The NFL preseason can sometimes turn into 7-on-7 drills due to the effort to try and not suffering injuries. Interestingly, that wasn’t the case for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the 2026 preseason.
Despite a heated quarterback competition in the early part of training camp, the Vikings ran the ball a lot versus the New York Giants on Sunday. Meanwhile, behind center, Kyler Murray completed 2 of 3 pass attempts for 10 yards.
Murray may not have put the ball in the air much Saturday. But Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made clear he saw a lot of positives from his starting signal-caller.
“We’re doing lot in our run game on those early downs,” O’Connell told reporters after beating the New York Giants. “We might not have shown a lot of the things that maybe we’ve been working on, but there were still some principles of, some emphasis on what we want to go out and see.
“I thought the guys ran off the ball; they were physical.”
Murray played one series in the preseason opener. On that drive, the Vikings ran the ball six times while Murray attempted three passes.
“We wanted to come in here and see that group go out and run the football. They were able to do that. I would’ve loved to finish with a touchdown, but Kyler has done a great job from an above-the-beck standpoint,” said O’Connell. “Being able to handle it.
“That was really our first time off the play clock. Working the sideline to quarterback communication. His command of the huddle. There was a lot of really positive things that we saw out of that first group.”
Kevin O’Connell Speaks out on Kyler Murray After Preseason Opener