Minnesota Vikings

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray said he was dealing with hamstring tightness late in Sunday’s loss to the Lions and his hamstring remains an issue on Monday.

Murray did not leave Sunday’s game, but head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters at a press conference that the quarterback is dealing with soreness. Murray will be fully evaluated before the team makes any determination about his status for their Week 9 Monday night game against the Bills.

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell did say that the Vikings plan to start Murray against Buffalo as long as he is healthy enough to play. Speculation about a possible change has simmered as the Vikings offense struggled over the course of their 6-0 start and it has picked up in the wake of Minnesota’s first loss of the season, but it doesn’t look like they’ll pull the trigger on any move as long as Murray is cleared to play this week.

Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has played with his share of big-time pass catchers throughout his 15-year career.

He’s now connecting with Brock Bowers on a weekly basis, with Bowers catching seven passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 38-33 victory over the Jets.

But even though Bowers is technically a tight end, Cousins related throwing to him to passing to an elite wide receiver.

“I think what’s hard is when you play with Pierre Garçon, DeSean Jackson, or Justin Jefferson, you’re used to throwing to guys who are really open,” Cousins said in his postgame press conference. “There were times, even when they would get doubled and I would progress off of them, and [Vikings head coach] Kevin O’Connell would say to me, ‘Still throw it to Justin when he’s covered.’ I was like, ‘I don’t like throwing to covered guys. I like throwing to open guys.’

“The coaching point with Brock has been like it was with Justin, where it’s like, when he’s covered, you still need to throw it. That kind of breaks my instincts. My instincts are to progress and throw to open guys. I think you can see there are moments this year where I can be better, and then there are moments where I’m starting to figure that out. He’s made me right, if you will.”

That coaching point sure seemed relevant for Cousins’ first touchdown of the game, when Bowers was covered and interfered with, but still managed to catch the ball for a 12-yard score.

Through six games this season, Bowers has 41 receptions for 547 yards with five touchdowns.

At a time when the Vikings are believed to be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for running back Jonathan Taylor, they should adjust their focal point, just a bit.

The Vikings should be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for quarterback Daniel Jones.

When the thought first popped into my somewhat relaxed brain on Sunday, I was mostly kidding. After reflecting on Sunday’s 19-15 loss to the Lions — and revisiting the rare displays of frustration from receiver Justin Jefferson late in the game and, even more significantly, from coach Kevin O’Connell when talking to quarterback Kyler Murray after an ugly interception late in the first half — it’s not a joke.

They should immediately pivot from Taylor to Jones.

The Vikings had Jones in the building two years ago, after he was released by the Giants. They wanted to keep him for 2025, more (by all appearances) than they wanted to keep Sam Darnold. (Indeed, there were whispers of a potential benching of Darnold for Jones in the 2024 postseason.)

Now that the Colts are in full-blown pre-rebuild mode, trading Jones should be part of the effort to clear the decks (and stockpile picks) for the next G.M. And while the Colts have a window to avoid more than $10 million of Jones’s $38 million compensation package for 2027 via a trade in the early days of the new league year in March, they could get more now from a contender that envisions Jones as an immediate upgrade.

Jones obviously won’t be the long-term answer in Indianapolis. And he would undoubtedly welcome the chance to move on from a team that prematurely threw in the towel last week by trading guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

In Minnesota, Jones would be an immediate upgrade over Kyler Murray. The difference between Jones vs. Murray could be more significant than the difference between Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones/Jordan Mason. Which, if accurate, would result in a bigger overall bump to the offense.

The Vikings have a championship-caliber defense, thanks in large part to the work of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The grind-it-out-and-get-a-win formula had been working — until it didn’t.

Here’s the inescapable reality. When they win with quarterback play that is inconsistent and, in turn, frustrating to people like Jefferson and O’Connell, it’s easy to overlook the flaws and keep pushing forward. When they lose, the frustrations of that moment become compounded by the lingering frustrations regarding plays and points left on the field in the wins that were salvaged by the defense.

Whether it’s Jones or someone else (including a possible pivot to Carson Wentz), O’Connell and G.M. Nolan Teasley need to conduct a frank, candid, and objective assessment of the quarterback play under Murray. The fact that they picked Murray over J.J. McCarthy shouldn’t be a factor. That’s the kind of pride/ego consideration that keeps dysfunctional teams dysfunctional by doubling down on a mistake instead of admitting it and moving on.

The Vikings need to realize that: (1) the defense is great; (2) the running game is good enough; and (3) the passing game is too spotty to be expected to make a big play in a big spot.

Consider the decision that O’Connell made with 3:01 to play on Sunday, when the Vikings faced fourth and five from their own 33. Down four points after the Detroit running game had hot-knife-through-buttered their way to the go-ahead touchdown, why give the ball back to the Lions and let them close out the game by continuing to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs?

In that moment, O’Connell thought the chances of winning were enhanced by punting — not by asking the offense to gain five yards in a gotta-have-it situation.

While the choice showed unwarranted confidence in the defense, it showed NO confidence in the quarterback.

Frankly, that one specific decision from O’Connell leads naturally to the next, more consequential decision that the organization must make. If O’Connell doesn’t trust the offense under Murray to gain five yards with the game on the line, the Vikings should no longer entrust the offense to Murray.

It’s that simple. And, if the Vikings hope to avoid an outcome to the season that will result in an every-other-year playoff appearance and another one-and-done postseason, they’ll make the decision that someone other than Murray should be playing quarterback.

At a time when politics have become a major national focal point, this would be a so-called 80-20 issue among Vikings fans. They’ve seen the “just good enough is just good enough” movie for decades. With the defense the Vikings currently have, the offense needs more. If they’re serious about having a snowball’s chance in San Diego to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, they’ll send Kyler to Belize and make a play for Jones.

Or someone else. See if the Raiders are willing to part with Kirk Cousins (they shouldn’t be, but why not make the call?) Call the Chargers about Justin Herbert. Scour every depth chart and start doing the due diligence.

When Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon just before the trade deadline in 2023, the Vikings mobilized instantly to find a replacement. Based on the full body of work from Murray to date in 2026, they should be doing the same thing now — if they want to parlay their 6-0 start into the best possible finish.

With 2:00 left in the fourth quarter on Sunday in Detroit, the Lions had a 19-15 lead and the ball, facing second-and-2. Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel jumped offside, and fans in Detroit cheered, thinking the Vikings had made a mistake. But Lions coach Dan Campbell knew better.

Campbell declined the penalty because he knew the Vikings had jumped offside on purpose, wanting to concede a first down while the clock was stopped so that they could then use their three timeouts after the Lions’ first, second and third-down plays and then get the ball back with time left for a comeback drive.

Tom Brady, calling the game on Fox, immediately recognized what was happening.

“They’re not gonna accept that,” Brady said as soon as Van Ginkel jumped. “They’ll decline that penalty.”

It was obvious to Brady, but it wasn’t obvious to Bears coach Ben Johnson when he faced the same situation against the Patriots. Coach Mike Vrabel told his team to jump offside to concede a first down, and Johnson accepted the penalty. That allowed the Patriots to use their three timeouts on the Bears’ next three plays, forcing the Bears to kick on fourth down with 1:38 remaining. The Bears ended up winning when kicker Cairo Santos made it a two-possession game with a 58-yard field goal, but if the Bears had missed, Johnson’s decision to accept the penalty could have proven costly.

It’s a situation that doesn’t arise in most games, but it happens often enough that every coach should understand it as well as Vrabel, Campbell and Brady do: Sometimes, the smart thing for one team is to commit a penalty on purpose, and the smart thing for the other team is to decline the penalty.

In theory, if the defensive team continued to jump offside and the offense continued to decline the penalties, it could reach the point where the referee would have to warn the defensive team’s head coach that he could invoke the “palpably unfair act” rule, which gives the referee wide leeway to use his own discretion to enforce penalties. The referee could, for instance, charge the defensive team a timeout if it refused to stop committing intentional penalties.

It didn’t reach that point on Sunday, as Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell realized that Campbell was on to the intentional offside. Campbell is a smart in-game coach who recognized on Sunday what the right strategic decision was in the final two minutes.

It’s celebration time for the 1972 Dolphins.

After the Vikings’ loss to the Lions on Sunday, there are no remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. That means the 1972 Dolphins will remain, for at least another year, the only perfect, undefeated, untied team in NFL history.

Larry Csonka, the 79-year-old fullback who was the 1972 Dolphins’ leading rusher, posted a picture of himself having a celebratory cigar and a drink on social media.

“CONGRATS to the #DetroitLions on the Win and a game well played today,” Csonka wrote. “CHEERS to all my ‘72 undefeated teammates and #MiamiDolphin fans on our now 54 year record! Cheers!”

The 1972 Dolphins finished the regular season 14-0 and then won two playoff games and Super Bowl VII to finish a perfect 17-0. Players on that team have continued to celebrate their status as the only perfect team in the NFL’s 107-year history.

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray developed hamstring tightness sometime late in the fourth quarter. He said it was late enough that it didn’t affect him in Sunday’s 19-15 loss to the Lions.

But Murray will undergo further evaluation on Monday.

“We’ll look at it, obviously, and do what we need to do,” Murray said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.

Murray went into the sideline medical tent after throwing a touchdown pass with 8:44 remaining. He was back on the field for the next drive.

It is unclear whether that was related to the hamstring issue or something else.

“Kyler Murray just [had] some hamstring tightness, and he was able to return late in the football game,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.

Murray completed 17 of 29 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He ran for 35 yards on four carries.

When a team is winning, it’s hard for any offensive players who aren’t getting the ball as often as they should to be upset. When winning becomes losing, the frustrations can quickly surface.

That happened for the Vikings on Sunday against the Lions. Receiver Justin Jefferson, who made a spectacular touchdown catch in the first half, didn’t see the ball as often as he should have during proverbial nut-cutting time.

After the Vikings’ final drive — which curiously ended on a fourth-and-five punt with 3:01 to play at a time when the Detroit rushing game was clicking — Jefferson made a rare display of frustration. After the 19-15 loss, Jefferson declined to speak to reporters, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.

Which means that Jefferson, who has a habit of always saying all the right things, doubted that he would have been able to do that.

“Obviously he’s frustrated, and that’s understandable,” quarterback Kyler Murray told reporters, via Seifert. “He is who he is, and he has every right to the way he feels when he doesn’t get the ball. That’s on us to find a way to get him the ball.”

“We had some opportunities for [Jefferson], and there were some chances there,” coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters. “But we’ve got to find a way to get him the ball, especially on potential chances for him on some of those sequences where we’re looking to kick off some momentum. He’s a great guy to do it behind, and we’ll continue to find ways to get him the football. But it was a division game. These guys want to win. I don’t fault the frustration or the competitiveness in any way, shape or form.”

Whatever the cause, there’s clearly a problem. And Murray, who missed time early in the season due to a concussion, should be up to speed now. On Sunday, he wasn’t good enough.

And here’s the basic reality. At some point, either en route to the playoffs or after the Vikings get there, Murray will have to make a big play in a big spot. The jury is out on whether he will.

The Vikings don’t have many options. They could try to make a trade, but who’s out there? They wanted to keep Daniel Jones after the 2024 season; maybe, at this point, the Colts would welcome the chance to move on.

If the Raiders had lost to the Jets, Kirk Cousins may have been available for a reunion. With Las Vegas now at 4-4, why would they move him?

The other option would be to ride with Carson Wentz, who has shown that he can and will get the ball to Jefferson.

However it goes, Sunday’s game exposed the biggest problem with the Vikings. Against teams that can’t be held to 15 points or less, the Vikings may not be able to muster enough points to beat them.

The Vikings are undefeated no more.

Despite losing several players on defense — including linebacker Jack Campbell — the Lions were able to beat the Vikings 19-15 behind an outstanding performance from running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gibbs put the Lions ahead with a 30-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. He finished the game with 153 yards on 23 carries, plus two catches for 15 yards.

Sione Vaki was also valuable in the run game, taking 11 carries for 65 yards.

Goff finished 18-of-25 for 176 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

On the other side, Kyler Murray had a middling day, going 17-of-29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His best throws of the day came on a drive in the fourth quarter, with a 51-yard bomb to Jordan Addison leading to an 8-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson.

But Murray was also the team’s leading rusher with 35 yards on four attempts, signaling the ineffectiveness of the run game.

Murray and the Vikings’ offense continued to struggle to get the ball to Justin Jefferson, who had just five catches for 33 yards with a touchdown on nine targets. The Fox broadcast showed Jefferson expressing some frustration on the sideline toward the end of the game.

Of the several injuries suffered by the Lions’ defense, linebacker Jack Campbell’s was the most concerning. Campbell was taken off the field immobilized on a backboard and transported to a local hospital to evaluate a neck injury after going down in the second half.

With the win, the Lions improve to 5-2 after consecutive divisional wins. The club will be on the road to face the Dolphins in Week 9.

Minnesota falls to 6-1 with its first loss of the season. The Vikings will be at home to face the Bills on Monday night next week.

Kyler Murray’s day hadn’t been going particularly well in Detroit.

But with a couple of beautiful passes, Murray has given the Vikings a 15-12 lead over the Lions midway through the fourth quarter.

With the Lions down several defensive players due to injury, Murray connected with Jordan Addison on a play-action downfield pass for 51 yards, moving the team to Detroit’s 10-yard line.

A play later, Murray hit T.J. Hockenson for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Vikings up by one.

The club went for two and Murray found a wide-open Addison in the end zone for a successful conversion.

Murray is now 16-of-27 for 206 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

On the injury front, Lions linebacker Jimmy Rolder is questionable to return with a hamstring issue.

There is a concerning injury situation developing in Detroit.

Lions linebacker Jack Campbell has been carted off the field on a backboard after going down while making a tackle early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Campbell stayed down on the ground and did not move after twisting down T.J. Hockenson on a 10-yard gain.

Medical personnel immediately tended to Campbell. Members of both the Lions and Vikings took a knee as Campbell was being taken care of. He was immobilized on a backboard with Lions players coming over to him as he was taken off the field.

Some Lions players, including edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, were visibly emotional on the Fox broadcast.

Detroit leads Minnesota 12-7 early in the fourth quarter.

UPDATE 3:58 p.m. ET: Detroit announced Campbell has been transported to a local hospital to be evaluated for a neck injury.