So that's where I'm at.

Yeah, I mean, it's a difficult conversation to have because they are 6-0, and they are the only undefeated team in the NFC, and they do have a one-and-a-half game lead over everybody else in the NFC North with wins against the Bears and the Packers notched under their belt heading into a game with the Lions next week.

there everything is out in front of this team but i think that's why it's so difficult of a conversation because with the defense you have and the special team that's that you have if the offense can just ascend a little if it ascends a lot you're a legitimate super bowl contender but if it can just ascend a little this is a team that could be a force to be reckoned with in december in january maybe all the way into february But because they continue to leave something to be desired every single week, week after week after week, it becomes kind of a frustrating conversation to have.

But, yes, I'm with you.

This felt like the game where all week you flaunted the bye.

You get healthy.

Everybody on offense is back.

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So that's where I'm at.

Yeah, I mean, it's a difficult conversation to have because they are 6-0, and they are the only undefeated team in the NFC, and they do have a one-and-a-half game lead over everybody else in the NFC North with wins against the Bears and the Packers notched under their belt heading into a game with the Lions next week.

there everything is out in front of this team but i think that's why it's so difficult of a conversation because with the defense you have and the special team that's that you have if the offense can just ascend a little if it ascends a lot you're a legitimate super bowl contender but if it can just ascend a little this is a team that could be a force to be reckoned with in december in january maybe all the way into february But because they continue to leave something to be desired every single week, week after week after week, it becomes kind of a frustrating conversation to have.

But, yes, I'm with you.

This felt like the game where all week you flaunted the bye.

You get healthy.

Everybody on offense is back.

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And I just believe it's time to talk about Jalen Redmond as a star in the league.

Yeah.

I mean, he, he, he's the best player that nobody knows about.

Yeah.

Obviously, people in Minnesota know about him, but I'd be curious just across the league and wise how many people know who Jalen Redman is.

I know for damn sure opposing offensive coordinators know who Jalen Redman is because you're right.

Today, he was a monster.

So how high are you willing to go with the expectation now for this team that they've reached 5-0?

Yeah.

But in terms of how, how good they can be, like, I kinda think of it this way.

They're 5-0.

They need to win four games to make the playoffs pretty much the rest of the way.

If they get to 9-8, I think they, they're going to make the playoffs in some way, shape, or form.

But that's not how you should be thinking about this, this team if you are a Vikings fan, in my opinion.

You should not be thinking about what is the cut line that we have to, to get past to make the playoffs.

Yeah.

Mm.

They, they talked about situational masters, being, being masters in certain situations at the end of the game such as, i.e. T.J. Hockenson sliding down short of the goal line.

I, I think there's an intentionality from Kevin O'Connell, and has been from the start, about doing all the little things right and, and putting yourself in position to, if you do these things, we will win football games.

And, and I think the turnover battle is, is one A in, in that, that equation, is if you can just take care of the football, you will win the game if we do everything else that w- that we have planned and, and, and prepared to do.

Um, so I, I think it's almost underplayed at this point because it's just assumed it's gonna happen.

I thought it was awesome.

Do you think there's any humility to it, or maybe it doesn't matter at all? If you're coming from Odell's side, as touted as he was, the way he started his career, the mentoring or however that relationship looked on the early end when Jefferson's just a kid trying to go out and make plays, and he, he sees him as Jordan's little brother.

And now he's seen Justin Jefferson achieve some things, at least for now statistically, that Odell was absolutely on pace to do, but couldn't sadly because of injuries.

Or would you say that the second half was simply you outlasted a bad team and that there isn't much reason to have confidence there? Based on what we saw today, that it's going to translate going forward to better teams.

Yeah, I mean, I've been pretty bullish on Kyler Murray from the beginning.

I'm pretty bullish on this podcast from the beginning.

I was starting to feel like, did I get this wrong? Like through the first couple of weeks.

games like prolonged stretches of play for him.

He gets 11 snaps against Packers.

And obviously we watched what we watched last week in Tampa.

Like this could be hard for a little bit still until they get those guys back, but build on this, get players back and, then it could come together.

Or would you say that the second half was simply you outlasted a bad team and that there isn't much reason to have confidence there? Based on what we saw today, that it's going to translate going forward to better teams.

Yeah, I mean, I've been pretty bullish on Kyler Murray from the beginning, been pretty bullish on this podcast from the beginning.

I was starting to feel like, did I get this wrong? Like through the first couple of weeks.

games like prolonged stretches of play for him.

He gets 11 snaps against Packers.

And obviously we watched what we watched last week in Tampa.

And then the first half today.

Like this could be hard for a little bit still until they get those guys back, but build on this, get players back and, then it could come together.

And what could be if you have a defense that's going to play at this level? It may not be crazy to start turning up the expectations based on what we've seen here over these first two games, what they could do on the ground and what they could do on defense.

Yeah.

I mean, if you just break the offensive struggles down to the minute, the fundamentals.

Week one, your starting quarterback plays 11 snaps, your backup quarterback struggles.

Most teams throughout the NFL would struggle on offense in those situations.

Week two, your starter does not play, your backup has to play the whole game, and it rains the entire game.

Most teams throughout the NFL would struggle given those circumstances.

I think that was huge for him.

Mm.

"This is the fourth minute.

Let me deliver this contact." And he did, and like you said, it continued to bleed more time off the clock.

But that's 23 carries for Aaron Jones.

Uh, in a year, in the year 2026, where I don't know if Aaron Jo- I ever thought Aaron Jones would get 23 carries in one single football game ever again for the rest of his career.

I think in a perfect world for the Vikings, it was Aaron Jones, it was Jordan Mason, it was like 8, 10 touches for Aaron Jones a game.

Certainly not 23.

In the bigger picture, it's hard not to look at this and go, "What could be of this offense if you can continue to run this way and play offensive line this way? And what could be if Kyler Murray can kinda take a little bit of a page out of these other guys, you know, out of Carson Wentz and not turn the ball over, not make big mistakes? And what could be if you have a defense that's gonna play at this level?" It may not be crazy to start turning up the expectations based on what we've seen here over these first two games, what they could do on the ground and what they could do on defense.

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Yeah, I don't subscribe to the idea of momentum either, but then...

i watch a game like that and i'm like i understand why people feel deeply that that it's a real thing um but you you saw i think a shift you could feel in a building like as soon as jordan love gets stuffed and the vikings take over and instead of 25 17 it's 22 17 and the vikings are all of a sudden on the field with a chance to go take the lead in a game that probably most fans would agree they'd had no business being in a position to go take the lead at that point in time.

But you felt it shift, and obviously the few penalties on that ensuing drive kept it alive.

Carson Wentz joked he threw it right into the safety's chest on the Green Bay Packers in the end zone, interception, and obviously it gets called back because of a flag.

But as that was happening, I think the offensive players I talked to basically said, When the penalties kept showing up and they kept us on the field and they kept the drive alive, we knew we had to score a touchdown.

A field goal wasn't going to be good enough there.

I don't think the Vikings even have a chance at winning this game if Micah Parsons had been in.

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Yeah, I don't subscribe to the idea of momentum either, but then...

i watch a game like that and i'm like i understand why people feel deeply that that it's a real thing um but you you saw i think a shift you could feel in a building like as soon as jordan love gets stuffed and the vikings take over and instead of 25 17 it's 22 17 and the vikings are all of a sudden on the field with a chance to go take the lead in a game probably most fans would agree they'd had no business being in a position to go take the lead at that point in time.

But you felt it shift, and obviously the few penalties on that ensuing drive kept it alive.

Carson Wentz joked he threw it right into the safety's chest on the Green Bay Packers in the end zone, interception, and obviously it gets called back because of a flag.

But as that was happening, I think the offensive players I talked to basically said, when the penalties were kept showing up and they kept us on the field and it kept the drive alive we knew we had to score a touchdown a field goal wasn't going to be good enough there and credit to them they did but what happened after that was i think it just the defense showing up in a way that made it pretty easy on the offense and that's not to take away from what the offense was able to do you still have to put the ball in the end zone but if you just look at it on the stat sheet or on the play-by-play.

They go up 25 to 22 after Aaron Jones follows his blockers and then Carson Wentz throws the two-point conversion to Justin Jefferson.

I don't think the Vikings even have a chance at winning this game if Micah Parsons had been in.

And it feels like this is the same exact quarterback where, who didn't really change at all, and maybe the coaches would tell me, dude, you're totally wrong, he does this, this, this, and this better, but I can only judge the results, and the results are no new information.

Yeah, my phrase...

See, I'm cheating now.

We did one word, and I did a phrase, now you've given a phrase.

I'm going to cheat again.

My thing is...

Shrugs like those watching at a video like I'm shrugging right now for those listening at home that's how I feel about JJ McCarthy because I don't know like it I I was told that there was going to be mechanical changes and maybe if I squinted I could see them in practice but then I watched the preseason game against the Giants I watched the preseason game against the Ravens.

Whereas I think this is a bit of a change, which leads us into the offensive line and the vibe check there.

So those things make it easier for you, where I do think that some of the criticisms of his run attack, which have happened from us, but some of them are a little bit not fair when you have Christian Darrisaw goes out, and you're playing maybe Joe Huber or something and going, "Why the heck didn't you run more?" [laughs] And it's like, well, you know, that's not the most ideal unit to run behind, whereas I think this, uh, is a bit of a change, which leads us into the offensive line and the vibe check there.

Yeah.

I, I don't even have a full word or a thought.

I just, I, I think it, it's very good.

Like, the, the potential of that line could be sky high, and it starts and stops with Christian Darrisaw to me.

It, uh, y- just watching him in practice throughout this summer, and even more than that, listening to him talk to us this summer, uh, it's a completely different guy, because he definitely feels like himself again.

And when Christian Darrisaw feels like himself again, that, that's scary for other teams, because you can make an argument that him at his peak is the best left tackle in the league, and I think you could have a spirited debate about that because of what he's able to do at that position.

Um, that one, I, I think growth would be my word, uh, i- in terms of the defensive tackles.

So how did you react to McCarthy's performance?

Yeah, I mean, I think the takeaway is that it's the same J.J. McCarthy we've seen forever.

Like, there's not really been a big major change.

We've talked about, well, maybe it looks different mechanically at times, and then we watch in the games and there's still...

Some really good throws at times and then some questionable decisions at times and then some really awful throws at times.

It has been the same constant story kind of throughout his career to this point.

I did want to read the quote from Kevin O'Connell talking about the injury.

And I think throughout this game, we saw Caleb Banks do some throwing around and do some effective things, Dane, but also there are plays where it is really clear his lack of experience and how raw he still is, and O'Connell talked about that after the game.

And also, when he has been playing, we've seen a couple nice plays, and we've seen a couple of sort of typical misses from him, uh, where you go, "I'm not sure how much has really changed in terms of him throwing the football." So how did you react to McCarthy's performance?

Yeah, I mean, I think the takeaway is that it's the same J.J. McCarthy we've seen forever.

Like it, th- there's not really been a big, major change.

We've talked about, well, maybe it looks different mechanically at times, but then we watch in the games and there's still some really good throws at times and then some questionable decisions at times, and then some really awful throws at times.

It has been the same constant story kind of throughout his career to this point.

I did wanna read the quote from Kevin O'Connell talking about the injury.

I, I think it's important because in a vacuum, in a perfect world for the Vikings, they wanted to play J.J. more today, but they couldn't because...

And I think throughout this game, we saw Kayla Banks Do some throwing around and do some effective things, Dane, but also there are plays where it is really clear his lack of experience and how raw he still is, and O'Connell talked about that after the game.

So I would love to know your opinions on those positions, Dane.

Yeah, I mean, I'll start with the number three corner because Chuck Demings has kind of been the fan favorite of training camp, understandably so.

Electric personality, a guy you can already tell that the locker room loves and has a bunch of fans within, you know, just the building itself.

He's getting No. 3 cornerback reps. That's a real thing.

I think James Pierre probably has the edge right now still, and that's not necessarily a fault to Chuck Demings.

James Pierre is an experienced veteran who has kind of taken on that step-by-step progression that – It tends to work well in the Brian Flores system.

Brian Flores targeted him and said, I want that guy in free agency.

You could answer in the reverse order if you want.

But how would you grade Kyler Murray's two days of joint practices?

C.

Probably a C. I think it passed the test.

I don't think the Vikings offense looked good by any means, but I don't think it looked nearly as incompetent as the Ravens offense did for two days.

I think it's hard if you were just to watch the offense, and this is why I tried not to wax too poetic over the Vikings defense, but th- these defense, or these joint practices lend themselves to the defense would just fly around, blitz the qu- You know what out of you and make it really hard on the offense.

It's why teams do these.

It's why Kevin O'Connell agreed to do a joint practice with the Ravens, 'cause he wanted to see his group ag- his offensive group against Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith and, uh, Marlon Humphrey and all those guys.

You could, uh, answer in the reverse order if you want.

Uh, how do you look at his future now?

Yeah, I think that's up to J.J. McCarthy.

I think that's up to how he handles this situation right now, which is less than optimal, which is not the outcome he wanted.

He, he went into this competition thinking he could win it, putting his best foot forward trying to win it, and coming up a little bit short.

If he uses, uses it as motivation and, and, and kind of responds in the correct way and shows that he's a pros pro and shows that he's invested in getting better, maybe there could be a future with him or for him, if not in Minnesota, somewhere else.

You're kind of always auditioning for the other 30 teams in the, in the league.

So it- he needs to respond the right way.

Okay, outside of the quarterback cor- uh, competition there, Dane, what have been some other important storylines so far through camp?

Uh, how do you look at his future now?

Yeah, I think that's up to J.J. McCarthy.

I think that's up to how he handles this situation right now, which is less than optimal, which is not the outcome he wanted.

He, he went into this competition thinking he could win it, putting his best foot forward trying to win it, and coming up a little bit short.

If he uses, uses it as motivation and, and, and kind of responds in the correct way and shows that he's a pro's pro and shows that he's invested in getting better, maybe there could be a future with him or for him, if not in Minnesota, somewhere else.

You're kind of always auditioning for the other 30 teams in, in the league.

So it- he needs to respond the right way.

Okay, outside of the quarterback corp-- uh, competition there, Dane, what have been some other important storylines so far through camp?

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Yeah, I mean, I think the upside, I've had them at 10 wins and I'm not moving off of that.

I don't know if the upside, I guess if everything goes right and you get a magical season.

We've seen 13, 14 wins from this team not too long ago.

But I think the upside is that the offense runs like it should, which it didn't last year for long stretches.

And I think that's what people kind of forget.

My theory in the NFL is it's only four months.

What did you make of the way that Kevin O'Connell presented the quarterback competition from JJ McCarthy's side?

Uh, what did you make of the way that Kevin O'Connell presented the quarterback competition from J.J. McCarthy's side?

Yeah.

I think it was exactly kind of how I expected him to come out and explain it from J.J. McCarthy's perspective today.

I think from the jump they've wanted to, in some ways, light a fire under J.J. McCarthy.

I think mission accomplished.

From the jump they've wanted to see improvement from J.J. McCarthy.

I think mission accomplished.

If you're a third-year first-round draft pick quarterback and you lose a competition to a veteran on a one-year, $1.3 million contract, the odds of you eventually having success with that franchise pretty much plummet, and success in the NFL becomes a much longer journey.

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Yeah, I'm gonna stay firm in my, by next Monday we'll have a starter announced.

Um, it might seem a little early, but 'cause they're off Thursday and then Friday, Saturday, and then there's the night practice on Sunday.

But f- to me it feels like that Monday, I think they practice next Monday, on the 10th.

But I, I've locked in on that day 'cause it was a week after today, which is the first day of pads.

I think you should have a good enough sample size by then to make a determination and then, like K- Kevin O'Connell said, hit the ground running and try to prepare to win football games.

Because this quarterback competition is fun to follow, it gets a lot of clicks, gets a lot of views, it gets a lot of subscriptions and downloads, fans are having a fun time with it, but it does nothing to prepare you for week one against the Green Bay Packers.

Because it is up to-- I think they, they kind of did this last year, or they've done this in the past with Brian Flores, where he gives position groups rampways to, "I won't add if you don't make me add." But there are guys in that room right now that are getting opportunities to

So, uh, what did you make of, like, the rep split today?

Yeah.

The rep split, I c- I can't keep track of it, honestly.

Like, it's very confusing to try and go through each day and determine who has kind of the upper hand, 'cause i- it, they've been generally, like, not 50/50 split, but some days Kyler takes more reps with the ones, some days J.J.'s taken equal to or more reps with the ones.

If we're digging into the reps today, I do think that stretch where Kyler took the, the longer stretch of during 11-on-11 work, this was not in a situational drill with ones against the other ones on defense- Is maybe a takeaway, but it, I, I don't think we can sit here and say, "This is how the reps have been distributed, and that means that either this guy or the other guy is ahead in the competition." Which I'm saying all that to say it's kind of frustrating to kind of try and keep an eye on what's going on.

And I can imagine maybe there's some frustration from the quarterbacks too, with how there hasn't been a ton of momentum being able to be generated right now, and, and maybe, look, maybe that's part of a quarterback competition.

Maybe that's part of this, is that we won't see separation, and therefore you won't see the snowball effect of I'm really starting to get it in the offense.

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That's what it sounded like to me to read between the lines of his comments here today.

Yeah, he mentioned the accuracy.

He mentioned the command that Kyler has of the offense.

But especially in training camp, right, you don't want that guy – Kevin O'Connell knows that Kyler Murray has a pretty singular athletic ability, a playmaking ability to run around and make things happen.

And I think at some point, if Kyler Murray is the starter, Kevin O'Connell will lean into those moments in high leverage moments when Kyler Murray scrambles around and makes something out of nothing.

When he makes Kevin O'Connell right when maybe the play call was wrong.

But in training camp, no, I don't think he wants to see any of that because...

Now, Dane, what do you think of them signing Jamal Adams?

But, uh, at least for today, I, I thought that he was pretty transparent, Dane, about how he plans to handle this quarterback competition.

Yeah.

The most interesting thing that I took away from his press conference was that he does plan to make an announcement.

I thought there was a chance, and when you think about it, like Kevin O'Connell has talked about this from the beginning, like he was going to handle it in a very transparent manner.

So maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that he confirmed today that he will make an official announcement when that decision between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy is made.

But there was a part of me that thought, you don't really have to name a starting quarterback until right before week one, so why do it? I thought there was a chance that the reps just start to flip very obviously, but Kevin O'Connell plays it coy and says, "We're still figuring things out." Does not sound like that's how it's going to go.

He said he has a date in mind.

Now, Dane, what do you think of them signing Jamal Adams?