KOC & Murray Sound Like a Broken Record
Four of six games below 280 yards. The Vikings’ offense needs more than optimism.https://t.co/OI1jQkDakR#vikings #SKOL
— The Viking Age (@TheVikingAge) October 27, 2026
Kevin O'Connell and Kyler Murray are starting to sound like a broken record
In another of what is set to just be the kind of games the Minnesota Vikings play this season, the defense carried an inconsistent offense in a 16-10 win over the reeling Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
For the fourth time in six games this season, the Vikings did not get to 280 yards of offense. The passing game remained disjointed and inconsistent, and the run game results were inflated by a 35-yard scamper by quarterback Kyler Murray.
Before now, the offense's struggles could be blamed on not having all the key pieces on the field at the same time for a full game. But that excuse was gone against the Colts, other than in-game exits by Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones, and yet still here we are wondering what's wrong and when it will get better.
There were some near-miss plays against the Colts, and some ill-timed penalties happened. But a vulnerable Colts' defense should've been easier to have success against.
Kevin O'Connell and Kyler Murray still think the Vikings' offense will be ok
After the game, Murray said something that makes you wonder if he is watching the same offense the rest of us are.
"I felt like we moved the ball today. [I know] nobody wants to hear that. We gotta put the ball in the end zone, but we did some good things. We’ll get better.”
At some point, Murray's "we'll get better" sentiment has to show in the results on a consistent basis, and against defenses that aren't the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. It's become a punchline from him in post-game pressers, which he more or less acknowledged.
As the other face of what the Vikings' offense does or doesn't do, head coach Kevin O'Connell had plenty to say about what happened Sunday.
"There were nine explosives on offense, but we left a lot out there,” O’Connell said. “I think our guys are very confident that we’re not far off. And the ‘far off’ changes a little bit as you go. But I’m very confident we’ll get it going. I would’ve liked to run it a little bit better than we did.”
On the idea of the offense not being "far off", O'Connell was asked what he thinks the "last step there" is.
"[We had a pass] off the fingertips to Jauan [Jennings] on one play,” O’Connell said. "Obviously late there. Some penalties. Just some inefficient runs....Whether it’s pass game or run game, when we stack positive plays, we move the football. We got ourselves into some third-and-longers."
O'Connell then offered up some of his usual language salad, using a lot of words to say absolutely nothing anyone listening should think of as meaningful, before finishing his soliloquy about how close the offense is.
"You can’t get down on it right now, just because it’s still relatively early enough that we’re catching our stride. But at the same time, we know, with the type of teams that are gonna be on our schedule the rest of the way and where we want to go with this team, we’ll keep progressing.”
There is still some allowable leeway, since there has been one full game in the first six where the Vikings have had all the pieces of the offense they expected to have. But at some point, there has to proof in the word pudding and the mistakes/near-misses in execution have to be reduced.
With an upcoming schedule that includes road trips to Detroit and Green Bay, as well as primetime games against the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings' offense needs to get its kinks worked out in quick fashion.
If not, a 6-0 start could dissolve into something closely resembling a .500 record by Thanksgiving.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
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Trade for JT. (A 2nd max) It’ll be ok. KOC has some sort of lucky charm up his ass because he wins close games.
I also think they’re close to getting to a functional offense and I’m certainly not surprised it is taking a while. It’s just ridiculous that it’s taken this long and they should have been close to functional beginning the season.
AGRforever wrote:
Trade for JT. (A 2nd max) It’ll be ok. KOC has some sort of lucky charm up his ass because he wins close games.
Must have been some sort of Monkey Paw Curls type of situation, because he’s managing to tank his reputation so badly while winning so much, which feels like it should be impossible.
It feels to me like KOC is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. He is calling a run first game without game changing RBs. I love Aaron Jones. He's all heart and has great vision. Mason is very good as well. But KM's strength is improvising as a passer and a runner. And we have perhaps the best WR 1&2 combination in the league. It only makes sense that we pass to set up the run rather than the other way around
We just witnessed our third stringer learn another team’s offense to the point he’s performing well - within a few weeks of getting there. Here we are making excuses about how it “takes time” to learn KOC’s system. It’s ridiculous.
Im of two minds on this.
First under KOC Vikings have won the last 11 in a row. Have been 14-3, 13-4, largest comeback in NFL history. So he is doing something right.
Second he reminds me of Sark and Arch in Texas. Instead of playing to the QB strength it appears he wants them to adapt. (Square peg round hole) as someone brilliantly said.
Havoc wrote:
We just witnessed our third stringer learn another team’s offense to the point he’s performing well - within a few weeks of getting there. Here we are making excuses about how it “takes time” to learn KOC’s system. It’s ridiculous.
I've heard some speculation that the Vikings offense may be too Jefferson centric which is why some of it can be clunky at times. Nothing to substantiate that, but it may be why some of our QBs have struggled with it at first. If you're pure progression reads on any number of passing plays start with Jefferson and the defense takes him away, the second or third options playing off that are open, but the QB may get to them late if they don't have experience in the offense and then it's too late. Not sure if this is true, just throwing it out there...
I dunno, maybe throw a SLANT once in a while
There's a fascinating range of outcomes this week for the Vikings.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 30, 2026
If they win, they should start to finally get respect as genuine Super Bowl contenders at 7-0.
If they lose and Kyler Murray struggles, we could have a full-blown quarterback controversy next week.
No reason to not play well, let’s go!
KOC says the only player who is questionable is Jay Ward. Aaron Jones is good to go
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) October 30, 2026
MAD GAINZ wrote:
This is why KOC gets so much love as a play designer. He can get guys open for explosives if the QB reads it right and gets the ball out on time.
Or make sure you put in the preparation during the week. Someone on that side of the ball is being questioned. Not sure who that is, but clearly JJ sees it that way.
StickierBuns wrote:
https://x.com/willragatz/status/2116260337330581511?a=L-YZsEE4spkWcC_8MP8&s=46
If we win, it'll be all about the Lions not being a true contender and their defensive issues are holding them back since they lost to the Vikings. Meanwhile, the media will still not talk about Minnesota as one of the best teams in the NFC.
MAD GAINZ wrote:
If we win, it'll be all about the Lions not being a true contender and their defensive issues are holding them back since they lost to the Vikings. Meanwhile, the media will still not talk about Minnesota as one of the best teams in the NFC.
Colin Cowherd will move us up from 13th to 12th in his power rankings. Progress! 😍
MAD GAINZ wrote:
If we win, it'll be all about the Lions not being a true contender and their defensive issues are holding them back since they lost to the Vikings. Meanwhile, the media will still not talk about Minnesota as one of the best teams in the NFC.
Ha! Probably. But I think even the doubters would have to recalibrate their opinion of the Vikings if they go into Ford Field and steal one from the Kitties. Widely considered the best division in football, the Vikings would be 3-0 within the North, the Lions 1-1, the Bears 0-2, the vaunted Packers 1-2.
"The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth." —Garry Kasparov
MAD GAINZ wrote:
If we win, it'll be all about the Lions not being a true contender and their defensive issues are holding them back since they lost to the Vikings. Meanwhile, the media will still not talk about Minnesota as one of the best teams in the NFC.
Yep, of course. To me its completely fine....be good when it matters, in December. The media will sniff the wind then and the flowers will come. Again, I can't tell you how advantageous it is to be 6-0, I just hope they can continue to look good because its ok to lose a few sporadically, just don't go on a 4 game losing streak and everything will be ok.
Havoc wrote:
We just witnessed our third stringer learn another team’s offense to the point he’s performing well - within a few weeks of getting there. Here we are making excuses about how it “takes time” to learn KOC’s system. It’s ridiculous.
😡 You have no idea how pissed / frustrated I am with that trade and watching him do well.
mblack wrote:
😡 You have no idea how pissed / frustrated I am with that trade and watching him do well.
For me, I'm wishing that kid the best. He's got a ways to go to show some consistency, but one game at a time. Harbaugh might be the HC to understand how to use him. 🤷♂️
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