I wish JJ would have spoken to the media and said something. Hes the most valuable part to this organization. Had the wilfs or teasley heard that, they may have been forced to do something.

You still have Kyler. Wake up call? Realizing that Kyler isn't it? Not sure you can do much at this point. Maybe run a 2 TE set and get another TE to run it. That has been a SB winning formula before.

By "wake-up" call, I'm referring to if you think KOC will finally admit (at least to himself) that things aren't working & as they are now, aren't going to work & be successful. Therefore, some changes need to be made & he actually makes some.

You know, I can handle winning ugly. Don't need the greatest show on turf the entertain me.

But many of us had an idea that KM wasn't a fit for this offense. But who wouldn't want to give him a shot for veteran minimum.

But this isn't the I told you so post, just shocked how ugly it could actually be. I had an idea what the response to our first loss would be.

But to see Jefferson so frustrated. To see Murray look live a HS JV quarterback facing a Flores type D. I just dont get how it can be that hard to figure out something to compliment this D.

greediron wrote:

You know, I can handle winning ugly. Don't need the greatest show on turf the entertain me.
But many of us had an idea that KM wasn't a fit for this offense. But who wouldn't want to give him a shot for veteran minimum.
But this isn't the I told you so post, just shocked how ugly it could actually be. I had an idea what the response to our first loss would be.
But to see Jefferson so frustrated. To see Murray look live a HS JV quarterback facing a Flores type D. I just dont get how it can be that hard to figure out something to compliment this D.

For me, it's not about losing, it's about how we lost. Make sense?

Cricket wrote:

For me, it's not about losing, it's about how we lost. Make sense?

Yes. I knew we would lose eventually, but to have it in the palm of our hand and then piss it away with that performance.

He'll, I blame the offense for some of the defensive struggle. They seemed to be trying to hard, trying to get a big turnover instead of making the tackle.

Judging by his usual bullshit at the postgame presser, no. But we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Is he just the unquestioned king over at TCO where the Wilves worship him and wear blinders wrt his various faults? I have no idea. Ask @Mike Olson , he claims to have insider info.

Someone needs to hold his feet to the fire. Regardless of what you think about our qb, the buck ultimately stops with the HC on the field for an NFL team. If it's not working he has to find a way to fix it, not talk a lot of shit while he puts the same bad product out there every week.

comet52 wrote:

Judging by his usual bullshit at the postgame presser, no. But we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Is he just the unquestioned king over at TCO where the Wilves worship him and wear blinders wrt his various faults? I have no idea. Ask @Mike Olson , he claims to have insider info.
Someone needs to hold his feet to the fire. Regardless of what you think about our qb, the buck ultimately stops with the HC on the field for an NFL team. If it's not working he has to find a way to fix it, not talk a lot of shit while he puts the same bad product out there every week.

Problem is that the fix was supposed to be average QB play and that answer was Murray. I mean we heard that all last year and all off season. JJM was the problem. Murray is exactly what we need. He was it. So, now where do we go?

Canthony wrote:

Problem is that the fix was supposed to be average QB play and that answer was Murray. I mean we heard that all last year and all off season. JJM was the problem. Murray is exactly what we need. He was it. So, now where do we go?

That's up to KOC not us. It's been my opinion since the day he was hired that he should not be calling an offense. I have a long long list of issues with what he does. Even when he had allegedly good offenses with Kirk and Sam, his EPA #'s were middling or worse. He is not a "guru", a "whisperer", or a "genius" and had little history as a playcaller. He didn't do it for the Rams, McVay did.

What he is, is clearly a good motivator. And there a bunch of guys who've been very succesfull NFL HC's in that role. If he'd get off the playcaller ego trip and just let someone else do it, it might open people's eyes. I don't think Murray is all-world but he's playing worse than he ever has. KOC does not use his strengths and plays to his weaknesses too often and today made several really bad, questionable calls in critical situations.

He can switch to Carson who's immobile but can sorta run KOC's offense, albeit in a limited way, if he wants. Even if he'd made everyone's JJM wet dreams come true and kept him around, he'd put him out there and mostly get last year's results again.

He's in the driver's seat, this is his mess no matter what you think the reason is or how many times a day you rehash the personnel history as if no one heard you the first 50 times. He has to fix it, or he should pay the price.

Canthony wrote:

Problem is that the fix was supposed to be average QB play and that answer was Murray. I mean we heard that all last year and all off season. JJM was the problem. Murray is exactly what we need. He was it. So, now where do we go?

100%. This was the oh so simple 'problem' that was so fixable. There was almost this smugness about it all when they named Murray QB1 in TC, the old smirk and watch and see now......how's that working out? The new QB 'standard'. Hell, its worse than last year. The passing game is ABYSMAL.

They haven’t scored an offensive TD in the first quarter all season.

They rank at the bottom in almost every meaningful metric.

Sunday’s Lions loss furthered what’s been evident with the Vikings’ offense for some time. Something significant must change: https://t.co/JDfTRpbfpO

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) November 2, 2026

Another Vikings offensive dud in loss to Lions makes it clear something major must change

DETROIT — People often associate certain places with specific moments in time, especially when they’re major events or turning points. In recent years, Ford Field has been one of those places for the Minnesota Vikings.

Here in 2024, coach Kevin O’Connell looked like he’d been punched in the gut after a 31-9 loss with the No. 1 seed on the line. Here in 2025, O’Connell seemed upbeat and optimistic about the team’s trajectory after J.J. McCarthy’s career-best performance. Here, Sunday evening, O’Connell walked to the podium in the stadium’s basement with a facial expression that would be best described as spent.

The Vikings battled the Lions and fell 19-15 defeat, their first loss of the season, and O’Connell stood in this room surrounded by white cinder-block walls replaying the disappointment in his offense out loud.

“Thought we had a chance at Justin (Jefferson) on the play,” O’Connell said, citing a sailed pass from quarterback Kyler Murray in the second quarter. “I think it just got away from (Murray). It’s something you remember in the game, but we ended up scoring on the red-zone trip when I thought we had a chance.

“And then there was a third down …”

More missed opportunities, further ineptitude.

Lions hand Vikings first loss of season

The Vikings were the NFL’s last unbeaten team, but many argued they did it mostly with their defense. Until Sunday, Brian Flores’ potent unit had shielded the offense’s inconsistency from standing out as the major problem it is — an issue that warrants significant change in some form or fashion.

As enticing as the idea of trading for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor might be, even that doesn’t feel substantial enough. He could cover for some offensive line leakage. He could dictate how often opponents play two deep safeties against them. But could he place the ball accurately and deliver it on time when the team absolutely needs a completion? Could he heal all ills for a unit that, series after series, cannot seem to operate without stubbing its toe?

“Whether it’s me or somebody else, it’s been too many ‘my bads,’” Murray said. “It’s not good enough. It got us beat today.”

Early-season injuries delayed a wholesale evaluation of the offense, even after an uneven training camp. Five quarters against the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints offered hope. But last week’s win over the Colts left Minnesota’s offensive ascent back at square one, and that’s where the Vikings still sit.

Early-season injuries delayed a wholesale evaluation of the offense, even after an uneven training camp. Five quarters against the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints offered hope. But last week’s win over the Colts left Minnesota’s offensive ascent back at square one, and that’s where the Vikings still sit.

Ahead of Sunday, all of the circumstances seemed advantageous. Detroit’s defense entered the game as a bottom-tier unit according to almost every statistic, having allowed more than 20 points to all but one of its previous opponents. Then, during the game, the Lions lost starters D.J. Wonnum, Brian Branch, Jack Campbell and D.J. Reed to injury.

Those departures allowed for a late Vikings touchdown drive. But the Lions came back to retake the lead, and the overarching results resembled the poor production up to this point of the season.

“We’re in November now,” O’Connell said. “And we’ve got to start working with the same urgency we’ve had. The preparation has been really good, but it’s just continuing to wait for that consistent four quarters of good football and see what that looks like.”

The Vikings offense ranks 26th in the league in points per drive, 28th in yards per play, 29th in success rate and 31st in EPA per play eight weeks into 2026. Segmenting these numbers between the run and pass does not help the cause. In full, the unit finds itself with minimal rhythm and little to hang its hat on from an identity perspective.

Minnesota’s offense has not scored a touchdown in the first quarter all season. Only the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos are going three-and-out at a higher clip than Minnesota’s 28.9 percent, according to Next Gen Stats.

In previous years, Minnesota wanted to employ an under-center, vertical passing game. This season, the team has transitioned to more of a shotgun, run-oriented approach. They seem to feel caught between the two worlds. The blend has resulted in an inefficient run game and a non-explosive passing attack.

On Sunday, the Vikings believed it would be difficult to move the Lions’ heavier personnel groupings up front. So, they structured their game plan around early-down passing. But Murray’s misfires became a theme in those instances. He lofted a pass to Jefferson down the left sideline, but the throw fell a few yards in front of him. He couldn’t progress to the back side of a passing concept and was sacked by Lions defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard.

Three times, Murray sailed passes in Jefferson’s direction, one of which came at a critical juncture late in the first half and was intercepted by Reed.

Protection breakdowns contributed to some of the problems. Video shots of the sideline throughout the game showcased the collective angst.

Jefferson stewed on the bench, rocking back and forth and internalizing the extended struggle. Murray viewed snapshots of plays on tablets with irritated reactions. After some incompletions, coaches reacted with aggressive shoulder slumps and displeased hand gestures.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “But we know how close we are, and I never waver with this team or this offense. We have some of the best players in the world at their position.”

Yet the lack of impact from the unit’s stars epitomizes the overall concern.

Jefferson has only one 100-yard receiving day in his last 18 games. Meanwhile, fellow first-round pick Jordan Addison has only two 100-yard showings since 2024. Both hauled in crucial passes Sunday. Jefferson’s one-handed touchdown catch gave the Vikings the lead in the second quarter. Addison’s 51-yard snag in the fourth quarter gave the team life.

These two weapons are on pace for a combined 106 receptions this season, fewer than Jefferson has had individually in three separate seasons.

For as much as the team has leaned into a turnover-prevention style focused on maximizing time of possession, this utilization of its resources almost challenges the Vikings’ roster construction in the first place.

Solutions are paramount now. The Vikings’ schedule doesn’t get any easier with a forthcoming three-game stretch against the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. On an even higher level, the team possesses a championship-level defense already expending valuable energy that could perhaps be better spent later in the season.

Neither O’Connell nor the Vikings’ veterans pinpointed one thing, in particular, that needs tweaking. Jefferson declined to speak at all postgame, which is his way of creating urgency for something tangible to change starting now.

Well, here we go…

POSTGAME: VIKINGS' OFFENSE STRUGGLES (AGAIN) VS. LIONS https://t.co/XGuaw9jEWB via @YouTube

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) November 1, 2026

https://t.co/G11tXVcLoR

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) November 2, 2026

If you look spent at the podium Kevin, maybe it's the old problem of insanity = doing the same thing over and over and failing. You're veering into Les Frazier We're Making The Corrections territory.

Those of us who never believed in this guy as an offensive mind seem to have been recently joined by a whole lot of other fans.

greediron wrote:

You know, I can handle winning ugly. Don't need the greatest show on turf the entertain me.
But many of us had an idea that KM wasn't a fit for this offense. But who wouldn't want to give him a shot for veteran minimum.
But this isn't the I told you so post, just shocked how ugly it could actually be. I had an idea what the response to our first loss would be.
But to see Jefferson so frustrated. To see Murray look live a HS JV quarterback facing a Flores type D. I just dont get how it can be that hard to figure out something to compliment this D.

I was all for kicking the tires on Kyler, but he didn’t look good ever. Should have rolled with JJM or Wentz, because Kyler is Kyler, he’s not going to change and was part of the problem in Arizona.

StickierBuns wrote:

100%. This was the oh so simple 'problem' that was so fixable. There was almost this smugness about it all when they named Murray QB1 in TC, the old smirk and watch and see now......how's that working out? The new QB 'standard'. Hell, its worse than last year. The passing game is ABYSMAL.

lol

So wounded

Go ahead, do whatever makes you feel better!

I stand by what was said. It was simple and logical. Murray isn’t delivering. It happens.

Wentz should be back under center, this week. This has been bad enough for the offense that they couldn't match the results from last year, when two kids without 10 starts between them (at that time) beat the Lions.

Kyler wasn't just the worse choice, he's been a garbage choice.

Maybe someone will want HIM before the trade deadline? Maybe he has a no-trade clause...but I'd definitely place some calls.

The calls to trade for Kirko and/or send NY a better trade to get JJM back are seemingly utterly rational at this point.

Zanary wrote:

Wentz should be back under center, this week. This has been bad enough for the offense that they couldn't match the results from last year, when two kids without 10 starts between them (at that time) beat the Lions.

Kyler wasn't just the worse choice, he's been a garbage choice.

Maybe someone will want HIM before the trade deadline? Maybe he has a no-trade clause...but I'd definitely place some calls.

The calls to trade for Kirko and/or send NY a better trade to get JJM back are seemingly utterly rational at this point.

JJM was traded after K1 shit the bed on the road with a home game coming. KOC didn't want the home fans calling chanting JJ. Wentz might wanna keep a bag packed this week.

I don’t think there’s anything helping KOC or Teasley for that matter. When they traded JJM for a 5th round pick at an absolutely moronic time, it told me all I need to know about the competence of both men. I have zero faith in either “getting it”. They are not making rational decisions.

It had to absolutely gut JJ to see 9 putting up 200 yards on like 10 completions in the first half of last weeks game. If the Giants hadn’t shifted to a heavy run in the second half he’d probably have had some gaudy numbers. I think there’s zero chance Jefferson missed that.

“If the best player on your team isn’t happy, then that’s not a good thing.”@AdamSchefter weighs in on Justin Jefferson not speaking after the Minnesota Vikings' loss to the Detroit Lions. pic.twitter.com/1T2pqukfBH

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 2, 2026