“It definitely just shows that once this defense gets going, we can go out there and make plays — and that’s everybody on this defense,” Murphy said.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith, who had a sack erased when it was ruled a roughing the passer penalty, added it creates “a lot of juice” when Minnesota can string together defensive plays like it did.
“It kind of ignites things, and that’s what we’re looking to do,” Smith said.
The Vikings scored their sole touchdown of the day following Murphy’s interception, thanks to a run and reception by Aaron Jones, Sr., and QB J.J. McCarthy scrambling 12 yards into the end zone for a 13-3 lead — thanks to a block by Jones.
“We played really, really good defense all day long,” Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Did enough, from a standpoint of third down, fighting through some injuries … really good individual sequences, but the defense as a whole, that’s their game ball right there for what they were able to do.
“Just a really, really impressive performance by them,” O’Connell added.