Kyler Murray’s first preseason series as the Vikings’ starting quarterback lasted 10 plays, covered 54 yards and took 5 minutes, 35 seconds. He completed two passes and attempted only three. Minnesota ran the ball six times, gaining 44 yards before settling for a 35-yard Will Reichard field goal.
The opening possession against the Giants was not designed to provide Murray with a highlight-reel debut. It was designed to show what the Vikings want their offense to look like.
They wanted to run with size, create movement up front, and for Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason to find clear lanes. Most importantly, they wanted their new quarterback to run a controlled, manageable offense rather than be asked to manufacture everything himself.
That is the formula Minnesota has spent the offseason building toward.
One preseason series does not prove the overhaul is complete. The Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry last season, worst in the NFL, and did not deploy every defensive starter. Still, the Vikings did not hide their intentions.
They arrived at MetLife Stadium with a new run-game plan. Their first drive was the first real look at it.
The first play was not subtle
Minnesota opened in a heavy look and handed the ball to Jones.
Rookie fullback Max Bredeson led the way left, Christian Darrisaw helped control the front and tight end Josh Oliver worked with Bredeson to create the edge. Jones followed the block and reached daylight for 18 yards.
It was the sort of play that looks simple until the details are examined. Darrisaw created movement. Oliver and Bredeson handled their combination block. Bredeson then peeled off at the right moment to remove a defensive back. Jones had a clean path to the sideline thanks to three excellent run-blockers.
The Vikings drafted Bredeson in the fifth round to replace C.J. Ham, and he was immediately part of the first offensive snap of the preseason.
“To be out there the first play of the game is pretty special,” Bredeson said. “You’ve got to get your rhythm early and fast, so it was cool to have those two plays to start it up and feel good from there.”
The next snap was a short pass from Murray to Bredeson in the flat. It was not a splash play, but it reinforced the point. The Vikings intend to use the fullback as more than an extra body in the huddle. They want him to block in space, present an outlet in the passing game and help create a more physical identity near the line of scrimmage.
Jones and Mason showed the blueprint
Jones received three carries for 27 yards on the opening possession. The 18-yard run was the headline, but he added four yards behind Brian O’Neill and another five on a shotgun handoff to the right side.
Mason had three carries for 17 yards. His 15-yarder was perhaps the better example of how the Vikings hope the run game functions.
Mason took a handoff left, but the play developed back to his right. Will Fries and O’Neill helped cave in the backside of the Giants’ front. Oliver sealed the edge. Mason recognized the cutback lane, accelerated through it and made another cut before the Giants brought him down.
The Vikings did not need one back to do everything. Jones showed his vision and quickness. Mason showed the decisive, physical running that has made him one of camp’s most consistent offensive players.
The broader formula was just as important as the individual gains: blockers created a crease, the runner made the right read and a routine handoff became an explosive play.
O’Connell said after the game that he had wanted to see the starting offense establish the ground game.
“We wanted to come in here and see that group go out and run the football,” O’Connell said. “They were able to do that.”
Minnesota lacked that consistency last season. The Vikings recorded only seven runs of 20 or more yards, seventh-fewest in the NFL. The opener did not produce a 20-yard play, but Jones’ 18-yarder and Mason’s 15-yarder were far closer to the type of early-down success the offense needs.
Why the run game matters for Murray
Murray’s talent has never been the question. His career has included high-level stretches but also inconsistency, particularly when the offense becomes overly dependent on him to find an answer outside the original design.
His ability to escape pressure and create off schedule remains a genuine strength. It is one of the reasons the Vikings believed he could add a different dimension to their offense. But Minnesota does not want that creativity to become a requirement on every difficult down.
A credible rushing attack can change the terms.
If the Vikings create manageable second-down plays, they can avoid letting a possession become a series of obvious passing plays. If they generate more third-and-short opportunities, defenses have to honor the possibility of a handoff, a quarterback keeper or a quick play-action throw. That gives Murray cleaner answers before the snap and fewer moments when he has to turn a broken play into something extraordinary.
The first drive against the Giants offered a version of that formula.
Murray converted third-and-seven with an eight-yard completion to Jordan Addison. The pass came at the top of his drop, and Addison came back to the football to secure the catch after a Giants challenge upheld the ruling. It was not dramatic. It was simply the efficient answer.
O’Connell praised Murray’s work before the snap and his operation of the offense.
“Kyler’s done a great job from an above-the-neck standpoint, being able to handle it,” O’Connell said. “There were a lot of positive things that we saw out of that first group.”
The praise matters because O’Connell’s offense asks its quarterback to handle a significant amount before the ball is snapped. Murray must process the call, communicate with the line and identify the best answer against the defensive look. With veteran Ryan Kelly retired and Blake Brandel taking over at center, Murray’s command becomes even more important.
The run game is not separate from that challenge. It can make the challenge more manageable.
The final play showed the remaining work
Minnesota reached the Giants’ 17-yard line but did not get into the end zone.
On third-and-four, Murray looked to Jones underneath. Murray expected the running back to continue moving, while Jones settled near the marker. The ball fell incomplete, and the Vikings brought on Reichard.
“It was one of those things where I saw it one way, he saw it another way,” Murray said after the game. “But at the end of the day, I know we make that play.”
O’Connell offered a similar explanation, calling it a matter of time together. The miss was not ideal, but it was also exactly the kind of detail preseason is meant to expose. Murray is learning a new offense. Jones is learning how Murray sees coverage and anticipates routes. They have time to correct it.
The more important part was everything that came before it. Minnesota did not reach the red zone because Murray created something from chaos. It got there by running efficiently, converting just one third down, and keeping the offense on schedule.
The investment is visible
The Vikings did not make one cosmetic change and call it a new run game.
They hired Keith Carter as offensive line coach and brought in Frank Smith as assistant head coach after his work in Miami. Both coaches were acquired to help build a new offensive identity. Mason joined Jones a year ago and Bredeson was drafted in April. Darrisaw and Fries return after healthier offseasons than a year ago.
The front has embraced the change because it had little reason to defend the old approach.
“If we had come off a single-season rushing record, we might have been a little more resistant to it,” O’Neill said during the Vikings’ broadcast.
That line captured the point. Minnesota is not changing for the sake of change. The offense needs a more dependable way to stay ahead of the chains, control games and help its quarterback play from a position of strength.
The Giants were only the first test. Better defenses will challenge this approach, beginning with the joint practices against Baltimore and continuing into the regular season.
But the Vikings did not need a flawless opening drive to make a statement. They needed a drive that looked deliberate, physical and sustainable.
Their first possession did exactly that.
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