STEELE SPORTS

The question on every Minnesota Vikings fan’s mind is who will be taking snaps as the team’s starting quarterback when the team hosts the Green Bay Packers in their first game of the regular season.

As training camp progresses, I’ve seen countless clips circulating the internet showing drills, live seven-on-seven, and full 11-on-11 scrimmage tapes with both quarterbacks, but there hasn’t been much in the media from Vikings’ Head Coach Kevin O’Connell about who is currently leading the race to be Week One’s starter.

So, as someone who has been to multiple days of the Vikings’ training camp so far, I’ll provide a synopsis of what I’ve seen from both quarterbacks at training camp so far this August.

Kyler Murray

All eyes have been on Murray so far this camp, and from what I’ve noticed from fans on site at the Vikings’ TCO Performance Center in Eagan, he is the resounding fan favorite amongst the two competitors.

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has been in the league for seven seasons now, and despite working with a new team for the first time since being drafted by the Cardinals, he looks like the veteran fans were hoping to see.

During seven-on-seven and full-team scrimmage reps, Murray has shown poise in the pocket and the ability to quickly read and analyze a defense.

My initial worries were rooted in how fast he would be able to learn a new offense that utilizes different terminology, formations, route concepts and protection calls.

Those question marks began to fade away when I saw him taking full command of the offense during his scrimmage reps with the first team.

Although it’s hard to hear all of the calls made at the line of scrimmage, Murray looked to be communicating well with his linemen and capable of promptly working through his progressions to stay in rhythm with his receivers.

The one true question with Murray that remains to be answered for me on a personal level is how well the veteran quarterback can work through adjusting plays at the line of scrimmage to put the offense in advantageous positions.

O’Connell runs an aggressive offensive scheme that has leaned more heavily on the passing game (57% of plays last season), so it is paramount that Murray can keep up with reads.

However, on a major positive note, Murray does provide the Vikings with a true dual-threat quarterback that should elevate the rushing game to new heights.

It’s no secret that the combination of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones, Sr. is not a threatening duo for big plays, but adding Murray to the mix at least makes teams have to think twice about bootlegs, zone reads and most importantly, O’Connell’s play-action passing game.

J.J. McCarthy

If you thought McCarthy was the recipient of some less-than-kind comments in person and on the internet during last season, you have no idea the scrutiny this poor young man has been under since the start of training camp.

With Murray in the mix and projecting to be the team’s savior, fans have begun doubling down on counting McCarthy out for the starting role.

But the McCarthy I’ve seen at training camp doesn’t look like the version we saw last year on Sundays.

The biggest difference in his game is undoubtedly his throwing motion – the part of his game every media pundit said had to be fixed.

His violent leg kick and sloppy footwork is looking much more controlled this August, and as a result, his timing and accuracy have improved so far.

In quarterback throwing drills, McCarthy has consistently been the most accurate passer of the bunch at fitting the football in small targets and windows.

That being said, a critical flaw in his game that has yet to be fully addressed is his ability to trust his timing and reads, and stay poised in the pocket to find receivers down the field.

He has consistently bailed early from the pocket and forced short, checkdown passes that put his players at risk without moving the chains.

When you watch the version of McCarthy that excelled in college, you see a quarterback who trusts the play and wins games with his intelligence and preparation at the line of scrimmage over his athleticism.

If he can find his ability to regain control over the game by moving quickly in the huddle and taking advantage of the play clock to slow down his game, McCarthy will look like a brand new quarterback.

We have to remember, this is an immensely talented young man who has done nothing but win in his career up until he reached the pinnacle of the sport.

My Pick

If I had to choose a starter today, it would be Murray.

Simply put, over a half-decade of NFL experience is too much to ignore.

We saw what happened with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones this past season; veterans can thrive under the right circumstances.

While I don’t like the idea of potentially shattering McCarthy’s confidence by sending him to the bench, I think that there is plenty of time to keep developing his game while letting Murray help us press for wins right now.

The offense can adapt and evolve more with Murray under center, and what the Vikings need is a field general who has the full confidence of the 10 other men on the field alongside him.

He also unlocks more run-pass option plays, has the better deep-ball accuracy and has spent over double the number of years analyzing defensive schemes in the NFL.

The decision is clear cut: Murray is the answer right now.