The Minnesota Vikings will be ushering in Kyler Murray with their Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13. Moreover, Minnesota is hoping that Murray can provide consistent play at quarterback.
After last season, Minnesota is counting on Murray to take advantage of the weapons in its offense. While it is the 29-year-old’s first game with the Vikings, ESPN and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah shared a strong prediction ahead of the Packers game.
Jeremiah doesn’t believe head coach Kevin O’Connell will have any offensive restrictions on Murray.
“My gut, and this is not from talking to Kevin or anybody there, but my gut says [Murray is] just gonna let it rip,” Jeremiah said during a Sept. 11 appearance on “The Jim Rome Show.” “There’s gonna be no tiptoeing into this whole thing. You’re gonna see them taking some shots.
“You can get deep off play action for two reasons. No. 1, Kyler’s got a cannon, and No. 2, give him a little more space to be able to see and attack with Justin Jefferson downfield and all their other assortment of weapons that they possess.”
Murray will look to translate this production from Arizona and find the consistency he couldn’t find with the Cardinals. During his seven seasons in Arizona, Murray posted a passer rating of 92.2 with 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions in 87 games, per StatMuse.
Vikings HC Could Lean on Kyler Murray’s Mobility
Furthermore, Jeremiah believes O’Connell will take advantage of Murray’s mobility, something the Vikings head coach hasn’t had during his time in Minnesota.
“I think you’ll see Kyler on the move,” Jeremiah added. “I think it’s a new toy for Kevin to play with. He hasn’t had a guy like this who can move around as he can. So I think you just unload it. I don’t think it’s a real conservative, cautious approach. I think they come out slinging.”
Kyler Murray Gets Warning Before First Season in Minnesota
Murray shouldn’t want O’Connell to hold anything back to allow him to hit the ground running, given that the former No. 1 pick probably wants to show that he’s still a starting QB in the NFL. Moreover, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes Murray’s livelihood in the league is on the line this season.
“I think his future in the NFL is on the line. I truly believe that. Sure, to have [Justin] Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to throw the football to, if you show up in Minnesota, particularly in the aftermath of the J.J. McCarthy experiment,” Smith said on the Sept. 10 edition of “First Take.”
“Kyler Murray can’t come in there with the weapons that he has at his disposal, along with Kevin O’Connell being his coach and play caller. He can’t turn around and struggle and still look forward to a prosperous NFL future. That just can’t happen because there’s too many weapons there for a quarterback not to be effective.”
It will be interesting to see if Murray can get off to a good start against the Packers, and what will help him is that they won’t have Micah Parsons to make him feel uncomfortable.
Vikings Handed Strong Kyler Murray Prediction for Packers Game