Since we’re officially into the portion of the year when Vikings rumors are ramping up, we’ll be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss Minnesota’s mad scientist getting into his lab, demoting a starter on offense, and a corner getting scorched with regularity.
Vikings Rumors: 10.23.2024
Rumor #1 — MIN’s “Mad Scientist” Needs to Get Back in the Lab
No need to overreact, but allowing more than thirty points is a bad day for Brian Flores.
Coming into the game, Minnesota was allowing an average of just 15.2 points against per game. Toss the Week 7 outcome into the mix and Minnesota is up to allowing 17.8 points against per game. Not a disastrous number, no, but the shine wears off a bit when the team is coming off a loss where the opposition puts up 31 points.
Something that was notable about Camryn Bynum’s post-game response is that the team is going to “get right back in the lab.”
The phrasing recalls Wes Phillips from last week when he referred to his counterpart coordinator as a “mad scientist.”
The word from Phillips: “Flo’s like the mad scientist in there. Understands protections, understands what gives offenses issues, understands some of the looks he presents and what kind of plays that kind of eliminates from the plan.” Phillips goes on to praise Flores for being “willing to evolve” by incorporating new strategies.
Taken as a whole, Flores has been excellent in 2024, but the defense needs to respond from the poor effort in Week 7. Minnesota’s “Mad Scientist” needs to get into the lab and figure out a way to have his defense performing up to its potential.
Rumor #2 — The Vikings are Looking at a Demotion for an Offensive Starter
Safe to say that fans have been clamoring for this one for a long time.
No sugarcoating it, RG1 Ed Ingram simply isn’t a great option up front. Or, at least, he hasn’t been so far in his career. The more time passes, the more evidence accumulates that he is a below average NFL player who isn’t (shouldn’t be?) locked into a starting spot.
The thinking, of course, is that Dalton Risner could slide into the starting lineup. Dustin Baker responded to that possibility over on Vikings Territory. In fact, Baker leans on the word from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune, a plugged-in beat writer who insists that Minnesota is “considering very seriously” a switch between Risner and Ingram.
Keep in mind that on Monday, Risner was projected to be a full participant at practice. Even better, the man has proclaimed that he is healthy and “ready to roll” (tip of the cap to Andrew Krammer). Does full health mean there’s a new starter at right guard?
Rumor #3 — One of the Vikings’ Top Corners is Getting Scorched
Well, “scorched” may be a bit harsh, but the numbers don’t look great.
Byron Murphy Jr. entered the year looking like the versatile CB1. He’s now the CB2 after Stephon Gilmore has proven to be the top option. Even worse, there are some numbers to back up the drop down the depth chart.
According to PFF, Murphy has been targeted 52 times in coverage. A total of 38 passes have been completed — 73.1% — for 431 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Each catch is going for an average of 11.3 yards. His passer rating into his coverage is sitting at 102.3, meaning QBs are roughly within the range of Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, and Derek Carr when attacking his coverage.
In fairness, a lot gets put on Byron Murphy’s shoulders. The man moves inside and outside with regularity, a task that would confound a lot of corners.
For whatever it’s worth, the traditional stats don’t look too shabby. Murphy is sitting on 31 tackles and 4 passes defended. He has forced a fumble and has picked off a pass. He even has a tackle for a loss and has been a starter for all six games.
Operating on the final year of his two-year, $17.5 million deal, the 26-year-old Murphy is playing for a large contract in the offseason. Being more disruptive as the ball arrives will go a long, long way in coaxing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah toward offering some major money to the versatile defensive back.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.