The Minnesota Vikings’ 15-10 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday prompted a range of emotional reactions.
If you had told me to turn off the game at the end of the 3rd quarter and asked for my thoughts, my response would be vastly different from how I feel now, writing this article.
Fortunately, the 4th quarter happened, offering some hope that the struggling Vikings’ offense may have finally turned the corner. The key word in that last sentence is “may.” Time will
tell, but it was a much-needed boost of hope after a dismal stretch.
Kyler Murray was 13 of 14 for 120 yards and took no sacks on the Vikings’ final two drives. In a shocking development, that also coincided with the decision to put Murray in an environment where he has long been more comfortable.
Two things can be true simultaneously.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend that injuries and the awful weather in Chicago in Week 2 didn’t play a role in the offense’s poor showing so far. That’s absolutely a contributing factor.
But it’s also fair to say Kevin O’Connell hasn’t done Murray and company any favors early in the season. They clearly haven’t put the offense in the best position to succeed. Receivers haven’t been effectively schemed open, a traditional KOC strength, and Murray has been trying to play in a system that hasn’t maximized his strengths. It’s rather baffling, to be honest.
But better late than never, I guess. Despite all of this, the Vikings are 4-0, 3-0 in the NFC, and 2-0 in the division. If the Murray we see for the rest of the season is the improved, more comfortable version we saw in the 4th quarter on Sunday, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Mason returning, this offense has tremendous potential. We’re definitely not out of the woods yet, but it did seem like something may have clicked with KOC that could finally get this offense off the ground. We can hope.
Let’s break down the other highs and lows of an (unexpected) nail-biter, shall we?
THE GREAT
Will Reichard, the real Most Interesting Man in the World. The baby-faced assassin with luxurious, Fabioesque hair went viral for an on-air visual during the broadcast showing that, since Week 2, he accounted for 32 (!) of the 44 points scored. Minutes later, that number was 35. Nothing more really needs to be said about Will the Thrill. The guy is amazing.
Dallas Turner, Lawrence Taylor Impersonator. Turner’s early Defensive Player of the Year resume grew even stronger on Sunday, with two sacks, five pressures, and a turnover. He now has 5.5 sacks, 28 QB pressures, and 14 QB hits in just four games. I certainly thought Turner would improve this year, but being on pace for 23 sacks after the first month exceeded even the loftiest expectations.
T.J. Hockenson, Reception Machine. In my Vikings’ fantasy preview article before the season, I noted that I expected Hockenson to exceed the experts’ incredibly modest consensus expectations comfortably. The main reason was simple: History shows that Kyler Murray likes to throw to tight ends. That’s it. He really liked it on Sunday, pulling in 13 receptions for 119 yards. If he stays healthy, he’ll have his best season since 2023.
Myles Price, All-Pro. If September and early October are any indication, Price will run away with first-team All-Pro honors. The only question is whether it will be at kick returner, punt returner, or both.
This Team’s Luck, So Far. You’re exactly what your record says you are, but that doesn’t mean you must ignore the breaks that have come your way. The Vikings have benefited from a disproportionate number of high-leverage, game-changing penalties by opponents, along with an abundance of incredibly lucky breaks on Sunday. Chris Bell’s foot out of bounds by about 1/8 of an inch that cost the Dolphins a touchdown. Blake Cashman grazing Ollie Gordon II’s jersey to get a down by contact, negating another huge play. Ivan Pace Jr. deciding not to trim his fingernails before the game to prevent a costly roughing-the-kicker penalty.
We’ve seen similar movies before, for example, in 2022 and 2017. The idea is that by the end of the season, the offense will find its footing and be far more dangerous than the Case Keenum-led unit, while the defense will be in a different galaxy from Ed Donatell’s version. We won’t just need these breaks; we will be good enough to overcome them even when they fall the opponents’ way in decent numbers. That’s the hope, at least.
THE GOOD
Vikings Defense. I know it feels weird to put a unit that allowed just 10 points to an NFL team only in the “good” category, but the bar was set so ridiculously high over the past two weeks against much better offenses that I had to dial back the excitement a bit. That was mainly because the run defense allowed Ollie Gordon II to hit 100 yards on only nine carries. This came after holding D’Andre Swift and Bucky Irving to 2.8 and 3.1 yards per carry, respectively, the previous two weeks. Not sure what the deal was there, since they also didn’t have to deal with an explosive passing game. And, as noted, there was also the down-by-contact running play and the long touchdown reception that was called back. Long-term concern level: .001 out of 10.
Isaiah Rodgers and James Pierre. The under-the-radar signings over the past two offseasons have been fantastic. When you don’t really notice a cornerback and their name isn’t mentioned often, it can be a very good thing. PFF graded them 70.9 and 76.1, respectively, against the Dolphins. That ranked #2 and #3 on the defense behind Dallas Turner.
Ryan Van Demark and Joe Huber. Both called into action unexpectedly and had strong showings. In his 46% snap share replacing Christian Darrisaw, Van Demark logged a 69.4 PFF grade. Huber played nearly the entire game (91%) and earned a 50.0 PFF grade, which didn’t seem to match what I was seeing. Looked fine to me. Hopefully I’m right, because while Van Demark will likely need to make one more start, Huber is (for now) penciled in as the starter at left guard for the rest of the regular season, because…
THE INCREDIBLY UNFORTUNATE
The Donovan Jackson Injury. Horrible news. Jackson has played at an elite level in Year 2, especially in pass protection, where PFF ranked him 7th among 74 qualifying guards. The good news is that, as of this writing, it appears he could return for the playoffs. Either way, it’s an enormous loss. Not sure what the plan is moving forward, whether Huber’s job is for the rest of the season or a trade is on the horizon, similar to Cam Robinson in 2024. Either way, I wish Jackson the speediest of recoveries so he can continue his promising career as soon as possible.
THE BAD
The Freakin’ Penalties. After Week 2, I commended KOC for getting the Vikings to play smart, clean football. I officially retract that statement. The last two weeks have been an unmitigated disaster. After logging nine penalties for 95 yards against the Buccaneers, the Vikings weren’t quite done stepping on rakes, committing 11 (!) for 85 yards in the friendly confines of U.S. Bank Stadium against the Dolphins. Way too many were inexcusable false starts and formation errors. If you’re in practice, starter or not, you should do better. This stuff may fly against teams with a combined 0-8 record, but it’ll bite you in the ass against better competition, which is coming up very soon.
Harrison Smith. This one hurts because he’s one of my favorite Vikings ever, but you gotta call it like it is. Smith had a rough day against the Dolphins. He looked out of position on the fortunate Chris Bell overturned touchdown and failed to bring down Gordon on another long run. Hoping it’s rust and that he’s working his way back into football shape after missing the entire offseason.
CONCLUSION
It’s not hyperbole to say that the 2026 Vikings’ fortunes hinge on whether the Kyler Murray we saw in the 4th quarter will be the one we see moving forward: comfortable, confident, and playing fast. If it is, barring catastrophic injuries, the sky could be the limit for this team. If it isn’t, we’ll need to temper our expectations, 4-0 or not. The schedule gets rough after the bye, and the offense must do its part. Brian Flores’ group, Will Reichard, and Myles Price can’t do it by themselves. Well, actually… okay, no, no, they can’t.
Did KOC, Kyler Murray, and the offense officially turn the corner on Sunday? Definitely maybe.
