The Minnesota Vikings are 6-0, but the thing hanging over this unbeaten start is pretty clear: the run game still isn’t where it needs to be.
Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts offered another reminder. The Vikings had a matchup that looked ripe for production on the ground - the Colts came in ranked 31st in PFF’s run defense metrics, and Jordan Mason was back from IR to help ease the burden on veteran Aaron Jones Sr. But Minnesota didn’t turn that setup into a breakthrough.
Instead, the offense delivered another uneven outing on the ground. The Vikings finished with 136 rushing yards on 29 carries, with Kyler Murray accounting for five of those attempts and 39 yards.
Minnesota’s numbers on the season tell the same story. The Vikings are still sitting in the middle of the league in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game, even though Kevin O’Connell’s group has leaned more heavily on the run than it usually has. Through six games, Minnesota ranks top three with 30.2 rushing attempts per game.
That volume has not translated into consistent efficiency. And that’s the issue.
The Vikings are asking the run game to help drive the offense, but it hasn’t been good enough to carry that kind of responsibility. The Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens are also ahead of Minnesota in rushing attempts, at 35.1 and 30.3 per game, and both teams are pairing that approach with production.
They’re top ten in total offense by yards and points. Minnesota, meanwhile, is trying to make its rushing attack a foundation without the kind of elite defense and special teams that can cover for an offense that’s still searching.
On the defensive side, the Colts showed exactly how teams can attack Brian Flores’ unit.
Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan had success throughout the afternoon, with Taylor’s 38-yard touchdown run standing out as the biggest punch. The pair combined for 141 yards on 29 carries and one touchdown, and they outgained Minnesota’s offense on the ground.
Quenton Nelson and the Colts’ front were consistently driving the defensive line backward. Blake Cashman’s 12 tackles and two sacks helped keep it from getting worse.
That’s what makes the next stretch so important for Minnesota. The passing game has not found much rhythm, which only increases the pressure on the run game to produce yards and set up explosive throws. At the same time, the defense has to hold up against the run or risk wearing down.
And the schedule is about to get a lot tougher. The Vikings are headed into matchups with the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers, three teams with dynamic running backs and offenses that can score in bunches.
Minnesota has to solve the run-game problem somehow, whether that means adding help through a trade or getting more out of the group already in place. However they do it, this feels like the issue that will shape the rest of their season.
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Jakobe Thomas Keeps Waiting As Vikings Safety Battle Gets Tougher
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