Kevin O’Connell decided he had seen enough from J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings traded him to the New York Giants early in the season. That cleared the way for Kyler Murray to claim the QB1 job for himself.
It has been a difficult early run for Murray, but the arrow appears to be pointing up after a very good showing against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. The numbers were good — 12 straight completions to start the game, 229 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 interceptions, 51 rushing yards — and it is a good jumping-off point as the Vikings go forward.
However, as O’Connell looks at his team in comparison to the competition in the NFC North, it is difficult for him to have a positive feeling about where his quarterback ranks.
Even the most positive perspective would have him fourth of four in the division. The hard part may be deciding which quarterback is No. 1 among Caleb Williams of the Bears, Jordan Love of the Packers and Jared Goff of the Lions. Perhaps it’s Williams as he returned to action following his hamstring injury against the Vikings in Week 2.
NFC North QBs are game changers
Williams torched the Falcons with a 30 of 36 performance Sunday for 305 yards and 1 TD. His greatest strength is his ability to extend plays and then deliver the ball to an open receiver. However, in the win over the Falcons, he was unfailingly accurate and that’s a big improvement for the former USC star.
Love throws the best deep ball of any QB in the division and after burning the Bears in Week 5 and the Cowboys Sunday night, his argument is strong. It will get even stronger if RB Josh Jacobs is able to start playing again shortly. Jacobs was on the commissioner’s exempt list for an off-the-field domestic incident, and he can now return to the team. However, the situation is still murky because a suspension could still be imposed. The Packers need an impactful ground game to take pressure off Love.
Goff has been the standard bearer in the division in the past, and he reads defenses extremely well and is unfailingly accurate. However, he does not have the escapability of Williams or Love.
Murray has the tools to work with, but he needs to show off his ability on an every-week basis before he can have a chance to climb the NFC North QB ladder.
