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How does Murray fit into O’Connell’s offense?
Play-action: Not all play-action is the same. A seven-step drop from under center is different from an under-center rollout or those from shotgun or pistol distances. They require different footwork and lend to differing preferences among QBs.
That said, Murray’s preference is clearly not under center.
He’s been an effective play-action passer from the shotgun and pistol formations, which account for 3,080 of his 3,342 dropbacks in the NFL — or 92.2%, per Sports Info Solutions.
This would require a shift from O’Connell. Cousins led the NFL in under-center dropbacks in 2022, and Darnold ranked second in 2024.
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Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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Murray flourishes in off script plays. on time structured precision isn't his strength.
On paper, with everything KOC has said about what he wants in his QB , Murray's skill set doesn't seem like an obvious fit.
I'm so confused....
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(03-13-2026, 04:48 PM)Mattyman Wrote: Murray flourishes in off script plays. on time structured precision isn't his strength.
On paper, with everything KOC has said about what he wants in his QB , Murray's skill set doesn't seem like an obvious fit.
I'm so confused....
Its one of the elephants in the room imo...KOC didnt adjust for JJM nearly soon enough.
Murray is going to require an even greater move from an under center offense.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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(03-13-2026, 04:48 PM)Mattyman Wrote: Murray flourishes in off script plays. on time structured precision isn't his strength.
On paper, with everything KOC has said about what he wants in his QB , Murray's skill set doesn't seem like an obvious fit.
I'm so confused....
Nothing confusing. It all comes down to $1.4m salary cap hit. He’s by far the most talented player in the nfl on minimum salary.
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Yesterday, 06:06 AM
(This post was last modified: Yesterday, 07:15 AM by StickierBuns.)
This is what I've found the most interesting about this signing: zero doubt Kyler is a shotgun QB. KOC loves the play action, under the center QB. I'm not going to assume anything until I see some live bullets in September, but the gameplan offensively will have to be tweaked. Obviously you can still do play action from the shotgun, but I don't think its quite as effective as being under center.... UNLESS you do it often with success.
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Kyler Murray has historically operated almost exclusively from the shotgun, but showed high efficiency when used under center in 2023-2024. In his limited 2023 under-center opportunities, he boasted a 73% completion rate and a high, 10 yards-per-attempt average, primarily utilizing play-action, with his under-center dropbacks increasing to 11% that season.
Under-Center Efficiency (2023): According to ESPN Stats & Information, Murray completed 73% of his passes with one interception and 10 yards per attempt on 33 under-center attempts.
Play-Action Usage: In that same sample, 31 of his 33 under-center attempts utilized play-action, showcasing a specialized, effective role rather than a high-volume traditional offense.
Historical Usage: Previously, under Kliff Kingsbury, Murray was in the shotgun over 92% of the time, often ranking among the lowest in the league for under-center snaps.
Recent Shift (2025): Under coordinator Drew Petzing, Murray's under-center usage increased to 25.3% of snaps by early 2025, a significant jump from his early career, requiring him to adapt from being a strictly shotgun-based quarterback, notes ESPN.
2024 Performance: During the 2024 season, Murray started all 17 games, recording 3,851 passing yards and 21 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, along with 572 rushing yards, according to Evrim Ağacı.
Although his under-center opportunities were small, they were highly productive, often yielding better efficiency metrics (like yards per attempt) than his shotgun reps, primarily through the use of play-action and designed run concepts.
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(Yesterday, 06:06 AM)StickierBuns Wrote: This is what I've found the most interesting about this signing: zero doubt Kyler is a shotgun QB. KOC loves the play action, under the center QB. I'm not going to assume anything until I see some live bullets in September, but the gameplan offensively will have to be tweaked. Obviously you can still do play action from the shotgun, but I don't think its quite as effective as being under center.... UNLESS you do it often with success.
2024 pass attempts:
Sam Darnold
gun 389 / under center 156 gun % 71.3
Kyler Murray
gun 419 / under center 122 gun % 77.4
In prior seasons Murray played mostly in gun formation but I don't think KOC is really going to have do that much tweaking as Murray shows he can run roughly the same mix as Sam ran under KOC.
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