The Vikings’ top questions moving into Week 4 largely focus on how formidable the win will be rather than whether it will happen.
Maybe that hubris ends up being proven foolish. After all, the “any given Sunday” saying is a saying for a reason: it’s often proven correct. The Vikings will therefore need to be sharp. Check out some of the more fascinating details to monitor for the Vikings ahead of today’s late-afternoon game.
The Vikings’ Top 3 Questions
No. 1 — Just How Bad Does it Get for Malik Willis?
The Vikings have played in three games. On two occasions, the other team’s starting quarterback didn’t make it out of the contest healthy: Caleb Williams in Week 2 and Baker Mayfield in Week 3.
The Vikings’ defense isn’t trying to hurt the quarterback. Doing so is antithetical to a healthy understanding of football. What they are trying to do, however, is to hit the quarterback cleanly and with great physicality. Doing so repeatedly makes life difficult for the passer.
Malik Willis has been setup to fail with these Dolphins. Maybe Miami finds a way to support him but I think it’s going to be a tough day for the passer. Jeff Diamond thinks that Brian Flores is going to bring his best effort to wallop his former employer. Do the Vikings have even a tiny bit more snarl in this one?
No. 2 — Can the Offense Be Smooth Instead of Clunky?
A lot of this falls on Kyler Murray.
The Week 4 game is going to take place without Justin Jefferson. Not having the WR1 hurts but Minnesota has had a week to prepare for that possibility. Moreover, they worked through his absence last week, so they’ve seen what doesn’t work.
Murray’s task is to be decisive. Put the ball into his receiver’s hands cleanly over and over again. At times, turn on that magic that allows him to elude the pressure to pull off a dazzling play. What’s really needed, though, is the play-to-play consistency. Do the little things well over and over again.
Don’t lose sight of the reality that Kyler Murray is playing for both the 2026 Vikings as well as whatever his payday will be after the current season.
No. 3 — Does Kevin O’Connell See Spotlight Get Brighter?
From a business perspective, Kevin O’Connell is a great choice as a head coach. He’s an outgoing, charming guy who looks good in front of the camera. Better yet, he’s often shown an ability to scheme up open receivers, creating a pile of explosive plays in his time as the Vikings’ skipper.
He may nevertheless see the spotlight get a bit brighter (and for the wrong reason).
So much of his QB whisperer reputation goes back to Kirk Cousins, Josh Dobbs, and Sam Darnold. All smart veterans. Where he has struggled has been with the young lads who haven’t accumulated the same amount of experience. Think Jaren Hall, J.J. McCarthy, and Max Brosmer, though with the caveat that these lads were confronting wildly different expectations.
Getting excellence out of Murray is no sure thing. To be sure, there’s a massive amount of potential, but things have been ugly in limited action. As odd as it is to say, Coach O’Connell may be under a decent amount of pressure despite leading a 3-0 team that’s probably going to climb to 4-0.
