The Minnesota Vikings got a useful lesson out of their preseason win over the New York Giants, and it came on a third down that didn’t go the way they wanted.
Kyler Murray and Aaron Jones weren’t on the same page about what they were seeing. Murray read the play one way, Jones expected something different, and the mismatch shut down a chance to extend the drive. Instead of pushing toward the end zone, Minnesota had to settle for a field goal.
For a team working through timing with a new quarterback, that kind of breakdown stings. It also says something practice couldn’t fully reveal.
In a controlled setting, the offense can stop, talk through the read and run it again. In a game, the moment is live, fast and unforgiving.
Murray took responsibility for the miscue after the game, saying, “I saw it one way, he saw it another way. But at the end of the day, I know we’ll make that play.”
That doesn’t erase the mistake, though. On third down, a quarterback and running back seeing the defense differently can be the difference between keeping a drive alive and heading off the field.
The upside for Minnesota is that Murray and Jones now have real tape to study. The defensive look, the route decision and the quarterback read were all captured at full speed, giving them something concrete to work from.
Murray pointed to that value as well.
“That’s the stuff that you can’t replicate. In practice, it’s overlooked, but out here, we’re walking off the field frustrated, and we’re getting three points.”
Now the two have time to clean it up before that same kind of moment shows up in a game that counts. Whether the fix comes from a route adjustment, better recognition of the defensive look or simply more reps together, the key is the same: get the reference point right.
“At the end of the day, you want to put the ball in the end zone. I think those are good things that we can learn off of and teach from.”
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