After months of anticipation, the day finally arrived on Sunday. Kyler Murray’s first start under center as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback. Murray won the job in a training camp battle with JJ McCarthy, sparking the conversation about who will start under center in Minnesota and whether Kevin O’Connell can work the same magic with Murray as he did with Sam Darnold and other quarterbacks.
If Murray’s first pass attempt with the Vikings is any indication, that magic may be hard to recapture.
Faced with Minnesota’s 2nd-and-11, O’Connell empties the backfield, with Jawan Jennings running a slot-fade route on the right side of the formation. The Green Bay Packers brought the pressure, and Murray was forced on the back foot.
But instead of dropping the ball or looking down, Murray did…
Murray certainly had other options. Tight end TJ Hockenson at the top of the screen is wide open on a smoke route. Both Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones were open underneath.
Instead, the quarterback floated a deep kick off his back foot into double coverage.
Not exactly the best start.