The Minnesota Vikings are one of three undefeated NFL teams, but there is a fair amount of consternation because of an offense that sputtered through the first month.
It’s a fair concern, of course, as Minnesota is 27th in offensive EPA and quarterback Kyler Murray is off to the worst start of his career.
However, Murray has been so far off his career norm — and the defense is so good — that the untapped potential could actually be looked at as a good thing.
In every season of his career, Murray has been an average starting NFL quarterback or slightly above it.
This year, he’s on pace to set career lows in almost every statistical category.
But we are only talking about two-plus starts, and there was some noticeable progress in the second half of Sunday’s 15-10 win over the Dolphins as Murray continues to adapt to Kevin O’Connell’s scheme.
Murray was 13-of-14 for 120 yards in the fourth quarter, and would have added a touchdown pass if tight end T.J. Hockenson didn’t slide a yard short of paydirt to run out the clock on the win.
Murray had the sixth-best PFF grade among quarterbacks in Week 4.
“That door will get kicked down soon,” Murray told reporters after the game, and it might not be hot air.
Murray has only had star wide receiver Justin Jefferson for a handful of snaps, and more than anything, he is working to perfect an offensive system that was foreign to him before this year.
It reminds me of Carson Palmer with the Arizona Cardinals in 2013. Palmer had some growing pains while pairing with Bruce Arians, but figured things out as the year went along.
The Vikings have already proven to be a pretty good team despite the offensive struggles, and if Murray can play up to his past performance, Minnesota suddenly becomes a prime contender in the NFC based on its overall level of talent.
Vikings’ Defense Should Continue To Shine
Minnesota is allowing 12.8 points per game on the year, best in the NFL, and has a mastermind at defensive coordinator in Brian Flores.
Dallas Turner has 5.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and a pair of forced fumbles in four games. Andrew Van Ginkel has three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Minnesota is the No. 1 team in the NFL against the pass and No. 2 against the run by EPA.
The Vikings will likely regress a bit because it’s hard to stay this dominant for so long, but it’s clearly one of the best units in the NFL.
Flores is the gutsiest defensive coordinator in the NFL by a healthy margin and his team is reaping the rewards.
Vikings Have Huge Upside if Murray Returns to Form
While the first four games may not have been a work of art, a 4-0 start is critical when it comes to divisional supremacy and playoff seeding.
There is no denying it’s been a slow start for Murray, but it’s not like he is some journeyman backup quarterback with no upside.
Murray has shown he can be an above average starter in the NFL. He hasn’t shown it yet for the Vikings, but steady improvement should be expected in the coming months.
The Vikings have positioned themselves well to be playoff participants by grinding out these early-season wins.
If the offense catches up to the defense, watch out.
Kyler Murray Struggles May Have Hidden Benefit for Vikings