Vikings rookie linebacker Brian Asamoah II smiled when a reporter asked him to imagine what it will be like on Sunday when he likely will be called upon for a handful of snaps to spy Arizona's Kyler Murray, perhaps the quickest, fastest and most elusive of the many quick, fast and elusive quarterbacks in today's NFL.
"Funny you should ask," he said. "I did it in practice when I was a true freshman on the scout team at Oklahoma and he was the starting quarterback."
That was 2018, the year Murray won the Heisman Trophy while running for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns and passing for 4,361 yards and 42 more scores.
The Sooners needed to give Murray a taste of the coverages he'd likely face each week. A lot of times, Asamoah fit the skill set of the spy whose only job is to shadow the jackrabbit quarterback and, oh yeah, make sure he doesn't break contain.
"It might sound easy," Asamoah said. "But it's not easy."
The Vikings lost to Murray and the Cardinals 34-33 in Arizona in Week 2 a year ago. Murray threw for 400 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He ran only five times, but gained 31 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown and a nifty 9-yarder on third-and-6.
"We'll try to simulate Murray in practice, but you can't," linebacker Eric Kendricks said Wednesday. "A lot of us have played against him, so we know. The ones who haven't will have to adjust as they go on Sunday."
Vikings backup quarterback Nick Mullens simulated Murray in practice this week. Murray has 359 career rushes for 2,049 yards (5.7) and 22 touchdowns. Mullens? He has 30 career rushes for minus-11 yards.
"Honestly, it's kind of fun because it makes you do things you normally don't do," Mullens said. "You watch a couple of his games, get to know his traits and abilities. After that, you do the best you can, but I can run a little and get a first down here or there."
Mullens also simulated Justin Fields the week the Vikings played the Bears.
"I pretty much do it every week," Mullens said. "The only time I can remember not doing it was back in 2019 with the 49ers. We played Lamar [Jackson]. I can't remember the guy's name but we had a young practice squad receiver simulate Lamar."
The 6-1, 228-pound Asamoah was drafted in the third round mostly to play special teams as a rookie and grow into a role on defense. He's become a standout special teamer and saw the first six of his eight defensive snaps as a spy on Fields in the 29-22 victory over the Bears on Oct. 9.
His first snap was on third-and-11 at the Chicago 13-yard line. "That one was pretty easy," Asamoah said. "Danielle [Hunter] got a sack."
O'Connell said the Vikings must be very selective in how many times they use a defender to spy Murray because the Cardinals are committed to flooding the field with five passing targets. With four pass rushers, a spy and a single-high safety or two-high safety look, the numbers can become a big advantage for the offense.
"It can create four or five one-on-ones no matter how you try to protect or disguise or line up in a shell," O'Connell said.
Asamoah was asked how often he thinks he'll spy his old Sooners teammate. He answered like a veteran NFLer.
"You'll have to wait and see," he said. "Kyler's different, man. He's quicker. He's smaller. He just finds his little areas to get loose.
"But if they need me to spy him, I can do it. I've done it before."