Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell needs to end training camp quarterback competition, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious why
The quarterback competition for the Minnesota Vikings has gone on long enough, and it’s time for it to end.
The Minnesota Vikings have been in a quarterback competition since March when they signed Kyler Murray. Through eight practices, he and J.J. McCarthy have gone back and forth within the context of the competition, with each quarterback having some standout days.
Going into the summer, head coach Kevin O’Connell was adamant about having a fair and thorough competition, while emphasizing going into camp that the timeline is fluid.
“I think there’s an ideal date based upon training camp to make sure we check a lot of boxes for our team, but also for not only that player, but our entire offense,” said O’Connell on July 28th before the start of training camp. “So yeah, there’s absolutely a date in mind and subject to what we think is best. If we feel like we can make the decision before that date, we will. If we feel like we need a little bit more time, we’ll take it. Ultimately, a lot of work’s been done to this point and been evaluated. Both on the field, where we think guys are at from their understanding and comfort of our offense. Now we can apply it and really try to push this thing to the point where I think it’s going to enhance both players, and I think it’s going to give us clarity on where we need to go for this year.”
Minnesota Vikings need to name Kyler Murray starting quarterback
Through eight practices, I think there is enough information for O’Connell to make the decision on who should play quarterback, and that player should be Murray.
It’s not that Murray has “won” more practices than McCarthy or has been this undeniable player for the Vikings offense. Overall, he’s been pretty solid with some moments of difficulty. Most of those stem from how good Brian Flores’ defense is and his process of learning the offense, which is very difficult in itself.
Now comes the real question: if the competition is close when it comes to comparing days, why isn’t it closer? It’s a question that’s been posed multiple times.
The answer is simple: Murray is processing consistently at a high level, whereas McCarthy isn’t. Even if it feels equal in some ways, the disparity is so stark that it doesn’t matter.
One of the difficulties of the competition during training camp is quantifying throws and what the stats mean. Each quarterback going something like 8-12 can mean significantly different things. What were they trying to run? Which team were they facing? How did they play it? This is why I don’t focus on stats, but rather utilize their process to quantify how each player did during the competition.
Throughout the entirety of training camp, we’ve seen growth from Murray in how he processes information in the offense and makes quality decisions. Within those decisions, he is attacking vertically down the field, which is a crucial piece of O’Connell’s offense. Having that processing is a massive part of why he was signed.
Last season, McCarthy’s biggest issue was simple: he was too slow in reading the defense and making decisions. Unfortunately, that element of his game hasn’t developed, meaning it will be difficult to trust McCarthy as the starter going into the season. That lack of processing and quick, decisive decision making was the biggest reason why the Vikings missed the playoffs. Murray will give you that and then some, with the potential to give you even more.
Murray still needs reps in the offense
The other major aspect of the conversation is simple: Murray doesn’t have experience in this offense. It was something he mentioned after the first mandatory minicamp practice in June.
“I think the toughest part is having to split reps,” said Murray. “It’s me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps that you know you would typically want to, gotta get learning an offense. That’s probably the toughest part. Again, going back to the past, being in control of everything, understanding what we were already doing, because I was comfortable within the system. Now, [I] come to new system, learning on the fly, trying to play fast, efficient, and then let it loose while learning. That’s the toughest part.”
It’s not lost on O’Connell that Murray hasn’t played much in this offense, and reps with the first team are going to be important going into the season.
“We want to make sure by the time we play the Green Bay Packers, that there’s been ample time to have the best possible offense we can have to help our football team, and the quarterback is going to play a big role in that,” O’Connell said at the end of mandatory minicamp. “That’s where we’re at right now. As far as the timeline goes, I think to give an actual date would not necessarily be accurate from a portrayal of how we see it, but there is a timeline to make sure that we can allow the competition to continue and advance and really lay out a training camp that will allow us to do that, but also make a timely decision.”
Giving Murray multiple weeks to really get comfortable with the first team offense should be the new priority, especially since he’s proven himself to be the guy.
What happens with J.J. McCarthy
Once the competition is decided, what will happen with McCarthy? That is a great question that we don’t have a good answer for right now. It will all depend on a multitude of factors.
- How will he handle losing the competition?
- Will his team ask for a trade to get a fresh start?
- Could Nolan Teasley choose to cut bait since he doesn’t have any attachment or investment in McCarthy?
It would be unprecedented to lose a competition in his third year to come back and be the franchise quarterback for that team. Now, that doesn’t mean he can’t ever be good or the Vikings should disqualify him from being the guy, but history is not in his favor.
What will the Vikings end up doing and when will they make that decision? Only time will tell, but they should announce the quarterback decision right away. It’s time.
