Vikings 15, Dolphins 10: five Reichard field goals keep Minnesota unbeaten
Minnesota did not score a touchdown and still moved to 4-0, leaning on its defense and a kicker who has not missed in 31 games.
The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0 and they did it again without much help from the end zone. On October 4 they beat the winless Miami Dolphins 15-10, with all 15 points coming from kicker Will Reichard's five field goals.
A win built on defense and the boot
Reichard was 5-for-5, extending a streak of 31 games without a miss, according to NFL.com. The Dolphins' game recap lists his first two kicks at 47 and 50 yards. Miami's only touchdown was a 12-yard run by Ollie Gordon II in the third quarter, which cut a 12-3 deficit to 12-10; Reichard answered in the fourth to restore the five-point margin.
Miami quarterback Malik Willis completed 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards, per the Associated Press, and the Dolphins managed just 76 total yards in the first half and committed nine penalties. The Dolphins' own recap credits Zach Sieler with two sacks and rookie Jacob Rodriguez with 18 tackles, the most by any player this season.
Hockenson and the clock
Minnesota did not need to be spectacular offensively, only steady. Kyler Murray was 27 of 37 for 247 yards with no turnovers, Aaron Jones carried 20 times for 94 yards, and T.J. Hockenson caught 13 passes for 119 yards, the AP reports. The Vikings held the ball for 14 of the final 15 minutes. Hockenson slid short of the goal line on a late 8-yard catch rather than score, a choice that kept the clock running; he said afterward that once you have the first down, you have to get down.
An unusual 4-0
NFL.com's analysis frames the record as a strange one. The Vikings have scored only six offensive touchdowns through four games, tying the fewest for any team to start 4-0 this century, a mark shared with the 2003 Panthers and the 2016 Vikings. The same piece notes Minnesota converted six of seven third-and-short situations but went 0-for-7 on third-and-long, and that it committed eight offensive penalties, the second-most under coach Kevin O'Connell.
Murray, quoted by NFL.com, said the offense would break through soon and that there is no loss of confidence in the room.
What it means
For Minnesota, a defense that ranks among the league's best this decade and a perfect kicker are carrying a team whose offense still looks unfinished. That is a winning formula for now, but a thin one: it leaves little margin if Reichard has an off day or the defense is asked to hold up against a stronger passing attack.
For Miami, 0-4 is its worst start since 2019, per the AP. The Dolphins did find something in Gordon, who ran for 100 yards on nine carries according to the team, but the offense could not produce enough points to turn a competitive defensive effort into a win.