Coller: Kyler Murray Showed Vikings His Full Potential in Win vs. Saints (Why That Matters & What's Next)

It's time to put most concerns behind us.

It's taken some time for things to ramp up, but Kyler Murray's performance in Week 5 may have shown Vikings fans exactly what he's capable of. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 5 of the NFL was defined by madness, crazy finishes and unexpected results. There was a tie, an overtime blocked field goal and a nose tackle-long snapper situation. It was easy to overlook one Vikings player's performance that may impact the remainder of the season.

That would be quarterback Kyler Murray’s 24-for-30 passing day in the Vikings' 23-13 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Murray produced 224 passing yards and 51 rushing yards, as well as a breathtaking touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson (h/t NFL) and zero turnovers. Pro Football Focus graded him the sixth-best quarterback in Week 5, and ESPN’s QBR scored him as having the seventh-best performance.

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While it’s easy to overlook Murray’s play because it came against the Saints, who entered having allowed the most points in the NFL and because the Vikings only put up 23 points (thanks to two red zone fumbles), there were things that happened in the game that showed the potential of what Murray can be in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

Vikings' offensive outlook is bright with Kyler Murray under center

One reason to be excited for the Vikings' offensive outlook is Murray's connection with Jefferson.

All summer long, Murray and Jefferson connected in training camp on downfield passes. When the season arrived, Murray got hurt 11 plays into the opening game and then when he came back, Jefferson got hurt on the first drive. In their first game together, Murray found him six times on seven targets for 79 yards. 

As a reminder, every quarterback who has ever directed passes in Jefferson’s direction except J.J. McCarthy has had immense success. Here are the passer ratings when targeting Jefferson from 2020 to 2024 (per PFF):

• 116.4
• 113.9
• 107.8
• 109.8
• 106.3

Murray hasn’t had a connection like that since he played with DeAndre Hopkins early in his career. Maybe you noticed the Cardinals just traded Marvin Harrison Jr.—their supposed “generational” receiver—to the Texans over the weekend.

The other thing Murray has thrived on during his career is finding the tight end. Over the last two weeks, he has comfortably done so. Against the Dolphins, he went 13-for-13 throwing to T.J. Hockenson and when Hockenson got injured early against the Saints, he continued to work the ball to backup TE Gavin Bartholomew, who had five receptions in the game. 

The Vikings' TE room—especially T.J. Hockenson—has benefited greatly from having Kyler Murray under center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It seems Murray and O’Connell are on the same page with quick passing, as Murray completed 11-of-11 throws between zero and nine yards from the line of scrimmage. In previous years, he’s been one of the most accurate QBs in the NFL on short passes, completing 82.8% in 2024. He’s currently the NFL leader at 90% on quick throws. 

That’s the sign that it’s working. But the sign that Murray is really getting into a groove is his playmaking confidence outside of the structure of the play. 

Scrambling to success

Murray's scrambling was a throwback to previous years when he was considered one of the most difficult quarterbacks to capture in the NFL.

He converted third downs by either taking advantage of deep coverage or blowing past pass rushers who were trying to track him down. His most impressive play was an instant escape act with star rusher Chase Young in his grill. He spun backward, rolled out and found running back DeeJay Dallas for a third-and-11 conversion. It was a Heisman Murray play. 

Kyler Murray's mobility was on full display in Week 5, and it needs to remain the case going forward. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Combining that type of QB performance with a running game that’s been successful despite missing Jordan Mason for four weeks, the No. 1 defense and No. 1 special teams unit in the NFL could give the Vikings a chance to seriously contend in the NFC, especially with only one other team standing out above the rest thus far (49ers). 

Despite early results, there's more left to prove

As the Vikings go into the difficult part of their schedule after the bye week, when they face the Lions, Bills, 49ers and Packers, they will need one thing that has eluded Murray throughout his career: Consistency.

In 2024, Murray led the Cardinals to a 6-4 record and had a 100.8 passer rating, only for them to win only two games the rest of the season as Murray struggled. In 2021, Arizona opened with seven straight wins before finishing with only 11 and a first-round exit from the playoffs. 

The season is still young, so we can’t turn one strong showing into evidence that the Vikings will be holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year. However, we can say that the model for them winning games is clear, and it’s going to take high efficiency, protecting the football and playmaking from Murray.

For the first time vs. New Orleans, Vikings fans saw all of that come together.

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