A frustrated fan base voiced its displeasure Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium as the Vikings put the finishing touches on an ugly, 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.

As quarterback Kyler Murray lined the team up in victory formation, a smattering of boos rained down from the home crowd, a cathartic release from those who watched the offense fail to score a touchdown across 60 minutes of action.

The frustration was rooted in Murray’s inability to find a rhythm. His cadence before the snap resulted in a number of infractions. His indecision after the snap resulted in a few sacks taken. Generally, the Vikings just struggled to move the ball. It was a tough watch.

That doesn’t mean it was all bad. If some of the rhetoric making the rounds on social media is any indication, the following probably should be expressed with a whisper.

The performance wasn’t nearly as bad for Murray as it seemed in real time. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 247 yards and appeared to get more comfortable as time progressed.

The slow start completely overshadowed the fact that Murray did, in fact, find his groove. He completed 16 of 18 pass attempts after halftime for 135 yards and would have had a touchdown pass had tight end T.J. Hockenson not purposely stopped short of the goal line to ensure the Vikings could run out the clock.

The final drive, in particular, was a masterclass. Murray led an 11-play, 74-yard march that allowed the Vikings to bleed the remaining 5 minutes, 41 seconds off the clock.

A couple of throws stood out. He connected with receiver Jordan Addison over the middle, holding the defender with his eyes, then ripping a ball into a tight window with notable conviction. He followed it by finding Hockenson up the seam, standing tall in the pocket, then lofting a ball to the back shoulder with feathery touch.

There were enough positives to at least feel encouraged about what the offense could look like with a comfortable Murray at the helm. Why, then, did it seem like he was getting booed pretty much every time he walked off the field?

The inconvenient truth is that a large portion of the fan base was out on Murray the moment he signed as a free agent. He arrived in Minnesota as a threat to the plans so many already had in place.

It was always going to be hard for Murray to overcome the idea of incumbent quarterback J.J. McCarthy being the savior the fan base was promised. Murray’s success was going to have to be overwhelming for him to be accepted by the masses.

It certainly hasn’t been to this point.

The polarizing nature of Murray’s mere existence hit a new level last week when the Vikings traded McCarthy to the New York Giants for a fifth-round draft pick. It created a perfect storm. The moment Murray faltered in any way, he was gonna hear about it.

That happened immediately on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, and it made it hard for some to accept the fact that Murray actually played well down the stretch.

That doesn’t mean Murray should be pardoned for the role he played when the offense was out of sorts. If the Vikings take roughly 30 minutes to get going against pretty much any team not named the Dolphins, they probably aren’t going to be in a position to catch a wave of momentum at the end of the game.

The whole operation needs to be better moving forward. That’s something Murray openly acknowledged as he reflected on the game’s ups and downs.

What will Murray do for an encore this week when the Vikings travel to play the New Orleans Saints? That will go a long way in determining how the fan base feels about him.