5 Winners and 3 Losers From Vikings 15-10 win vs. Dolphins: Kevin O’Connell has a lot of work to do
The Minnesota Vikings are still unbeaten after a grind against Miami, and Sunday’s performance raised as many questions as it answered.
You wouldn’t know it by gauging the fan base reactions, but the Minnesota Vikings are 4-0. Minnesota extended its winning streak with a 15-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins, and it was far from pretty. The offense continues to struggle to sustain drives, and that problem keeps growing as the season goes on.
Even so, the offense did show improvement, especially late. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from Sunday.
Winner: QB Kyler Murray
The Vikings couldn’t sustain drives or create many explosive plays for most of the afternoon. However, the fourth quarter belonged to Kyler Murray. He finished 27-of-37 for 247 yards, and nearly half of that production came in the final frame, when he went 13-of-14 for 120 yards.
That fourth quarter showed a quarterback growing more confident within the scheme. Murray hit Jordan Addison on a nifty in-breaking RPO, fitting the ball into a tight window, and then threaded another one to T.J. Hockenson on a seam route. Minnesota still needs to see more from Murray, but things are trending in the right direction.
Loser: Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell
This is Kevin O’Connell‘s fifth season as the Vikings head coach. He has had the same offensive coordinator the entire time in Wes Phillips; quarterbacks coach Josh McCown is in his third year, and offensive line coach Keith Carter is in his second. So why can’t the offense line up properly and quickly?
The Vikings had 11 penalties for 85 yards on Sunday. They already have seven false starts, two delay of game penalties, an illegal shift, and an illegal formation. On Sunday, they had four false starts, an illegal formation, and an illegal shift. These are issues that get handled during the install period of training camp. With this much continuity, it’s hard to understand why they keep happening. It’s frustrating, and it keeps the conversation away from how the offense should be evolving schematically.
Winner: EDGE Dallas Turner
Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis had just 20 dropbacks on Sunday. Dallas Turner rushed on 14 of them, and per Pro Football Focus’ initial charting data, he produced five pressures and two sacks. That’s an incredible level of efficiency for a third-year player who now has 5.5 sacks on the season, his first as a starter.
The most encouraging part was how he won. Turner beat Austin Jackson in one-on-one situations, which was the main criticism of his game coming into this matchup. That kind of improvement looks sustainable, and it’s an element of growth that we were hoping to see after trading away Jonathan Greenard.
Winner: TE T.J. Hockenson
Last season, plenty of people were convinced Hockenson was washed. What they overlooked was the role he was asked to play, with the Vikings needing him to block and chip consistently. They didn’t need that on Sunday, and he delivered with 13 receptions for 119 yards on 13 targets.
His final catch came with the Vikings running out the clock. Had it come with five minutes to go, it likely would have been 121 yards and a touchdown. Instead, Hockenson showed his football IQ by going down in bounds and sealing the win. He caught passes up the seam, on dump-offs, and on choice routes. If this level of play continues, there may be a conversation about keeping him next year and signing him to another extension.
Loser: P Johnny Hekker
It’s easy to see why Hekker lost the starting job to Brett Thorson. On four punts, he lacked any consistency and shanked a couple of them badly, averaging just 37.75 yards per kick. His one touchback wasn’t really his fault, but one short punt gave the Dolphins great field position, and they scored a touchdown on that drive. The Vikings could use Brett Thorson back from his hamstring injury, who has already shown the ability to be a good punter capable of flipping the field.
Winner: KR Myles Price
Price is one of the best returners in football. He opened the game with a 47-yard kickoff return and added multiple strong punt returns, including a 36-yarder. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week last week and Special Teams Player of the Month for September for a reason. By the end of the season, he has a real chance to be considered one of the best in the league at the position.
Winner: RB Aaron Jones
Jones might be the MVP of this team so far. He has carried the running game since Jordan Mason suffered a broken thumb in the season opener. After a 100-yard game earlier this season, Jones ran for 94 yards on 20 carries against Miami. He isn’t breaking long runs, but he keeps finding chunks, and his 4.7 yards per carry is a strong number. He still sees the field incredibly well and has been a beacon of consistency.
He’s also holding things down while Jordan Mason continues to heal from a broken thumb. Jones himself has been banged up consistently, and it’s a real question whether or not he will end up being able to play all season. For now, Jones is holding it down.
Loser: WR Jauan Jennings
The Vikings signed Jennings to a one-year deal worth $8 million with an additional $5 million in bonuses available. The goal was to add a talented third receiver and elevate the room. Minnesota wasn’t trusting Tai Felton in that role, and despite a good camp, Felton hasn’t proven to be that guy either.
Through four games, Jennings has two catches for nine yards. He missed one game for personal reasons, and the injury to Josh Oliver should push the Vikings into more 11 personnel instead of 12, which likely means more work for Jennings. It isn’t a reason for major concern yet. Still, considering how much cap space Minnesota spent to bring him in, the lack of production is hard to ignore.
