The Minnesota Vikings just took their first L of the season, dropping to a 6-1 record, and you’d think the sky was falling given how everyone’s reacting. The consensus? It’s all Kyler Murray’s fault, apparently. Even though the dude led his team in rushing, the word on the street is he didn’t do squat in the passing game to keep drives alive and give the defense a breather. Fair enough, I guess.
Blaming Kyler While the Defense Gets Gashed? Not a Good Look
Let’s be real, no defense in the league is happy about getting carved up for 164 rushing yards in the second half, especially when it’s the Detroit Lions doing the carving. You can’t call yourself a top defense and let that happen, no matter how long you’re out there. And guess what? They were on the field for a whopping 16 minutes and 56 seconds in that second half. But hold up, before anyone cries “tired,” the entire team got a full ten-minute break at the start of the fourth quarter because of Jack Campbell’s unfortunate injury. Prayers up to Campbell, hope he recovers quick. So yeah, the “tired” excuse? That just doesn’t fly. They just plain didn’t tackle well and kept trying to punch the ball out instead of just getting the runner down. That’s a tough pill to swallow for any D.
But back to Murray. You’d think this team was the Chargers with the way people are talking, tweeting, and commenting. It’s all centered on Kyler, and frankly, I don’t think he’s ever going to catch a break. The whispers are that he’s still getting judged because he’s not JJ McCarthy, and he’s the whole reason they traded McCarthy away. If you ask me, that’s just how the tea leaves are looking. Kurt Warner, the legit Hall of Famer, did a fantastic job reviewing the Lions game film, breaking down Murray’s play and some of the designs. He’s super interesting and unbiased, and he straight up said he’s not a big fan of the progression-read system, calling it incredibly difficult on quarterbacks. He showed that the play design itself isn’t the problem, but he posed the question: why isn’t Kyler throwing sooner, or to a different spot? Then he added, it might just be because of how he’s being told to do it.
The “Half a Season to Get It” Problem
This is where it gets interesting, because Warner’s analysis totally lines up with what guys like Cousins and Sam Darnold have said in the past about an offense taking them “about half the season to get a good grip on.” And what are the current offensive players saying? “We are almost there.” See a pattern here? It sounds like an intricate system that takes a lot of reps, a lot of film, and a lot of patience to master. If it were up to me, I’d seriously consider bringing in Warner as a consultant for a bit. He even dropped a gem about defensive coverage and alignment, saying if he saw a certain look, he’d immediately check to the other side of the field. Is that an excuse for Murray? Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly points to complexity. Look, I don’t see any trade for Murray, or a QB change coming down the pipe unless Kyler genuinely can’t go. His hammy can’t be that bad since he finished the game, even if it was just one more short, three-and-out drive. I’ve been wrong before, especially about QBs, but I just don’t think a change, like bringing in Wentz, would make that much difference, even if Wentz could complete more throws.
The Vikings are still 6-1. The schedule doesn’t get easier. They’ve got to figure out if it’s the player, the system, or a mix of both. Next up, they’re going to need Murray to lock in, extend those drives, and give that D a real rest. Let’s see if they can start making those adjustments and get everyone on the same page before this “6-1 is not good enough” mentality totally derails what’s actually been a heck of a start.
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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