The Minnesota Vikings finally saw how good things could look with quarterback Kyler Murray helping the offense click on all cylinders, and the one-game sample size against the New Orleans Saints last Sunday is liable to get bigger following the team’s Week 6 bye.
Minnesota is off this weekend, which is actually pretty fortuitous timing considering how early it still is in the season. But running back Jordan Mason has missed the last month with a fractured thumb, left tackle Christian Darrisaw missed last week with a concussion and tight end TJ Hockenson left the contest in New Orleans due to a head injury of his own. Wide receiver Jordan Addison also exited that game with a hamstring strain.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell noted after his team’s fifth straight win that there is a reasonable chance all four of those offensive starters might return when the Vikings do against the Indianapolis Colts on October 25 at U.S. Bank Stadium. And obviously, if that happens, it will be a big boost for Murray and Minnesota’s team as a whole.
However, the bigger advantage might be less about who Murray has playing alongside him and more about the defensive deficiencies of the units the Vikings quarterback gets to attack in Weeks 7-9.
Kyler Murray to Face 3 of NFL’s 5 Worst Pass Defenses in Consecutive Games
The Indianapolis defense has struggled all year long and is currently ranked 28th in both total yardage surrendered and passing yardage allowed per game.
Minnesota then takes on the Detroit Lions, who rank dead last in total yards and passing yards given up through five weeks. The Vikings finish off that three-game stretch against the Buffalo Bills, who rank 30th in total yards forfeited and 31st in passing yards surrendered.
“All three [opponents] are bottom-10 pass defenses by success rate,” Ben Solak of ESPN wrote on Tuesday, October 13. “Murray has been oriented on high-percentage throws in this first stage of offensive development (his completion percentage jumped from 60% to 73% to 80% through three games), but the next stretch will be an exercise in pushing the ball a little more. The returns of Addison and Darrisaw in particular should help in that effort.”
Vikings Have Clicked on Defense, Special Teams All Season
Minnesota has arguably the best and scariest defense in the NFL thus far, even if the unit is a little more scheme-dependent than some of its top counterparts.
The Vikings also have an electric return man in Myles Price who is on a Pro Bowl track as the league’s leading punt returner through five games, and a placekicker in Will Reichard who has not missed a field goal or extra point try yet in 2026.
Running back Aaron Jones Sr. has admirably carried the offensive workload until now, despite this being his age-32 season and following multiple years in which injuries were a concern. Given his circumstances, the bye week and Mason’s return also couldn’t come at a more perfect moment.
Now Murray is playing well for the first time all year and gaining confidence in the process, something that should only continue as the Vikings take on three of the NFL’s most gettable defenses in their next three outings — two of which, by the way, are at home in Minneapolis (Colts and Bills).
Vikings QB Kyler Murray to Catch Big Break After Bye Week