This relationship created commentary for a reason.

Two high-profile NFL figures, two completely different styles.

The Vikings, Kevin O’Connell and Kyler Murray remain in the tinkering stage on offense. They’re making up for lost time:https://t.co/C6MWsEnCN6

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) October 6, 2026

Why the Kyler Murray-led Vikings offense is (understandably) taking some time to jell

EAGAN, Minn. — The relationship was paid an exorbitant amount of offseason attention. It was genuinely compelling.

On one side, you had Kevin O’Connell, the respected Minnesota Vikings coach, a proven winner in the regular season. On the other, you had quarterback Kyler Murray, a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick, but a polarizing talent.

These two prominent figures joined forces for a franchise with expectations. Their complementary strengths added to the intrigue.

For years, the Vikings offense operated from under center, pairing a zone-based run game with detailed play-action concepts. Murray, meanwhile, arrived with extensive shotgun experience. How the team and player would bridge these two worlds was one of the most highly debated subjects heading into this season.

Plenty of analysts believed the Vikings would adapt successfully. Others questioned the fit. Four games of inventory have only amplified the questions as the Vikings’ other two units — defense and special teams — are proving to be elite.

If Sunday’s often-ugly victory over the Miami Dolphins revealed anything, it’s that the Vikings remain in the tinkering stage.

O’Connell acknowledged as much Monday.

“We’re doing some different things in an effort to try to start figuring out what exactly we want to be (offensively),” he said. “(We’re) trying to get Kyler comfortable.”

That sentiment was borne out in fundamental ways.

First and foremost, the Vikings lined up in the shotgun formation 54 times Sunday, the most in a game since O’Connell was hired in 2022. Minnesota ran the ball 18 times out of those shotgun sets, a significant jump from any of O’Connell’s previous games as a play caller.

On an even deeper level, the Vikings sprinkled in pocket movement on third downs. They also utilized staple passing concepts.

Pre-snap penalties and interior pressure prevented these shifts from working until the fourth quarter. Finally, though, Murray settled in and seemed at ease with what he was being asked to do, completing 13 of his last 14 passes. Two of them, a seam pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson and an over-the-middle hit to receiver Jordan Addison, required pinpoint accuracy and anticipation.

So what will Murray’s next iteration of growth look like? What did the Vikings staff take from his performance that’s worth building around? And how can Murray take the late-game success and use it to fuel more consistency?

The potential answers to these questions come with major ramifications. More shotgun sets might affect an already struggling run game. Fewer downfield pass attempts could shrink an already concerning lack of explosiveness. None of this will get any easier with left guard Donovan Jackson’s torn meniscus or left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s concussion.

“In general, you’re learning about your team and offense throughout a year and learning a lot early in the season,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said last week. “I also think that’s why you have a lot of plays that you install throughout an offseason and training camp. It’s not always, ‘We’re installing everything because we’re going to run everything.’ You’re trying to run enough schemes and concepts and protections to figure out, ‘Hey, what are we really good at?’”

In several respects, the Vikings find themselves straddling varying schematic worlds. Former quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens offered proof of concept for an under-center, play-action attack. O’Connell insinuated last week that Murray is bought in to this approach.

But Murray’s best seasons came when he played a different style. In 2019, for example, when Murray was named Rookie of the Year, the Arizona Cardinals played almost 88 percent of their snaps from the shotgun.

This intersects with two fairly significant offseason changes in Minnesota. The Vikings hired former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who brought with him new motions and ball-handling techniques after spending four seasons in a primarily shotgun-oriented system. Minnesota also elevated Keith Carter to offensive line coach, diving headfirst into an outside zone-based approach that requires offensive linemen to run off the ball.

This is the football equivalent of welding together different types of metal. It takes a considerable amount of brainpower and skill to come up with something cohesive, and every choice brings its own issues. Rushing attempts from under center demand different aiming points and angles. Any wrong track can torpedo a play.

The same goes for the intricacies of the passing game.

“If you’re going to be in the pistol,” O’Connell said last week, “that could change the timing of trying to make the throw a hitch-and-a-half kind of throw. Those are the conversations we’re having on every play that goes in.”

Summer workouts, training camp and the preseason exist so that teams can iron out these issues. The Vikings are making up for lost time.

They chose to conduct a quarterback competition this offseason between Murray and J.J. McCarthy, effectively halving the available reps for several months. Murray also played only nine preseason snaps, limiting his exposure to the in-game commotion.

Then, in Week 1, Murray suffered a concussion. Three drives into his Vikings career, he evaded the pocket to the right and was sandwiched by two Green Bay Packers defenders. Missing the Week 2 matchup with the Chicago Bears postponed further progress.

If anything, Sunday’s showing epitomized the give and take that was always going to be necessary for the staff to get the most out of the players, which is what made this marriage so fascinating from the beginning.