EAGAN, Minn. — Things are coming together.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell spoke to Twin Cities media members Monday and referenced Minnesota's Week 5 win at New Orleans, during which the offense took a step forward.

Aaron Jones, Sr., continued to be a warrior in the run game, and Kyler Murray "spit completions" all afternoon while extending plays with his legs.

"I do feel like we're growing and we're creating space in the run game. We're running it at a high clip," said O'Connell, noting the team's ability "to impose our will late in the game."

"It's very positive," he said. "I think we'll continue to see the evolution of how we put it all together, the impact of Kyler throwing a bunch of completions. I think he's [completed] 40 of his [past] 48 pass attempts. We've really seen him click into a comfort [level] playing the position — using his athleticism, being a factor with his legs and protecting himself while doing it.

"I'm excited about what's coming for us offensively," O'Connell added. "I've kind of envisioned it being like that from the beginning of the season, and we've been able to win football games as we progress, but ultimately to maximize who we want to be as a team, where our offense is going to be a big part of that."

Here are four additional takeaways from O'Connell's media session:

1. Mobility from Murray

Sunday's game against the Saints felt a little "vintage Kyler Murray" in the number of ways he implemented his mobility.

O'Connell explained it's "not an every-down thing, and we don't really want to put parameters too much of 'Here's when you do it, here's when you don't.' " Having the ability to call on Murray's athleticism, though, is hugely valuable.

"To me, it's the fundamentals of it. It's the progression," O'Connell said. "Obviously some elite-level throws like the touchdown to Justin [Jefferson] and some other plays kind of off-schedule where he kept his eyes up and found some people. I thought the protection allowed for it."

O'Connell tipped his cap to Murray for doing "an unbelievable job" escaping pressure in a few instances and keeping drives alive.

"The third-down conversions are huge," he said. "I think we'll continue to see different ways we can activate them by design, which we did a little bit [Sunday], but then also ultimately understanding those off-schedule plays where the defense [has] a coverage plan for Justin that didn't account for [Murray].

"There's only so many bodies on the field. If you want to have a four-man rush, you want to populate coverage to Justin and then ultimately leave some areas of the field open for Kyler to be able to activate," O'Connell continued. "And it was pretty darn impressive feeling the actual juice and the speed at which he can do those things."

2. Bartholomew and Yurosek capitalizing on opportunity

The Vikings planned for Sunday to be a big game for T.J. Hockenson.

So when the tight end suffered a concussion on just the second play of the day, all eyes turned to 2025 draft pick Gavin Bartholomew.

He stepped in admirably, finishing his outing with five catches, and Ben Yurosek logged a catch in addition to contributing as a blocker.

"You felt some of the physical skill set that [Bartholomew] has both in the run and pass phase," O'Connell said. "They both answered the bell, and I thought whether it was a get-back-on-track screen play that Gavin showed his athleticism on, Ben with a big second-and-10 catch for a first down on a quick game, there were just examples of those guys making an impact that were really encouraging."

3. Physicality from Joe Huber

Another example of Minnesota's "next man up" mentality is Joe Huber starting at left guard in place of an injured Donovan Jackson.

O'Connell said Huber, who joined the Vikings in 2025 as an undrafted rookie, played "incredibly physical" against the Saints.

"There was zero of leaving anything in the tank for Joe. I mean, he was flying off the ball. He was throwing his hat," O'Connell said. "Things were moving quickly early on in the game, but that's to be expected. But I think between coming in last week and then ultimately getting a practice week under his belt — I think the coolest thing about Joe yesterday was the self-correct reps we saw.

"It's … something that maybe happened early on in the football game, getting an opportunity later on in the game or even on a drive to absorb that and then maybe change [his] technique or fundamentals or anticipate what was coming from New Orleans," O'Connell continued. "He demonstrated that, which is really exciting for a young player, but not surprised at how well Joe played. And obviously we're going to need him to continue to ascend. But I have nothing but confidence with the guys coaching him and the guys around him on that offensive line, and Joe himself, that he's going to do that. Really fortunate to have Joe."

4.  About time for a bye

NFL teams often prefer a bye week that falls deeper into the season, but the Vikings are grateful for a Week 6 break to recuperate the roster. Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison and Jordan Mason are among players tracking to return in Week 7 when the Vikings host the Colts.

"It's a good time from a standpoint of getting healthy," O'Connell said. "But at the same time, we've gotten into a nice little rhythm, and I'm feeling a great sense or preparation out of our team — and then ultimately doing some things from a football philosophy standpoint that we really wanted to focus on for this year's team.

"We've got to be able to take a step back, rest, recharge," O'Connell added. "It's good for the mind, body and soul. But then come back here ready to work and get ready to get another home game at U.S. Bank Stadium against a good football team. The NFL season is long. Whenever your bye comes, you've got to try to maximize it. And in this case, specifically on offense, it will be very beneficial for us, I do believe."

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