Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Can The Vikings Beat The Dolphins?

Big game vs the Dolphins who should NOT be overlooked. A lot of folks believe it is a “trap” game but I agree with Pete Bercich who said here …

Pete Bercich heavily emphasized that “in the modern NFL, every single week is a trap game.”

Bercich argues that treating one specific opponent as a “trap” implies other weeks are safe. His core philosophy is that the talent margin between a 3-0 team and an 0-3 team in the NFL is razor-thin. If a team lacks focus for even one half, they will get beat.

… The Vikings

cannot afford to overlook any opponent especially with the offense struggling to have success. The Dolphins will try to duplicate what the Bucs were doing which was sitting on all the routed and not being worried about deep shots. That is what Jonathan Vilma was saying throughout the broadcast. The Bucs were not worried about the deep shots and that is probably why Addison got two shots completing one of them for a TD.

I think it is probably not going to look a lot better. Maybe a little better? This offense is built around Justin Jefferson and without him it changes things up a lot. Addison now gets the chance to prove he can be like a Devonta Smith.

I like the Vikings to win but I do not expect a blow out unless the offense explodes.

What do you think?

There are going to be some good college games today! Here are a few with some of the players I want to watch.

7 Alabama at 16 Mississippi State
Zabien Brown | Alabama | CB | 6’0″ | 192 | JR
Yhonzae Pierre | Alabama | EDGE | 6’3″ | 248 | RJR
Bray Hubbard | Alabama | S | 6’2″ | 213 | SR
Keon Sabb | Alabama | S | 6’1″ | 204 | RSR
Kelley Jones | Mississippi State | CB | 6’3″ | 195 | RJR
Isaac Smith | Mississippi State | S | 6’0″ | 205 | SR

Fluff Bothwell | Mississippi State | RB | 5’10” | 230 | JR

8 Florida at 25 Missouri
Jadan Baugh | Florida | RB | 6’1″ | 230 | JR
Bryce Thornton | Florida | S | 5’10” | 212 | SR
Cayden Green | Missouri | OT | 6’5″ | 324 | SR

Ahmad Hardy | Missouri | RB | 5’9″ | 210 | JR

5 Ohio State at 14 Iowa
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. | Ohio State | EDGE | 6’5″ | 265 | RSR
Luke Montgomery | Ohio State | OG | 6’4″ | 312 | SR
Jaylen McClain | Ohio State | S | 6’0″ | 201 | JR
Carson Hinzman | Ohio State | OC | 6’4″ | 300 | RSR
Qua Russaw | Ohio State | EDGE | 6’2″ | 243 | RJR
Earl Little Jr. | Ohio State | S | 6’1″ | 199 | RSR
Kade Pieper | Iowa | OG | 6’3″ | 300 | RJR

Zach Lutmer | Iowa | S | 6’0″ | 205 | RJR

Homer Alert!
Washington at 18 USC
Drew Azzopardi | Washington | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | RSR
Alex McLaughlin | Washington | S | 6’1″ | 200 | SR
Jayden Maiava | USC | QB | 6’4″ | 230 | RSR
Alani Noa | USC | OG | 6’3″ | 315 | SR
Jontez Williams | USC | CB | 5’11” | 200 | RSR

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Justin Jefferson Injury Update: Vikings reveal status for Sunday, and here’s what it means
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/justin-jefferson-injury-update-vikings-reveal-status-for-sunday-and-heres-what-it-means/

Kevin O’Connell addresses the game plan without Justin Jefferson
O’Connell was asked how Jefferson’s absence affects the game plan against the Dolphins.

“I think it’s better for the rest of the group knowing the plan, knowing you know where they’re going to align, knowing how we’re going to call personnel groupings to get certain guys in the spots we want,” said O’Connell. “We’ve been able to practice it. Some guys, including some of our young guys who have been here, like a Tai Felton or a Myles Price. It was their kind of first time going through it a little bit, as well as Jauan [Jennings]. You know, Jauan being out there and being asked to do a little bit more than just maybe the position he’s gotten the reps at throughout the week of a game plan. So across the board, I think everybody will be much more comfortable, and I’m excited to see those guys play after kind of the week of prep we just got out of those guys.”

Vikings Against Dolphins Week 4 Game Preview
https://www.vikings.com/news/dolphins-week-4-game-preview-2026

Minnesota won last weekend but lost tight end Josh Oliver for the season when he tore his biceps while protecting on Will Reichard’s penultimate field goal, which sailed through the uprights with 3:10 left in the contest. Players like 2025 sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew will step up to fill in for Oliver, but no one will be able to replicate his impact or match his sheer size.

Oliver, whose nickname from former QB Kirk Cousins is “The Sears Tower,” is valued enormously for his in-line run-blocking ability. But he’s also an underrated — and surehanded — receiver. In 50 games for Minnesota, he’s trapped 62 of 80 targets (77.5%) for 677 yards and nine touchdowns. Oliver owns the highest receiver pass rating (139.4) among TEs targeted at least 40 times since he joined Minnesota in 2023. While the likes of George Kittle (134), Tucker Kraft (128.7) and Isaiah Likely (127.3) have been thrown to more often, the stat underscores Oliver is reliable.

There’s confidence in players rising in relief of the 6-foot-5, 264-pounder. T.J. Hockenson, for one, expressed this week that he’s getting ready to take on a larger workload — about 60% of his snaps have been in the pass phase, according to Pro Football Focus; whereas Oliver’s share leaned 70% run. Bartholomew is expected to see an increased role, as well.

“I really like his play demeanor. He’s got a good way about him,” Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips said to local reporters Tuesday about Bartholomew. “He’s excited about being out there. He was physical on the snaps that he was playing. He does have talent in his body. He’s got twitch. He’s got some uncoil in the run game, and some twitch in the pass game. So, I’m excited to see him go out there really for the first time with some significant snaps.”

Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels explained there’s a “huge void” on special teams to boot with the news on Oliver and he also extended some big-time belief in Bartholomew.

“With the more reps and the more exposure that he continues to get, he’s finding himself in some really good positions,” Daniels shared. “He’s a lot more savvy than he might appear. He can work edges. He’s strong at the point of attack. He can get off blocks. He can strain [on KOR]. I’m really excited about where we can go with him and just being able to utilize his traits and his attributes, and what he’s able to do on the football field.”

Is This a Trap Game for Vikings Against Dolphins?
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/trap-game-vikings-against-dolphins-140559089.html

Vikings’ Kyler Murray Gets Blunt Message Amid Offensive Concerns
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-kyler-murray-gets-blunt-085929176.html

Despite concerns about how Murray and the Vikings offense looked against Tampa Bay, Dallas Turner has faith in the former No. 1 pick to lead them.

“I’ll just say, Kyler is definitely a very, very athletic quarterback,” Turner said during a Sept. 30 appearance on “Good Morning Football.” “I kind of saw it during camp when I was trying to get a move around, and then you still have to tap off or try to just get near Kyler. This is doggone impossible, if you ask me, during practice.

“But definitely an athletic quarterback. You can tell he’s a leader on the offensive side of the ball, and a lot of guys on the offensive side and on the defensive side trust him a lot.”
…
“I think there is now a massive Kyler conversation that is coming, that is happening,” Brandt said in a Sept. 30 video from “Big Day.” “Going into the season, Kyler Murray was an NFC North topic. Where do the Vikings fall? It now becomes not only an NFC topic, but an NFL topic. I almost look at it like going into the season, how we looked at C.J. Stroud in the AFC.

“Dude, just get it on the fairway for us. Give us a B-, and we can do some big things. I know what we’re getting from him; I don’t know what we’re getting from Kyler. I don’t know if he knows what he’s getting from Kyler. But Kyler Murray, with the emergence of this defense, has become one of the most important quarterbacks in the NFL because he’s good. They can be unstoppable.”
…
Even with the concerns, after the win in Tampa, Murray stated that he believes that the Vikings offense will improve with more time to gel; he was also critical of himself and knows there’s room for improvement as the team looks to go 4-0 when they face the Miami Dolphins in Week 4.

“There were some throws I missed,” Murray told reporters postgame on Sept. 27. “I felt, for my first game, first full game since October last year, I felt like I started to slow down for me. But at the end of the day, it just wasn’t offensively; we weren’t just on the same page.

“It was a miss here, a miss there, a penalty here, a penalty there, and it just kind of piled up. But at the end of the day, we got the job done. Team effort, and we’re leaving here with a win.”

Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw expresses confidence that their offense will see an uptick soon
https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/vikings-lt-christian-darrisaw-expresses-confidence-that-their-offense-will-see-an-uptick-soon/

Giants sign OLB Jihad Ward off Vikings practice squad
https://www.giants.com/news/giants-sign-olb-jihad-ward-off-minnesota-vikings-practice-squad-roster-moves-week-4

Kyler Murray and KOC’s Conundrum
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/kyler-murray-koc-catch-22

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson: Aiming to return Week 5
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/vikings-justin-jefferson-aiming-to-return-week-5/

Making Sense of the Vikings’ Flurry of Week 4 Roster Moves
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/making-sense-of-the-vikings-flurry-of-week-4-roster-moves-01m3wj6704pe

Vikings Climb Three Spots in Latest ESPN Power Rankings
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-climb-three-spots-latest-110032687.html

Vikings named frauds despite 3-0 start, and that couldn’t be further from the truth
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-named-frauds-despite-3-172101096.html

Vikings Sign CB Natrone Brooks to Practice Squad
https://www.vikings.com/news/practice-squad-signing-cornerback-natrone-brooks

The Vikings’ Cap Situation After the QB Trade
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/the-vikings-cap-qb-trade

How Caleb Banks Is Slowly Rewarding Vikings’ Patience (and What Could Happen in Week 4)
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/how-caleb-banks-slowly-rewarding-vikings-patience-and-what-could-happen-in-week-4-01m3s8v78j61

Vikings Urged to Make Another Big Quarterback Trade
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/anthony-richardson-nfl-news-mccarthy-murray/

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named Minnesota one of two potential suitors for Indianapolis Colts former No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson.

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell is receiving far too much criticism, and there is one aspect fans are missing
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-hc-kevin-oconnell-is-receiving-far-too-much-criticism-and-there-is-one-aspect-fans-are-missing/

Since O’Connell took over, the Vikings have had 20 Players of the Week on offense, defense, and special teams collectively. That’s one for every 3.55 games played. This year alone, Minnesota has had back-to-back Special Teams Players of the Week, with Isaiah Rodgers earning one for his field goal block against the Chicago Bears and Myles Price last week for his punt return touchdown.

Players are maximizing their potential in Minnesota. Rogers was a value signing at two years, just over $11 million. He earned the first-ever Pro Football Focus grade of 99.9 and won Defensive Player of the Week in 2025’s Week 3 before doubling down as Special Teams Player of the Week this season. Levi Drake Rodriguez has also been Special Teams Player of the Week thanks to a blocked field goal.

It’s not just the players who are recognized league wide; the Vikings have developed some impressive players. Josh Oliver has been a catalyst for offensive success, especially helping the offensive line through injuries. Aaron Jones has played really good football during his three years. They’ve developed Jordan Addison nicely, Christian Darrisaw has emerged as a superstar under O’Connell’s watch, and Justin Jefferson had his best season in 2022 with over 1,800 receiving yards and won Offensive Player of the Year.

That’s 20 Players of the Week, six Players of the Month, and one Player of the Year. Are you going to give all that credit to Brian Flores? That’s not how this works.

The quarterbacks quote needs context
A lot of the frustration traces back to the McCarthy experiment. It didn’t work, and people point to O’Connell’s quote about organizations failing young quarterbacks. He said Monday that the quote “needs a lot of context.” He was speaking from a 30,000-foot view:

“No guy comes out of college the same these days, how they see the field, what you’re going to try to teach them from a standpoint of your progressions, and I just think as a whole, there’s not enough emphasis put on the organization’s role in the development of the position. Meaning, I do believe this. I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations. And that’s not there’s no specific example in my mind that I could give you of a team or a quarterback just overall 30,000 foot view.”

He’s right. That context matters because there is a 30,000-foot view where organizations are too brash. That doesn’t mean moving on early from a quarterback is wrong. Only time will tell how good McCarthy can be, but he was likely never going to reach his ceiling in Minnesota.

The second part of O’Connell’s quote drives that point home:

“I think it’s important to understand that every single one of these guys is on a journey, a very difficult journey, that they need the support, they need the teammates around them. They need the systems in place to ultimately try to maximize who they are and what their potential is, because you’re still drafting players rich off of potential. And then everything that happens from that moment to when that potential becomes is really on the organization, if you’ve got the right guy that you’re bringing in.

J.J. McCarthy shocked by Giants trade, but the Vikings’ decision came months ago
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/j-j-mccarthy-shocked-giants-134119061.html

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy called his trade from the Minnesota Vikings to the New York Giants a shock, but the former No. 10 overall pick had watched Minnesota build its plans around another quarterback since March.

The Giants sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota for McCarthy on Sept. 28. “When I got the call here, it was a shock,” he said Friday via ESPN. “I didn’t anticipate it, but at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity.”

Eli Manning Gets Blunt on J.J. McCarthy After Vikings-Giants Trade
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/eli-manning-jj-mccarthy-giants-trade/

“He’s a young kid,” Manning said during a Sept. 30 appearance on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.” “For whatever reason, it did not work in Minnesota. But the kid’s 20-something, 21, 22 years old, and it’s a lot thrown at you. So I think it’s just a fresh start coming in this year. I don’t think they’re, I don’t know the game plan, but I don’t think he’s expected to come in and, hey, you’re going to start playing right away.

“You got Jameis Winston, a veteran. Give him time. Hey, learn the system, be around, just relax a little bit, and who knows? Just kind of a restart and give this guy a chance. Maybe down the road, he could be a backup for a little bit, be a project and see what happens. He’s had success and is a young kid, and I think there’s a chance he can make this a turnaround opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy shared his early verdict on what he’s seen from McCarthy since the trade on Sept. 28.

“He’s done well since he’s been here,” Nagy told reporters on Oct. 1. “I didn’t do a whole lot on him coming out, so I didn’t know a whole lot about him, but I talked to a lot of people, got a lot of good reviews back from it, and I think that really the last 48 hours that he’s been here, just like most guys, they’re going to come in here and grind and then dig into it.

“It’s crazy because you’re basically taking all of OTAs, just trying to learn the foundation, which guys have done in five or six months, and now taking that into two days. So he’s done a great job with it. We’re impressed. It’s impressive. But at the same point in time, too, we also understand that it can be a lot. So there’s a little bit of a balance.”

Why Giants Decided to Trade for J.J. McCarthy
Furthermore, Amazon Prime’s NFL insider, James Palmer, recently shared why New York opted to pursue McCarthy over other options to improve their depth after Dart’s season-ending injury.

“The other part is playing style,” Palmer said in a Sept. 29 video on his X account. “That played a big part because Matt Nagy and that entire offensive staff spent the entire offseason coming into town with John Harbaugh and putting into place an offense that was designed around a quarterback who is mobile, a quarterback who can use his legs, a quarterback who can kind of throw on the move.

“Those are things that Jaxson Dart was great at, and those are things that J.J. McCarthy can do as well. That’s why you see oftentimes there are a lot of similarities in some buildings between the backup and the quarterback’s strengths in this.”

“And then in regards to, I do believe there’s some times where things just don’t work out, and then getting a chance to wipe the slate clean and get a restart, while still using your previous experiences to kind of shape how you’re going to work, why you’re going to work, why things are important to you, will only make guys better in the end, and I’ve seen some examples of that in our league as well over the last few years.”

The Vikings Created the J.J. McCarthy Myth
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/the-vikings-created-the-j-j-mccarthy-myth/

No matter what you think caused McCarthy to fail, it may not be wrong. But when it comes to the McCarthy myth, the Vikings should take full responsibility.
…
The problem was that the Vikings felt like they needed to take a quarterback. Kirk Cousins had just left town to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. While the Vikings had signed Sam Darnold, nobody – perhaps not even the Vikings – knew that he would lead them to 14 wins during the 2024 season.

But that usually leads to more issues. The Vikings have made a habit of this, taking Garrett Bradbury when they needed a center in the 2019 draft. Even though they got Justin Jefferson in the 2020 class, that came after they had traded Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills and left Mike Zimmer sweating because they still needed a corner with their second first-round pick.

When the Vikings failed to trade up for Maye, they felt they had to take a quarterback with the 11th-overall pick and even moved up one pick to select McCarthy.

That decision left plenty of talent on the board. With T.J. Hockenson coming off a significant knee injury, Brock Bowers would have made plenty of sense. Byron Murphy II would have created plenty of confusion with his cornerback counterpart, Byron Murphy Jr., but also would have given the Vikings an impact player in the middle of the defensive line.

Second-guessing a draft pick is nothing new. You can always play the “They should have taken him!” game when a draft pick doesn’t pan out. But the problem was the myth of McCarthy kept getting bigger.

McCarthy had notable flaws coming out of Michigan. He was a quarterback who won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh, but only threw the ball 713 times during his collegiate career. Still with a big arm, a 6’3”, 197 lb. frame, and an infrastructure to elevate him, many felt like O’Connell could iron things out and produce a long-term solution at the position.

From there, the legend grew. McCarthy improved after his first minicamp and played well in his first preseason game in the summer of 2024. While McCarthy tore his meniscus in that game, O’Connell declared the Vikings had found their franchise quarterback, heightening expectations among the fanbase.

“Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback in the building,” O’Connell said at the time.

The J.J. McCarthy Debacle Has Replaced Christian Ponder As the QB Punchline In Minnesota
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/the-jj-mccarthy-debacle-has-replaced-christian-ponder-as-the-qb-punchline-in-minnesota/

Yore Mock

Trade with BAL
Received: Pick #29 (1st Round), Pick #61 (2nd Round)
Sent: Pick #20 (1st Round)
…
Trade with LAC
Received: Pick #112 (4th Round)
Sent: Pick #144 (5th Round), Pick #146 (5th Round)
…
Pick 1.29 Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss: 6’0″, 210 lbs
Pick 2.52 Iapani Laloulu, OC, Oregon: 6’2″, 325 lbs
Pick 2.61 Will Heldt, EDGE, Clemson: 6’6″, 260 lbs
Pick 3.84 Luke Reynolds, TE, Virginia Tech: 6’4″, 250 lbs
Pick 3.90 Ben Roberts, LB, Texas Tech: 6’3″, 245 lbs
Pick 4.112 DJ McKinney, CB, Notre Dame: 6’2″, 180 lbs
Pick 5.158 Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia: 5’9″, 203 lbs
Pick 6.184 Earl Little Jr., S, Ohio State: 6’2″, 190 lbs
Pick 6.199 Carlos Hernandez, WR, Wake Forest: 6’0″, 190 lbs
Pick 7.212 Joe Brunner, OG, Indiana: 6’7″, 320 lbs