Murray Wins… But Was It Ever a Real Fight?

Murray Named Starter After Preseason Yawner; McCarthy Struggles and Adams Lost for Season — Darren and Dave recap the Vikings’ 13–10 preseason win over the Giants, calling it a penalty-filled, low-flow game highlighted by one first-team drive. Kyler Murray went 2-for-3 with some off-target throws while the run game (Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason) fueled an opening field goal. J.J. McCarthy had a poor outing (4-for-7, 34 yards, sack) with ongoing ball-placement and pre-snap issues. They argue he needs extensive preseason reps despite calls to trade him, while Carson Wentz looked only slightly better and had risky throws. They note positives from young players, including fullback Max Bredeson, RB Demond Claiborne’s speed and ball security, and WR Myles Price’s 4 catches, 51 yards, and touchdown. Defensive questions at safety (Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Jacob Thomas) arise after Jamal Adams suffered a right knee injury and was ruled out for the season. They also debate whether the Murray–McCarthy competition was weighted and emphasize the defense’s importance after multiple starters departed, with Brian Flores urging patience with rookie defensive tackles Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. Timestamps: 00:00 – Preseason Recap Intro 01:07 – Chat Roll Call 01:40 – Darren Vacation Catchup 02:45 – Theme One: Game Breakdown 04:10 – Murray First Series 06:26 – McCarthy Struggles 10:22 – Defense and Rookie Watch 14:52 – Myles Price Breakout 19:05 – Jamal Adams Injury Fallout 25:09 – Theme Two: QB Decision 26:19 – Was It a Real Battle? 31:54 – Stats Comparison: Murray vs McCarthy 34:39 – QB Competition Fallout 37:27 – McCarthy Concerns 39:18 – Murray Preseason Worries 42:20 – McCarthy Confidence Talk 44:52 – Theme Three Begins 45:07 – Tai Felton Breakout Watch 50:44 – Flores on Rookie DTs 56:25 – Defense Outlook 01:02:48 – Preseason Schedule Ahead 01:05:27 – Sign Off and Thanks Fan With Us! We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, guest Drew Bunting in for Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare along with our numbers guy, Drew Bunting. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL on the Bleav Network @BleavNetwork. _______________________________________________________ ️ Subscribe to us here! - https://www.youtube.com/@vikings1stskol92 ️ Our X can be found at @Vikings1stSKOL ️ Our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/493z6mQXcN ️ Watch the live show here: https://youtu.be/YFgYKo5e4OQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.