By Jim Souhan

Stop me if you’re heard any of this before:

-The Vikings still don’t know who their future quarterback is.

-The Vikings don’t seem to need a franchise quarterback to win.

-The Lynx’s promising season could end in Brooklyn.

-The Twins have a promising future…which means they remain in the uncomfortable position of relying on unproven players.

Start with the Vikings.

Kyler Murray did not look comfortable and didn’t prove efficient in the Vikings’ offense. Only a big play by Jordan Addison kept the Vikings’ victory at Tampa from becoming an offensive embarrassment.

Let’s give Murray some time to get used to the offense, and let him play a full game with Justin Jefferson before we start calling for Wentz, McCarthy, Brosmer or Spergon Wynn to take over.

And while we’re attempting to exercise patience at the quarterback position, let’s recognize what’s going on here.

The Vikings are one of three undefeated NFC teams, and one of the others, Philadelphia, has only played two games. They face Chicago on Monday night.

The Vikings have allowed the fewest points in the NFC – 41.

The Vikings have won eight straight games.

The Vikings’ special teams and defense have been exceptional.

I picked the Vikings to start 6-0 and finish 12-5 and both possibilities are still on the table. This week, the Vikings get the Dolphins at home. Miami star De’Von Achane is injured and the Dolphins might have been the worst team in the league before he got hurt.

At some point, the Vikings will need their offense to win a game, but maybe not until Week 5…or 7…or 8.

If I were giving out game balls, they would have gone to Eric Wilson, Myles Price, Addison, Aaron Jones (for continuing to play through knee problems), Josh Metellus, Kyle Van Noy and Will Reichard. Oh, and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels.

As far as the continuing rumors that the Giants may want to trade for J.J. McCarthy…don’t you think after watching Murray struggle on Sunday that McCarthy could still be the Vikings’ starter next season?

I do.

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On to the Lynx.

The Game 1 loss was too predictable. Olivia Miles looked rusty after returning from injury, Napheesa Collier isn’t quite the superstar she was last year after recovering from two ankle surgeries, and the Lynx were cursed with a first-round matchup with Brenna Stewart, who, when she’s healthy and playing well, is the second-best player in the world.

This isn’t complicated. The WNBA regular season is about coaching, cohesiveness, versatility and the grind. The postseason is about star power. The Lynx aren’t deep enough to win without superlative performances from Miles and Collier.

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I’ll get to the Twins later this week. I also have a different view of what Kevin O’Connell is accomplishing.

Thanks for reading.

The hot rec: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a phenomenal piece of writing and journalism.

Daily thought: If Quinn Hughes wanted to be with the Wild, wouldn’t he have signed by now? His teammates have to be wondering what he thinks of them.

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