The Minnesota Vikings just pushed their record to a perfect 4-0 on the 2026 NFL season after a wild 15-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins at U.S. Bank Stadium. But get this: for the second time in three weeks, the Vikings did not score a single offensive touchdown. You read that right. They’re winning, but their offense is… well, it’s a mystery.
Will Reichard and T.J. Hockenson Are Carrying the Load
So how are they winning if the offense isn’t punching it into the end zone? Simple: Will Reichard is kicking five field goals, and T.J. Hockenson is putting up a career-high 13 catches. That’s how! This game was a textbook example. The Vikings won the coin toss, Myles Price (who was Special Teams Player of the Week last week, by the way) returned the opening kickoff near midfield, but then Kyler Murray got sacked for an 8-yard loss on the first play. Classic, right? The Vikings punted, the Dolphins muffed it into the end zone, and after a penalty, Miami started from their own 10-yard line.
Later, Price went off again with a 36-yard punt return that set the Vikings up at Miami’s 38. The offense stalled again, pushed backward by penalties, but guess who came to the rescue? Reichard, drilling a 47-yard field goal to put the Vikings up 3-0 in the first quarter. This dude is their secret weapon, plain and simple.
Defense and Special Teams Are Winning Games
It wasn’t just Reichard, though. The Vikings’ defense put on yet another dominating performance. Miami actually strung together a pretty solid drive on their next possession, getting into Minnesota territory, but Dallas Turner shut that down with a sack, giving him 4.5 on the young season. Those are the plays that change games. Murray got sacked again later by Josh Uche, too, but the biggest defensive stop came when Miami almost broke free. Dolphins QB Willis scrambled, got a pass away to rookie Chris Bell, and Bell ran for what looked like a 68-yard touchdown. You could feel the air leave the stadium! But hold up, the officials ruled Bell stepped out of bounds before the catch. HUGE bullet dodged. This squad is winning because their defense is absolutely suffocating opponents, and their special teams, led by Price, are flipping the field and setting up scores for Reichard. It’s a wild formula, but it’s working for a 4-0 start.
What’s next for this Vikings team? They’re sitting at 4-0, an unbelievable start for a team that can’t seem to score an offensive touchdown consistently. Can they keep relying on Reichard’s leg and their defense to carry them through the season? Every team out there is going to be watching how this plays out, trying to figure out how to beat a team that’s winning without putting the ball in the end zone themselves. It’s going to be wild to see if this incredible, unorthodox winning streak can continue.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Daily Norseman.
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