EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The unbeaten Minnesota Vikings won another game behind a suffocating defense and sterling special teams, while their offense remained disjointed and uninspiring for a restless home crowd.
Lost in the din of another grind-it-out win and the mild booing sparked by a series of stalled possessions, however, was a promising fourth-quarter performance by Kyler Murray when the Vikings needed their passing attack the most.
Perhaps that was
a sign the offense will be just fine with more time. Maybe it'll prove to be a mirage. More likely, the results over the remainder of the season will land somewhere in the middle. Nonetheless, Murray and his teammates gained some vital steam with their finish against Miami on Sunday that gave the Vikings a 4-0 record.
After completing 12 of 13 passes for 112 yards in the fourth quarter of the 15-10 victory, helping the Vikings get eight first downs and hold the ball for 14 of 15 minutes, Murray said he felt “present” in a way he hadn't experienced yet with his new club.
“I definitely felt like the game was moving slower,” Murray said. “I was a little more in control, not perfect by any means, but to be able to get that many reps like I did today, play four quarters again, see defenses, see coverages, see guys moving around and getting to the field zones in man coverages, all that, you can’t put a price tag on that playing this position. I think we’re only going to get better.”
Murray went 27 of 37 for 249 yards, including six throwaways and three drops by intended receivers. The combination of the game-long commitment by the Dolphins to playing split-safety coverage and the absence of star Justin Jefferson made the intermediate and deep passes more difficult. Murray repeatedly held the ball in the pocket too long, taking four sacks against a team that had none over the first three games.
But he leaned hard on tight end T.J. Hockenson and connected with Jordan Addison for a crucial 27-yard gain on a tough throw to an in-cutting route at midfield with about four minutes left.
“I thought it said a lot about Kyler and the group as a whole, fighting through some adversity there,” coach Kevin O'Connell said.
Murray's preseason work on a demanding playbook was affected some by the competition with J.J. McCarthy, limiting his turns with the first team until he was announced as the starter on Aug. 11.
Then he was sidelined in the first quarter of his debut by a concussion that kept him out the following week, too. In Murray's return, Jefferson had an injury force an early exit. The duo has played only 18 snaps together through four games.
The Vikings, not coincidentally, are the only team in the last 90 years, according to Sportradar data, to start a season 4-0 and have at least two games with no offensive touchdowns.
“There’s no lack of confidence by any means,” Murray said. “Obviously we’ve got to be better and cleaner, and we will be.”
The pass defense was in prime form against the Dolphins, limiting Malik Willis to nine completions in 17 attempts. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks per pass attempt and rank fourth in yards allowed per pass play.
The Vikings, on the flip side, are second-worst in the league in sacks allowed per pass attempt. Protection, decision-making and play-calling are all factors.
Hockenson tied his career high with 13 receptions for 119 yards, his fifth career game with a 100% catch rate. Eight of his receptions went for first downs, and he picked up more blocking responsibility, too, after fellow tight end Josh Oliver suffered a torn biceps that likely ended his season. With his fourth 100-yard game for the Vikings, Hockenson tied Joe Senser for most by a tight end in team history.
With rookie Brett Thorson out for a second straight game because of a hamstring injury, veteran Johnny Hekker had punts that grossed only 31 and 20 yards.
The Vikings got some bad news Monday on left guard Donovan Jackson, who likely will miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is in the concussion protocol and uncertain for this week, along with Jefferson and his sprained ankle.
26.1 — The percentage of opponent possessions against the Vikings that have resulted in points, the best rate in the league.
The Vikings play this week at New Orleans, where a noisy stadium could pose a problem with their susceptibility to pre-snap penalties. The offense had five of them against Miami, including an illegal formation call that negated a 21-yard pass from Murray to Addison in the first quarter.
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