Is it possible for a defensive coordinator to win the Coach of the Year award? If it were the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, Brian Flores would be a lock. The Vikings remain undefeated thanks to their lights-out defense and no thanks to their offense.
The Indianapolis Colts came to town with a 2-4 record and got the scoring started early with Jonathan Taylor 38-yard touchdown run. Minnesota would answer back in the second quarter with a pair of Will Reichard field goals. The Colts got their own field goal as time expired in the first half, making it 10-6 at halftime.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. Then the Vikings scored a touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray to T.J. Hockenson. Reichard would tack on another 52-yard field goal with 1:39 left, and then Daniel Jones would lead a come-from-behind touchdown drive.
Jones would throw an interception to Harrison Smith. It was Smith’s 40th career interception; with that, he joins Charles Woodson and Rondre Barber as the only players in NFL history to record at least 40 interceptions and 20 career sacks.
The Vikings held the Colts to just 218 total yards, with only 64 passing yards. On a day when a defense dominates so thoroughly, you would expect a big win. Well, that wasn’t the case for the 2026 Minnesota Vikings, who struggled to get anything going in most of their six wins.
Minnesota ranks in the bottom half of the league for total offense, passing yards, and points. They rank second in yards allowed per game and first in turnover differential.
Quarterback Kyler Murray, who has had a lot of success in passing this season, has been struggling. He went 14-of-24 for 150 yards and a touchdown. Justin Jefferson led the passing attack, catching 4 passes for 44 yards. T.J. Hockenson had 4 receptions for 35 yards and 1 touchdown. The running game wasn’t much better: Jordan Mason rushed 15 times for 68 yards, Kyler Murray had 5 rushes for 39 yards, and Aaron Jones rushed 8 times for 26 yards.
The Vikings will likely make the playoffs barring a complete collapse, but they’re playing a dangerous game, so heavily relying on their defense to carry them. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is known for his ability to coach up quarterbacks. Something he did quite well with Sam Darnold in 2024, but since then his status as “QB whisperer” has been in doubt.
I’m very excited to see how long they can continue winning in this style. Their next four games are a brutal test: next week they face the Detriot Lions, then the Buffalo Bills, then the Green Bay Packers, and finally the San Francisco 49ers. After that run, we’ll know better whether the Vikings are true contenders.
