, averaging 32.9 seconds per play, which means the defense is only out there for about 42 snaps per game. Compare that to the 1,025 total snaps they had to endure last season. That’s a massive difference and a huge relief for that historically good D.
Now, the run game is sitting at 28th in EPA per rush, which isn’t ideal, no doubt. But O’Connell is staying committed, and that’s a huge growth point. He’s made it clear, “I’m not going to give up on the run game.” The return of Jordan Mason should give those zone concepts a much-needed boost, and Aaron Jones is apparently crushing it in gap schemes like duo, counter, and pin pull. And remember what chat member John Moscrip pointed out: “short passes are run game.” It all adds up. Even Brandon Staley’s Saints defense got a shoutout, with Tyler just saying Staley’s “not exactly a good coach.”
The most exciting thing Tyler said? “We haven’t seen them unlocked.” Think about that for a second. We’re 5-0, and they still have another gear. Yeah, O’Connell’s tendency to “chase shots” , those deep throws , is still a concern because “that’s always been in his DNA.” But Stefano points out that if the offense “ticks up and we get positive EPAs like we did last weekend,” things are looking even better.
The Vikings are heading into their bye week in prime position. Everyone’s gonna be watching closely to see if Kyler and KOC can keep building that foundation and unleash this offense even further. The stage is set for this team to really show the league what they’re made of.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Daily Norseman.
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