The Minnesota Vikings (6-1) are in co-possession of the best record in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers entering Week 9, the halfway point of the 2026 season. However, head coach Kevin O'Connell should be on the hot seat. How could both of those things be true?
Let's take a quick look at what is powering the Vikings' early-season success and then take a deep dive into why O'Connell's bungling of his quarterback position — both in 2026 and years prior — in tandem with wasting Justin Jefferson and a poor playoff record should be causing his seat to be increasing in temperature. O'Connell is Minnesota's head coach and offensive play caller, but defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitzkrieg defense is why the Vikings have won six of their first seven games. Minnesota's defense leads the NFL in the following statistics: However, O'Connell's offense is powered by 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Justin Jefferson, two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J.
Hockenson, former first-round pick wide receiver Jordan Addison, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray and an offensive line that is allowing the fifth-longest time to pressure (2.71 seconds) in the NFL this season. Yet, it has scored 12 touchdowns. That is the fewest touchdowns by a team with a 6-1 record or better through seven games since Washington in 1982.
The only team that has scored fewer touchdowns than the Vikings in 2026 is the winless Los Angeles Chargers with nine. Both the tanking Miami Dolphins (13 touchdowns) and the Deshaun Watson-led Cleveland Browns (13 touchdowns) have found the end zone more often than O'Connell's unit. That's embarrassing, and it's grounds for a potential coaching change come the offseason if things don't improve.
The problem Minnesota has this season is that Murray isn't fitting well in O'Connell's scheme. Murray's -0.11 expected points added (EPA) per dropback is the fifth worst in the entire NFL, ahead of only Cam Ward (-0.12), Tanner McKee (-0.13), Daniel Jones (-0.19) and Justin Herbert (-0.22). O'Connell's offense thrived with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold heaving the ball deep down the field to Jefferson and others over the middle of the field.
Murray entered 2026 ranking 40th out of 45 qualified quarterbacks in throws of 10-22 yards (intermediate throws) between the numbers (over the middle of the field). That's why his connection with Marvin Harrison Jr. failed in Arizona. Murray much prefers throwing to the sideline with underneath completions to stay in rhythm.
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