Vikings Move to 4-0 with Ugly Victory Over Dolphins

It wasn’t pretty today, but the Minnesota Vikings are still undefeated.

Minnesota moved to 4-0 on Sunday with a 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins, surviving another inconsistent offensive performance thanks to a defense that once again did enough to carry the load.

The Vikings never found the end zone. Instead, Will Reichard accounted for every point, going 5-for-5 on field goals with makes from 47, 50, 33, 41 and 29 yards. Minnesota consistently moved the ball into scoring range, but finishing drives remained a major problem.

That has been a theme for the offense early in the season, and another reshuffled offensive line didn’t make things any easier. Still, this wasn’t a game where Minnesota was incapable of generating offense. The Vikings finished with 336 total yards, possessed the ball for nearly 39 minutes and didn’t turn it over once.

Kyler Murray completed 27 of 37 passes for 247 yards without a touchdown or interception. T.J. Hockenson was his most reliable target and had his biggest game of the season, catching 13 passes for 119 yards. Aaron Jones was productive as well, rushing for 94 yards on 20 carries while adding four catches for 34 yards.

Those numbers would normally translate to more than 15 points. Against Miami, however, the Vikings repeatedly stalled once they crossed into scoring territory and were forced to settle for field goal after field goal.

Fortunately for Minnesota, the defense gave the offense plenty of margin for error. Miami cut the lead to 12-10 late in the third quarter, but Reichard added his fifth field goal in the fourth and Minnesota ultimately closed the game with the ball in its hands.

Miami finished with only 198 total yards and 10 points. The Dolphins were held scoreless in the first half and managed just 85 passing yards for the game. Their biggest offensive spark came from Ollie Gordon II, who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, including a 53-yard run that helped make things interesting in the second half.

Dallas Turner continued what has quickly become a breakout season. The young edge rusher recorded two sacks and forced a fumble, creating one of Minnesota’s biggest defensive plays of the afternoon and continuing to establish himself as one of the league’s most disruptive defenders.

There are still legitimate concerns about this Vikings offense, particularly its inability to finish drives and turn sustained possessions into touchdowns. But Minnesota did enough in every other area to survive.

The Vikings controlled the football, protected it and leaned on an elite defense when the offense couldn’t finish. It wasn’t a convincing win, but it was enough to keep Minnesota perfect at 4-0.

Next up on the schedule for the Vikings is the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, which will be a quality test.