Vikings’ New QB-WR Connection Is Already Turning Heads
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Vikings had a very productive practice on Saturday, and several things stood out to the writers who were there. The connection between quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Justin Jefferson in particular caught the attention of some writers.
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Murray was 14-of-17 on the day, and was sufficient in doing so. He also was able to connect with Jefferson a bunch, as the two continue to get acclimated and acquainted on the field.
Vikings Duo Showing Chemistry
Of course, linking up with your star wide receiver is never a bad thing. Even still, it certainly is heading in the right direction. SKOR North’s Jason Harmon noticed this immediately.
“Murray was precise, effective, and decisive in 11-on-11 work and utilized Justin Jefferson early on an impressive pass downfield. While the two are still figuring out their timing together, the potential is already flashing.”
Jefferson noted on Friday that he was seeing improvements with both quarterbacks over the course of this camp. He reiterated that he is having dialogue with both of them and just trying to get on the same page. This is certainly important, as Jefferson will be a key part of the offense, as he has been throughout his entire Vikings career.
In the meantime, Murray and Jefferson have begun to find a connection during the course of practice. This was evident earlier last week. Jefferson and Murray connected on five of eight passes, as the quarterback was working on vertical routes. Murray went 8-for-8 on the drill overall, and five catches to Jefferson are certainly a step in the right direction.
Vikings QB Has Up-And-Down Deep Ball
That Murray deep-ball is polarizing in and of itself. Murray tied for seventh in the NFL with a 62.5% well-drawn percentage on passes of 20+ yards when he has been healthy. However, he ranked 39th in accuracy and 38th in completion rate on 20-plus-yard throws last season.
Breaking this down even further, the quarterback slipped to last in the NFL with a 21% completion rate on passes over 25 yards. This was according to statistics from Roto Wire. There were concerns about how Murray threw the deep ball. However, those were put to rest by SKOR’s Judd Zulgad earlier last week.
Time will tell how Jefferson and Murray will pan out. Jefferson himself will be looking to bounce back from a season that saw him record only 12.5 yards per reception. He tallied only two touchdowns last season. With that being said, he still had a 1,000-yard year. It seems as though Jefferson’s skill set allows him to adapt to whoever is under center.
Practice will be important for these two over the course of the next couple of weeks. If Murray can continue to refine that deep call, the pair should be able to have an exciting year. Of course, that all depends on Murray winning the quarterback competition. Nevertheless, a positive trend with Jefferson will certainly be able to work in his favor as Kevin O’Connell makes his decision.
Either way, Jefferson’s playmaking ability should be exciting for any quarterback. He has been one of the most dynamic receivers ever since he came into the league, and it would be reasonable to expect that cannot change anytime soon. Quarterback play has been inconsistent for the Vikings, but the one constant has been Jefferson. If anything, that’s been a theme throughout the course of his career.
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