Vikings QB Kyler Murray’s struggles vs. Lions may have an answer, but it doesn’t explain everything
Kyler Murray was inconsistent again in Minnesota’s loss to Detroit, but one detail from Kevin O’Connell may matter more than the stat line.
The Minnesota Vikings suffered a tough 19-15 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon, and quarterback Kyler Murray is once again at the center of the conversation. Murray was his inconsistent self against Detroit, completing 17-of-29 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while adding 35 yards on the ground.
However, the inconsistency might not be the story that takes over. Whether Murray is healthy could end up being the bigger question for Minnesota.
Kevin O’Connell reveals Kyler Murray’s hamstring issue
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about Murray’s hamstring after the game. According to Seifert, O’Connell said Murray suffered tightness toward the end of the game, with the issue popping up at some point in the fourth quarter.
That’s a significant piece of information for the Vikings. If Murray wasn’t healthy late, it could explain why he wasn’t evading pressure nearly as well in the fourth quarter as he had earlier in the game. It could also help explain why Minnesota struggled to move the football when it needed to most.
Murray’s ability to extend plays is a core part of his game. When that element disappears, the offense loses one of its few reliable answers against a Lions defense that was getting home. A quarterback who can’t escape the pocket becomes a much easier target, and the Vikings couldn’t string together the drives needed to close out a four-point game.
Murray’s struggles go beyond the hamstring
Even so, the hamstring doesn’t explain everything. When you look at what Murray’s strengths are supposed to be, there are real issues across the board.
He isn’t seeing things well down the field. He is throwing inaccurate passes, and those problems are compounding into a rough spot for the entire offense. Now, the hamstring injury could have impacted his throwing motion overall, but even so, if it happened late, it wouldn’t explain the first half.
The numbers paint a slightly different picture than the tape. Murray finished with a CPOE (completion percentage over expected) of +2.0, which suggests he was a bit better than average on a per-throw basis. It certainly didn’t feel that way while watching. Murray was throwing high to nearly every receiver, forcing his pass catchers to adjust and limiting any chance at yards after the catch.
That ball placement was a huge factor in why the Vikings couldn’t find any form of consistency. A completion that arrives high and forces a receiver to leave his feet isn’t the same as one delivered in stride. Drives stall, third downs get longer, and an offense that should be moving the chains ends up punting.
What’s next for Minnesota’s offense
Minnesota has to find some way to get this offense moving. The play-calling, the protection, and the quarterback play all need to be part of that conversation, because right now none of it is clicking at the level the Vikings need.
The more pressing issue is Murray himself. He is struggling with his accuracy and his reads, and those problems were showing up before the hamstring tightness ever entered the picture.
If the hamstring turns into a long-term problem, it could manifest in a horrid way for the Vikings, taking away the mobility that has helped mask some of Murray’s other issues. That raises real questions about what this offense looks like if he can’t move the way he normally does.
How O’Connell and the medical staff handle Murray’s hamstring, and whether he can clean up the ball placement, will go a long way toward determining whether Minnesota can climb out of this rough patch or slide further into it. It could also prompt the much asked for quarterback change that everyone’s been after.
