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The Vikings have started 4-0 for the 11^th time in franchise history and for the second time since 2024.

Minnesota outlasted Miami 15-10 Sunday thanks to T.J. Hockenson tying his personal best by reeling in 13 catches, and South Florida native Dallas Turner recorded two more sacks, which included a forced fumble recovered by Blake Cashman, to give him 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles already this season. Will Reichard tied his single-game high with five field goals on as many tries and has made 31 consecutive FGs, tying Fuad Reveiz for the second longest streak in team history.

The Vikings offense is still establishing its sea legs but did make some plays down the stretch to close out the game in victory formation. Hockenson opted to slide at the Miami 2-yard line as the clock reached the 2-minute warning. The unselfish play allowed Minnesota's defense to enjoy the home win after that group was on the field for final-play closeouts of the Bears in Chicago and the Buccaneers at Tampa Bay the previous two weeks.

Before we get to comments and questions, I'd like to congratulate all the participants in the Twin Cities Marathon, including Vikings fan and friend Paul Fleming, who reached his goal of finishing in under 4 hours. Paul ran in support of Special Olympics, which also brings me to mention that this year's Vikings Unified Team is looking great in practice so far. The group was out at TCO Stadium Friday night for a practice ahead of playing a team sponsored by the Patriots in New England this December.

Vikings Legend Jake Reed was at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday. He participated in an in-game interview with Vikings Entertainment Network's Tatum Everett, sharing his battle with lung cancer. I also had the opportunity to speak with Reed on Friday and will be writing a feature on him this week. In the meantime, folks can take a look at a boat Reed's former teammate Randy Moss is raffling in a fundraiser to fight pediatric cancer.

Lastly, the Vikings are continuing their support for the expansion of girls flag football programs. The team and Hy-Vee are working together on a grant program to support the growth at high schools in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. The grants can help launch or sustain programs by reducing financial barriers to entry. The deadline for applying is Oct. 16.

Another unimpressive offensive performance. We are good at FGs, but our offense is weak and inconsistent and unable to finish drives with TDs. Penalties filled the game from beginning to end? Another very nice defensive performance. We were just lucky to win. Here are my 3 Ups and 3 Downs for the game:

UPS:

1. Malik Willis' amazing closed-fist attempted pass recovered by the Vikings and then challenged to get possession. Great challenge!

2. Glad to see Hockenson making consistent and valuable contributions to our offense today. I hope they continue using him in this way.

3. The final drive and the smart play to go down to seal the win with three kneel-downs.

DOWNS:

1. Stupid and careless offensive penalties throughout the game?

2. Third-and-1 sack? Poor call, poor execution.

3. Terrible and completely unacceptable Vikings punt leads directly to Dolphins TD.

A disappointing performance, and we were lucky to win. I hope we can fix our offense? Looking forward to the Saints!

Respectfully,

— Jeff L.

The Vikings are one of three teams to open the 2026 season 4-0, joining the Chiefs, who outlasted the 3-1 Raiders 30-27 in a fourth quarter with 34 combined points Sunday, and the 49ers, who defeated the Broncos 24-14.

In the NFC North, the Bears are 3-1, with their Week 2 loss to Minnesota as the lone blemish and in spite of starting three quarterbacks through four games.

Detroit is 2-2 and in third place because one of Green Bay's two losses was in the division (Week 1 at Minnesota).

Kudos to the Vikings assistants and process that has been established under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. The group has done well in having a good pulse on whether to challenge a call. The takeaway helped Minnesota's defense post a shutout in the first half.

Given Murray's prior history of connecting with tight ends, I had been wondering if a day like Sunday was on the way. Hockenson caught all 13 of his targets and totaled 119 yards, good for his fourth 100-yard game as a Viking, which tied the franchise record for such games by a tight end (set by the late Joe Senser).

The cosmetics of the game would have changed a bit with the touchdown but personally I appreciated the offense closing out the game in victory formation and saving some snaps from the defense.

The Dolphins totaled 1:00 of possession time in the fourth quarter, which could help Minnesota's defense recharge for a higher-octane opponent in the Saints, who host the Falcons to conclude Week 4 on Monday Night Football.

Miami ran three plays and netted 2 yards on its only drive in the fourth quarter, which ended with Harrison Smith breaking up a deep pass on third-and-8. Instead of going for his 40^th career interception and risking a catch by Chris Bell, Smith made sure to knock down the football.

The Vikings totaled 11 penalties for 85 yards, which is not a good recipe. O'Connell said he was most disappointed in the pre-snap infractions that kept putting the offense off schedule.

I can continue to extol the supremacy of Skol Nation's defense and special teams. I will leave that to others. Instead, I will say what I doubt a lot of fans feel confident saying. This offense is so very close. Why can I say that? We heard a lot on today's broadcast about fingernails and toenails. We heard how close so many plays and calls were.

When I look at problems in offense, I don't see a lot of patterns. Penalties have been an unusual source of frustration. But most of the issues on offense have been one-offs. I see a slip here. I see a timing problem there. I see a missed gap. I see a slow transition from huddle to formation. I see a smart slide just in front of the end zone (that would have been a touchdown) to keep the clock moving as time was winding down.

Kyler Murray is still thinking rather than reacting on enough plays to feel like the offense is clunky and out of rhythm. But I don't see one thing on offense that a defensive coordinator can look at and say, "This is how we get them." The talent is there. The flashes are there. How about the Hockenson connection?! When the offensive consistency finally hits, look out.

4-0 and solo first place in the North. It may not look pretty. But it feels great and should get so much better. I think it will be sooner rather than later.

Skol!

— Jeff K in Sacramento, California

Murray's stats in the fourth quarter were very sound. He completed 12 of 13 passes for 112 yards with a long of 27 and a passer rating of 102.6, and importantly, was not sacked during the final period. Prior to that, however, he was 15-for-24 with 135 yards and took four sacks for combined losses of 34.

The throw Murray made to Jordan Addison for 27 on a second-and-10 during Minnesota's final possession was one that could perhaps generate some momentum going forward.

198 yards of total offense for Miami. 53 on one play. Awesome job. We definitely need more than five field goals to win in the future. We could have scored a TD when it was first-and-goal with 2 minutes to go, but we did the smart thing and kept taking a knee until the clock struck 0:00. Good win. The offense is starting to figure things out. Bring on the Saints. Skol!!!!

— Gerald Goblirsch

Kudos to another wonderful defensive effort by Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores and Co.

The Vikings ran 72 plays compared to just 37 by the Dolphins, and Minnesota racked up 39:11 in time of possession for nearly a 2:1 advantage.

Minnesota also posted double Miami's success rate on third downs. The Vikings went 8-for-18 (44.4 percent); the Dolphins went 2-for-9 (22.2 percent), so that was a situational improvement for the home squad.

I am enjoying this 4-0 start for sure. However, it's clear that Kyler Murray hasn't settled in with running K.O.'s offense. No TDs??? Against the Dolphins??? At home??? That simply cannot happen. The Dolphins are not exactly the Chiefs, Bills, Rams or Broncos. That first half was extremely hard to watch as both teams matched each other's lack of proficiency. The Vikes were bailed out again by solid defense, some decent running from Aaron Jones, Sr., an illegal touch penalty, a partially blocked punt and a Willis fumble. It seemed like our receivers (other than Hockenson) either couldn't get open or the pass protection was constantly breaking down. LOTS to clean up this week if we have any chance to beat the Saints on the road and get to 5-0.

SKOL!!

— Joe B.

The illegal touch penalty negated what otherwise would have been a 68-yard TD pass. It was called because Bell went out of bounds before being the first player to touch the ball (after Malik Willis threw it to him).

That's back-to-back weeks with a TD of more than 65 yards coming off the board because of a legitimate penalty, but it also shows a need to be able to create more space from an opponent. Had the pass to Bell stood, the Dolphins would have led 7-3 in the second quarter.

Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley implemented split safeties to try to limit big plays by the Vikings offense.

Jones' contribution should not go unnoticed. He rushed 20 more times for 94 yards and added 34 receiving yards on four catches.

That also occurred with the Vikings losing left guard Donovan Jackson to a knee injury and left tackle Christian Darrisaw leaving the game with a neck injury and returning for a bit before leaving again in concussion protocol.

Hoo, boy. That game was an absolute slugfest. On one hand, it's great to be 4-0, and our defense continues to really impress. And Will the Thrill is really consistent with all his kicks, which is great to see. T.J. Hockenson came up huge for us too! On the other hand, it's going to be tough to sustain any success without scoring offensive touchdowns. How many drives now has it been without a touchdown? Like one in the last 30 or so? This just can't continue. I would love to see some rollouts or something to get Murray out of the pocket. He just looks uncomfortable back there. Getting Jefferson back will help, but we have to be able to score more than just field goals to be successful. Hope we get some offensive fireworks against the Saints! Skol!

— Mike D. in Twinsburg, Ohio

Good math on the fly from Mike. Since Week 2, the Vikings offense has had 32 possessions and scored one offensive touchdown (a 41-yard pass from Murray to Addison at Tampa Bay).

It is also worth mentioning Justin Jefferson has not been on the field for the past 22 possessions. Jefferson's status as an elite player against single coverage and as a magnet that draws defensive coverage and softens up other areas for teams is well established. His return will be helpful for the group.

Talk about an unselfish guy, a total team player. For Hock' to lay down instead of scoring shows he's only thinking about the team. But we've got to get better inside the opposition's 30 and come away with 7 instead of 3.

4-0. SKOL from a South Carolina fan.

— Larry Cochran

In an era that cares so much about personal stats and fantasy football, it was a throwback moment and good awareness to realize Minnesota only needed to get to the 2-minute warning since Miami had exhausted its timeouts.

Every challenge is different, but the Saints averaged 27 points in their first three games, losing 31-30 at Detroit, winning 24-17 at Baltimore and falling 35-27 against Las Vegas.

I'm sorry but Kyler Murray doesn't exactly ease my mind as QB1. The offense as a whole doesn't have me sleeping soundly. If we had any other defensive coordinator than Brian Flores along with the league's best kicker, we'd be 2-2 at best. Yeah, Justin Jefferson was out but C'MON!!! I've heard so much about the offensive line, the running backs, tight ends. We need points and answers QUICK!

— Jason G. in Gallipolis, Ohio

Protecting the football is the most important thing an offense can do. The Vikings improved to 39-4 under O'Connell when Minnesota wins or ties in the turnover margin.

Thus, playing complementary football, which considers Minnesota's defense and special teams, has been a significant part of Minnesota's 4-0 start.

The loss of Jackson, who was replaced by Joe Huber, and Darrisaw, who was relieved by Ryan Van Demark, are not to be discredited because of what the left side duo has been establishing.

We'll find out more this week on Darrisaw and Jackson.

3 POSITIVES

1. Defense showed up AGAIN. Held Miami to 10 points and 198 total yards. This defense is carrying this team.

2. Controlled the football. Vikings had it for 39:11 and put up 336 yards with 20 first downs. That's domination in possession.

3. No turnovers. We protected the football, Miami turned it over once, and most importantly — we walked away with another WIN.

3 NEGATIVES

1. 15 points on 336 yards is terrible. You can't control the ball for almost 40 minutes and only score 15. Against a better team, that gets you beat.

2. Red zone was brutal — 0-for-3. That's the biggest problem. Drives mean nothing if you can't finish them with touchdowns.

3. Still not sold on Kyler Murray. I understand they're trying to figure out what they have in him, but I haven't seen enough to believe he's our long-term guy. The defense keeps bailing this offense out.

Bottom line: A win is a win, but this offense has a LONG way to go. Thank God for this defense! SKOL!

— Toby S. in Alaska

The defense is quite a backbone and has fired on all cylinders since halftime of Week 1. Minnesota has allowed just two touchdowns over the past 40 possessions by opponents.

Ideally more time on task and within the system allows the coaches and players to better sync what they do, particularly in opportunities to score points.

I've always believed one of the marks of good coaching is adapting the scheme to the strengths of the players you have.

Kyler's athleticism, speed, and ability to make plays on the move seem to be among his biggest strengths. So far, though, it feels like we've asked him to operate primarily as a traditional drop-back passer, and the number of sacks has been concerning.

Could we incorporate more movement — RPOs, designed rollouts, moving pockets or opportunities for Kyler to use his legs — to better play to his strengths?

— Kevin Smith, a long-time fan

It will be interesting to see how the approach continues to evolve, particularly on the other side of the Week 6 bye.

There's ongoing dialogue between coaches and QBs weekly during game plan construction.

I've read that the Vikings are last in passing yards per game and other offensive metrics. I've read opinions about what changes are needed for a boost to get an average — not top 10 — but an average offense. I know that's as good of an offense as we'll need to win most games with the defense playing as well as they have, but why such a low bar? I saw the offensive line doing its job Sunday. I saw windows on receiving routes. Is the offense just trying to play it safe?

I understand preferring an ugly win to a pretty loss, but the offense is eventually going to be responsible for some ugly losses, against teams like the 49ers and Bills, unless they get some practice taking chances.

It makes me wonder how much of this is on the quarterback. If you look at the successful seasons that K.O. has had, early Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, both QBs were vets with tons of experience. Darnold, in particular, also had experience under Kyle Shanahan. Wentz has done a serviceable job, too, when he hasn't been injured. When you look at the young QBs though, they have not lived up to (rather high) expectations. I was sad to see J.J. McCarthy go, because I wonder if his learning hasn't been rushed. And I wonder if his learning hasn't been slow-going due to the blessing of us having a Brian Flores defense.

Hear me out. I mean, I've watched videos about his disguises, switching different coverages for different parts of the field, making shifts at the line after offenses have shifted, etc. ... Pure genius. At some point, this has to be like teaching a guy calculus who hasn't made it to algebra yet. You have to get comfortable running the basics before running the advanced, right? Meanwhile, you're working against a defense that blitzes 80% of the time, and you know how competitive these players are; no one's giving anyone a break. Murray said the toughest part was the lack of reps. Cousins said once that he asked K.O. how to answer a certain look, and that sometimes there just isn't a solution with the personnel. When the guys with a decade-plus of experience can't finesse a solution out of a play call, what can you expect from a guy with two or three years? When they run a play, they look like the QBs we've seen all season on the other side of the ball: like they're processing. They're overthinking, holding onto the ball too long, distracted by where the pressure's coming from, and prone to mistakes. Which is great from the other teams. But do you think there could be a way for K.O. and Flores to work together to speed up QB processing, like for other defenses? A way to practice to ingrain the basics before overloading with the extra credit?

Skol Vikings!

— Jacob S. from Minneapolis

Sunday was Murray's 90^th career start and third in this system. Each week, the Vikings develop a game plan with X number of plays to master against what coaches believe they'll see from opponents. It's impossible to correctly predict everything a foe might do, but it's a good approach.

The goal is to gain as much command of the game plan as possible, and the preparations include facing a scout or "look" defense that presents what is hopefully a decent preview of the upcoming defense.

There's generally a series of answers within each play, ranging from "option A" to "If the defense takes away option A, get to option B." And on down. Sometimes, if in a situation where the defense has an advantage, then it's on the QB to minimize the damage and get to the next down.

When I heard that J.J. was traded, I wasn't really surprised by that. I hope the best for him, and I realize it's the NFL. But we have to do what's best for the team. But I would have thought we would get a higher draft pick. Long-time reader, first-time writer. Been a fan since 1966.

SKOL!

— Duane Miller in Washington, Iowa

It's personally kind of wild to think the McCarthy trade occurred one week ago because of how much happens in every in-season NFL week. There were plentiful comments on this decision that hit the inbox. I wanted to include Duane's thoughts as a fan of 60 years and a first-time writer.

It appears that the offer was the best the Vikings received, and General Manager Nolan Teasley and O'Connell believe that deal to be in the best interest of the team. The Vikings acquired a 2027 fifth-round pick, which could give the team some bargaining power between now and the trade deadline in November or next spring.

I appreciate how much McCarthy seemed to relish being a teammate and a Minnesota Viking, even if his tenure experienced so many twists and turns. There were some memorable moments on the field and a couple of less conspicuous moments I'll sincerely appreciate from his time as a Viking. I wish him health and wellbeing as he writes the next chapters of his career.

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