The Vikings' defense showed up once again with a bend but don't break attitude in Week 4. They played a tough Dolphins offense that didn't come across that way on paper, but they showed up against the Vikings.
The big positive today was Will Reichard connecting on all five of his field goal attempts to keep his perfect streak in 2026 alive. The big negative, however, was the offense and how they struggled against a Dolphins defense that was among the worst in the NFL. The defense can keep being the star, but it needs help, and the offense needs to find itself, as it's struggling mightily with Kyler Murray at quarterback right now.
Through it all, a win is a win, and the Vikings improve to 4-0 and prepare to face the Saints in Week 5. But before
we move on, we need to release some report card grades.
Quarterback: B-
Kyler Murray looked like he finally found a groove in the second half of the Vikings' win on Sunday. He found a strong connection with T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. He talked after the game about how he was feeling better later in the game, so now the Vikings have to hope he can do that for a full game against a tough Saints team.
Running Backs: B+
Aaron Jones Sr. is running really well in 2026. He isn't breaking off many long runs, but the chunk plays are there for him. And while the offense is trying to find itself in the passing game, Jones is providing some consistency on the ground. He had a strong week in Week 4 against the Dolphins, and he will continue to be relied upon as the season rolls on.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: A
T.J. Hockenson had a career day tying a best with 13 catches, something he also achieved while with the Vikings. It had been nearly four years since he had that many receptions in a game, and it came at a pivotal moment as they fended off the Dolphins, who never gave up. The wide receivers are missing Justin Jefferson, but Jordan Addison was able to make up the difference for the most part.
Offensive Line: B
After losing both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson, Joe Huber and Caleb Tiernan stepped up and played big roles down the stretch. They didn't play a great game as an overall unit but they did enough of a job to at least allow the running game to make some strides.
Defensive Line: B
Dallas Turner had another monster game, but the rest of the unit was pretty quiet. The Dolphins' offensive line had a surprisingly good game against the Vikings' front. Ollie Gordon had some explosive runs; Malik Willis used his mobility to elude pressure and create plays. It wasn't a bad game from this front, but it wasn't their usual domination.
Linebackers: C+
The linebackers had a hard time containing both Willis and Gordon out of the Dolphins' backfield. The unit will have to adapt in the future to mobile quarterbacks, or else they could be their Achilles' heel in 2026.
Secondary: A
The secondary had a great game in limiting the Dolphins to just 85 passing yards. They did a really good job of backing up the first two levels of the Vikings' defense and stopping drives short of the endzone on all but one occasion.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Report card grades on the Vikings after their win over the Dolphins
