Vikings OC assures offense is closer than it looks to fixing itself

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The Minnesota Vikings‘ early-season success has masked some troubling offensive shortcomings, making their 6-1 record less reassuring than it might appear. Their perfect start to the season finally came to an end in Week 8, as they lost 19-15 to the Detroit Lions on the road Sunday.

Beyond the setback, the game exposed several problems in the passing game, especially quarterback Kyler Murray’s accuracy and decision-making. However, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips remains confident that the necessary solutions are already available within the team.

Speaking about Murray and the offense as a whole on Tuesday, Phillips said:

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“Yeah, I don’t really want to get into overarching — the fact of the matter is, we lost the game against a tough football team on the road. It’s a division game. It stings. But we’ve got to get better moving forward. And, we’ll see as the week goes on where we’re at in (the quarterback) spot with (director of player) Tyler Williams and his crew. But we’ve got to get better. We’re going to actively pursue every avenue we can to make that happen. I see the plays. I’m absolutely confident (that solutions do exist). I see the football players we have. I see opportunities within games to make plays and be more explosive on offense and make those things happen. I also see a team that’s limiting penalties and turnovers. You talk about run game efficiency, and if that picks up. You talk about, if you hit an explosive here or there, and it’s a totally different game.”

His comments come after another frustratingly inconsistent performance from Murray against Detroit. The 29-year-old completed just 17 of his 29 passing attempts, and his inaccurate throws cost Minnesota at least one potential touchdown drive.

Consistency has remained elusive for Murray throughout the season, with inaccurate throws and hesitation under pressure repeatedly disrupting the offense. His passing production currently stands at 1,022 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. His 86.6 passer rating is also the lowest mark of his NFL career.

The Lions took full advantage of Murray’s delayed decisions, getting to the quarterback three times. He was also dealing with hamstring tightness, which could have affected his willingness to escape pressure by scrambling.

That injury situation has raised questions about whether backup quarterback Carson Wentz could receive an opportunity to start against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. Wentz previously performed well in the Vikings’ victories over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and the Chicago Bears in Week 2.

Vikings OC assures offense is closer

Minnesota could also explore the trade market if their quarterback situation does not improve. Phillips’ commitment to pursuing every available solution has encouraged speculation about potential additions before the November 10 deadline.

For now, the Vikings immediate priority remains correcting their offensive problems with the personnel already available.

Related: Bills vs. Vikings bold predictions for Week 9 Monday Night Football

Related: Vikings’ Kyler Murray dealing with sore hamstring after stinking it up vs. Lions