Murray and the Vikings might've found some momentum for a lagging offense, late in their latest win

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The unbeaten Minnesota Vikings won another game behind a suffocating defense and sterling special teams, while their offense remained disjointed and uninspiring for a restless home crowd.

Lost in the din of another grind-it-out win and the mild booing sparked by a series of stalled possessions, however, was a promising fourth-quarter performance by Kyler Murray when the Vikings needed their passing attack the most.

Perhaps that was a sign the offense will be just fine with more time. Maybe it'll prove to be a mirage. More likely, the results over the remainder of the season will land somewhere in the middle. Nonetheless, Murray and his teammates gained some vital steam with their finish against Miami on Sunday that gave the Vikings a 4-0 record.

After completing 12 of 13 passes for 112 yards in the fourth quarter of the 15-10 victory, helping the Vikings get eight first downs and hold the ball for 14 of 15 minutes, Murray said he felt “present” in a way he hadn't experienced yet with his new club.

“I definitely felt like the game was moving slower,” Murray said. “I was a little more in control, not perfect by any means, but to be able to get that many reps like I did today, play four quarters again, see defenses, see coverages, see guys moving around and getting to the field zones in man coverages, all that, you can’t put a price tag on that playing this position. I think we’re only going to get better.”

Murray went 27 of 37 for 249 yards, including six throwaways and three drops by intended receivers. The combination of the game-long commitment by the Dolphins to playing split-safety coverage and the absence of star Justin Jefferson made the intermediate and deep passes more difficult. Murray repeatedly held the ball in the pocket too long, taking four sacks against a team that had none over the first three games.

But he leaned hard on tight end T.J. Hockenson and connected with Jordan Addison for a crucial 27-yard gain on a tough throw to an in-cutting route at midfield with about four minutes left.

“I thought it said a lot about Kyler and the group as a whole, fighting through some adversity there,” coach Kevin O'Connell said.

Murray's preseason work on a demanding playbook was affected some by the competition with J.J. McCarthy, limiting his turns with the first team until he was announced as the starter on Aug. 11.

Then he was sidelined in the first quarter of his debut by a concussion that kept him out the following week, too. In Murray's return, Jefferson had an injury force an early exit. The duo has played only 18 snaps together through four games.

The Vikings, not coincidentally, are the only team in the last 90 years, according to Sportradar data, to start a season 4-0 and have at least two games with no offensive touchdowns.

“There’s no lack of confidence by any means,” Murray said. “Obviously we’ve got to be better and cleaner, and we will be.”

The pass defense was in prime form against the Dolphins, limiting Malik Willis to nine completions in 17 attempts. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks per pass attempt and rank fourth in yards allowed per pass play.

The Vikings, on the flip side, are second-worst in the league in sacks allowed per pass attempt. Protection, decision-making and play-calling are all factors.

Hockenson tied his career high with 13 receptions for 119 yards, his fifth career game with a 100% catch rate. Eight of his receptions went for first downs, and he picked up more blocking responsibility, too, after fellow tight end Josh Oliver suffered a torn biceps that likely ended his season. With his fourth 100-yard game for the Vikings, Hockenson tied Joe Senser for most by a tight end in team history.

With rookie Brett Thorson out for a second straight game because of a hamstring injury, veteran Johnny Hekker had punts that grossed only 31 and 20 yards.

The Vikings got some bad news Monday on left guard Donovan Jackson, who likely will miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is in the concussion protocol and uncertain for this week, along with Jefferson and his sprained ankle.

26.1 — The percentage of opponent possessions against the Vikings that have resulted in points, the best rate in the league.

The Vikings play this week at New Orleans, where a noisy stadium could pose a problem with their susceptibility to pre-snap penalties. The offense had five of them against Miami, including an illegal formation call that negated a 21-yard pass from Murray to Addison in the first quarter.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson reacts after a play against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray speaks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray looks to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray walks off the field following an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

TORONTO (AP) — The separatist Parti Québécois won Quebec’s provincial election Monday but fell short of enough seats to govern alone, returning to power with a promise to hold another referendum on independence from Canada.

The result returns Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s party to power for the first time in more than a decade but denies it the majority it sought, forcing the separatists to rely on opposition parties even as they try to revive Quebec’s independence debate.

The party was on track to win nearly 60 seats as the final votes were counted, falling short of the 64 needed for a majority in Quebec’s 127-member National Assembly, the provincial legislature. A minority government means PQ will need support from opposition lawmakers to pass key legislation and survive confidence votes.

St-Pierre Plamondon acknowledged that voters had denied his party a majority. “Quebecers elected the Parti Québécois asking it to work with the other parties, and I heard that message,” he said.

He has pledged to hold another referendum on independence, though he has said he would wait until U.S. President Donald Trump is no longer in office.

St-Pierre Plamondon framed independence as essential to preserving Quebec’s French-speaking identity, saying it was a “question of survival” for a French-speaking population that represents only a small fraction of North America. He said Quebec “just wants to exist on its own like other countries of the world” and that a referendum would allow Quebecers to decide their own future.

“I continue to dream and visualize that country,” St-Pierre Plamondon said in his victory speech. “That dream will be realized one day.”

He also sought to reassure Canadians outside Quebec. “The project for independence is not about excluding you,” he said. “Quebec will never change its geographical position, so we have an interest in working together.”

Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette conceded defeat, saying voters had made their choice and that she took full responsibility for the “difficult result.” The CAQ, which entered the election with 79 seats, was shut out of the legislature, and Fréchette lost her own seat in Trois-Rivières.

But the PQ's victory does not mean most Quebecers support leaving Canada.

“This was not an election about independence, which is not popular in Quebec right now, but about getting rid of the CAQ, the party in power since 2018,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Support for independence remains at about 30%, low by historical standards, he said. Béland said the minority result is likely welcome news for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government because it could make it harder for the PQ to prepare for and eventually call an independence referendum.

The PQ would face opposition from both the Liberals and Conservatives, whose leaders have said they would fight efforts to hold a sovereignty referendum. Québec solidaire, another pro-independence party, could hold the balance of power and potentially support the PQ on a referendum.

Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon and signaled that Ottawa would work with the incoming separatist government. “Building a stronger Québec is core to our mission of building a stronger Canada,” Carney said. He said the two governments would work together to support businesses and workers affected by U.S. tariffs, create jobs and build housing.

Still, Béland said a separatist government in Quebec poses a new national-unity challenge for Carney, particularly with another independence-related vote approaching elsewhere in Canada.

The Quebec result comes two weeks before Albertans vote Oct. 19 on whether to hold a referendum on separation from Canada.

“Seeing that a pro-independence party won in Quebec barely two weeks before an independence-related referendum takes place in Alberta might suggest to the Trump administration that national unity remains a major issue in Canada despite the popularity of Mark Carney,” Béland said.

Quebec voters have twice rejected sovereignty, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.

Quebec, which is about 80% French-speaking, already has significant autonomy. The province of 9.1 million collects its own income tax, has immigration policies favoring French speakers and has laws giving the French language priority over English.

Even with the PQ victory, Trump’s tariffs and 51st-state rhetoric have complicated the separatist argument by stirring Canadian nationalism and giving some French-speaking Quebecers another reason to value remaining part of Canada.

Trump’s tariffs and repeated threats against Canada became a defining issue in the 2025 federal election, helping lift Carney’s Liberals to victory after the party had trailed badly before Trump returned to office.

Parti Quebecois supporters cheer as results come in at PQ headquarters on election night in Montreal, Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Parti Quebecois supporters cheer as results come in at PQ headquarters on election night in Montreal, Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, center, waves to supporters after winning the provincial election in Montreal, Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, center, speaks to supporters after winning the provincial election in Montreal, Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Coalition Avenir Quebec Leader Christine Frechette casts her ballot at the polling office in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press via AP)

Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal votes in her Montreal riding of Mercier, in the Quebec provincial general election on Monday Oct. 5, 2026. (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press via AP)

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon casts his ballot on election day in Montreal, Quebec, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)