Kyler Murray makes his debut as Vikings quarterback next Sunday and there’s reason to wonder if he will have the Packers “on the run.” The diminutive but athletic Murray ranks fourth in the NFL among quarterbacks since 2019 with 3,193 rush yards.
The 29-year-old former Cardinals quarterback will face a Packer defense still learning under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon who is Murray’s former head coach in Arizona. There is always a learning curve with a new scheme and leader.
Green Bay will play without superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons whose absence could mean two things benefitting Murray and the Vikings.
First, less pass rushing pressure on Murray—who was much more effective when not harassed last season playing for the Cardinals. When pressured, Murray’s passer rating last season was 65.6, per an article last summer from http://www.si.com/nfl/packers/. From a clean pocket, it was 97.0—a 31.4-point difference (which is considered typical in the NFL).
Second, the absence of Parsons in not being available to chase down the elusive Murray on scrambles or designed runs is significant for a Packer defense that was just okay against rushing last season. And that defense must keep track, too, of pass receiving threats like wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, two of the better duos in the NFL.
Local football authority Daniel House, known for his football film breakdown and data driven research, is curious about Murray’s impact on Sunday, too. “By moving the pocket off of play-action, there will be natural scrambling opportunities,” he said in a text. “He is also a threat to scramble when coverage gets locked up downfield.
“I really want to see if there are some designed quarterback runs and run-pass options (RPO) dashed into the Vikings’ game plan. Those elements fit Murray’s game well. Even if Murray only pulls the ball on designed runs a couple of times per game, the defense still has to respect and prepare for it.”
The Vikings have prioritized the run game in the offseason, hiring Frank Smith as assistant head coach to improve what has been a struggling aspect of the offense. That, too, could cause issues for the Packers on Sunday, and contribute to having Murray on the loose as a ball carrier.
“Frank Smith’s impact on the run game is what I’m most fascinated to see this year,” House wrote. “I’m expecting big changes, so it may be challenging for the Packers to know what the Vikings are going to do schematically in Week 1.”
You can follow House on X: https://x.com/DanielHouseMN
Worth Noting
CBS has made Sunday’s game its featured telecast and the on-air headliner crew of Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson will be at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings are 1.5 point favorites, per the BetMGM sportsbook.
There were 72 NFL games with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarters or overtimes in 2025. That is second-most in a season all-time. Approximately 70 percent of games were within one score (eight points) at some point of the fourth quarters.
A former front office executive with NFL teams, who text messages with Sports Headliners, is bullish on the Vikings, predicting they will win the NFC North with a 12-5 record. He has the Lions finishing second in the division and making the playoffs as a wildcard, while the third-place Bears and fourth-place Packers miss out on the postseason.
CBS will also bring its lead college football team to town Saturday for the Minnesota-Mississippi State game: Brad Nessler, Charles Davis and Jenny Dell. Nessler is a native of St. Charles, Minnesota.
Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck, starting his 10th season, said on Monday that State’s Kamario Taylor, who ran for a touchdown and passed for 354 yards in the Bulldogs opening win against ULM, is “one of the best” quarterbacks he’s seen here.
Gracious Matt Limegrover, who was with Jerry Kill’s Gopher staff as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2011-2015, has been an assistant offensive line coach with Fleck since January and has coached at 11 different colleges and universities. Fleck praised how Limegrover and offensive line coach Brian Callahan work together.
When the Gophers need muscle trying to score inside the five-yard line they may miss 6-foot, 215-pound Fame Ijeboi. They certainly miss him for a quality depth on the running back roster with freshman Ryan Estrada injured in the opening game last Thursday and out for the season. Ijeboi is now at Purdue and the power runner and Gopher transfer averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored one touchdown last Friday in his team’s season opening win over Indiana State. He ran 11 times for 87 yards.
That was former Gopher and Nebraska wide receiver Malachi Coleman who caught a touchdown pass for Wisconsin in his team’s opening loss to Notre Dame.
The Badgers have Wisconsin-based Culver’s as their jersey patch sponsor. The Gophers have yet to announce a deal on the new innovation that adds revenues to college athletic departments.
Former Gopher quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who played his last two seasons of college football at Rutgers, is a rookie on the Commanders 53-man roster where his teammates include ex-Viking WR Stefon Diggs.
A couple of takes after the first weekend of Big Ten football: Rutgers is the worst team after a feeble loss to UMass, defending conference and national champ Indiana could again be the best in the league and UCLA coach Bob Chesney might be the second coming of Curt Cignetti.
Northing announced yet, but it seems like a logical move for the Timberwolves to pick up 38-year-old and 18-year NBA veteran power forward Kevin Love. He could be a terrific addition on the court and off.
Love is among the elite outlet passers in league history and can stretch the defense with his three-point shooting range. His passing would add a valued element to the built-to-run Wolves offense.
In the locker room the Wolves no longer have the veteran presence of three players from last season. Gone are Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Kyle Anderson.
As of yesterday morning, the Twins’ remaining opponents had a combined winning percentage of .463, the second-lowest strength of schedule in baseball. The Twins, 68-76, have 18 games remaining on the schedule.