Vikings Show Vulnerability but Escape with Win vs. Colts

Well, once again it wasn’t very pretty, but it’s another notch for the win column.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 on Sunday to get to 6-0 for the first time since 2009 when Brett Favre led them to the NFC Championship Game. It also marked the third time in six games that the Vikings have given up 10 or fewer points this season.

With the win now in the rearview mirror, here are five takeaways from Week 6.

1. Colts Running Game Proves to Be an Issue

The Vikings defense ran into one of its first trouble spots of the year this weekend in Jonathan Taylor. The Colts running back carried the ball 18 times for 95 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown scamper. Seth McGowan also added 11 carries for 42 yards.

Indianapolis’ 154 yards on the ground was the most Minnesota has given up all season and just the third time they’ve allowed an opponent to surpass 100 rushing yards all year. Going back to last year, that 154-yard mark is actually the most Minnesota has allowed since Week 8 of 2025 in a 37-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Minnesota’s defense is certainly stout, but did the Colts potentially expose something in the running game? With a matchup against Jahmyr Gibbs and the Detroit Lions coming up, it’s certainly a storyline to keep an eye on going into Week 8.

2. Will Reichard’s Streak Ends

While Will Reichard’s streak of consecutive field goals made came to an end on Sunday, it didn’t happen before he made history.

Reichard made two field goals in the first half to mark his 35th and 36th consecutive field goals, tying Gary Anderson for the franchise record and then passing him. Of course, that streak would subsequently end when a 59-yard attempt in the fourth quarter was blocked.

Regardless of the block, Reichard’s consistency is a big reason why the Vikings have won 11 consecutive games going back to last season. Six of those wins have come by one possession. If Reichard misses a kick somewhere in there, there is a good chance Minnesota isn’t on this winning streak.

The good news? He immediately started a new streak by hitting 52-yard kick in the fourth quarter to solidify Minnesota’s 16-10 win.

3. Vikings Pass Rush Wins the Day

Enough can’t be said of this Vikings defense through six weeks. They are really the sole reason for this 6-0 start and have been the backbone of this team through the first third-plus of the year. While there were some struggles against Jonathan Taylor and the Colts’ rushing attack on Sunday, their performance against the passing game was otherworldly.

The Colts totaled just 64 total passing yards on the day, Minnesota’s defense recorded six sacks, and Harrison Smith picked off Daniel Jones in the final minutes to seal the victory for the Vikings. Dallas Turner added to his Defensive Player of the Year campaign on Sunday recording half a sack and three hits of Jones. Minnesota had 10 QB hits as a team. If they can keep this pass rush up, they will be able to disrupt even the best quarterbacks in the league.

4. Jordan Mason Reclaims the Lead in the Backfield

If there was one thing that stood out offensively on Sunday, it’s that Jordan Mason officially owns the backfield for the Vikings. In his return, Mason totaled 15 carries compared to eight for Aaron Jones.

Those carries were far more successful than Jones’ as well, totaling 68 yards compared to Jones’ 26. That return becomes more important after Jones left late in the game due to an injury and did not return. The latest reports suggest he aggravated a knee injury. We’ll see if Mason gets more carries next Sunday against the Lions as a result.

5. Another Shaky Kyler Murray Day

It’s a weekly topic at this point, but Sunday brought yet another shaky game from the Vikings’ QB1. Kyler Murray is yet to be together a really steady game where he shows he commands the offense this year. If it were still Week 2, that wouldn’t be a big problem. In Week 7, it’s starting to just become the expectation from him.

Against a Colts defense that came into Sunday ranked near the bottom of the league in terms of efficiency against the pass, Murray completed 14 of his 24 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. That’s just not good enough for a team that, at 6-0, should have Super Bowl aspirations this year.

Does it mean it’s been complete disaster on every drive? No, of course not. The touchdown drive that featured a 35-yard run from Murray and a nice touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson. There are flashes, but the consistency is not there, which has resulted in Minnesota scoring fewer than 20 points in three of their last five games.