The Minnesota Vikings are still perfect, and Harrison Smith made sure Sunday’s latest win stayed that way.
Smith picked off Daniel Jones with 1:15 left to seal Minnesota’s 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, preserving the NFL’s last undefeated team at 6-0. The interception was the 40th of Smith’s career, tying Ed Sharockman for third in franchise history. After the play, Smith planted the ball at Minnesota’s 40-yard line.
That finish was classic Smith. In his 15th NFL season, he remains exactly the kind of veteran who can read a quarterback, jump a route, and deliver in the biggest moment of the afternoon.
This wasn’t an empty milestone piled up after the game was already settled. It ended the game.
Still, the larger message from Sunday wasn’t only about Smith’s interception. It was about how often Minnesota is asking its defense to carry the load.
The Vikings scored 16 points, and that left Indianapolis close enough to turn a strong defensive effort into something far more uncomfortable. Minnesota kept needing its defense to protect a narrow margin, which is not a formula that should become routine.
Being unbeaten is one thing. Counting on the defense to save the day every week is another.
There were offensive flashes. Early in the fourth quarter, Kyler Murray scrambled for 35 yards and then found T.J.
Hockenson for a five-yard touchdown. That sequence showed what Minnesota can look like when the offense finally catches a rhythm.
The problem is making that happen often enough.
The Vikings do not need a touchdown on every drive, but they do need more early momentum, fewer empty possessions, and a steadier hand throughout the game. Sustained drives would do more than add points; they would help the defense breathe and keep opponents from hanging around deep into the fourth quarter.
Kevin O’Connell’s offense should be doing more than just avoiding mistakes and hoping the defense can close the door. When the defense forces a stop, the offense needs to answer with something meaningful - a touchdown, a long possession, even field-position relief that gives the defense a break. Right now, too many games are being decided by whether the defense can keep bailing the offense out.
At 6-0, the Vikings have put themselves in an excellent spot. But if this start is going to lead to more than a nice October storyline, the offense has to match the defense’s standard.
Sunday was Smith’s moment. The next step belongs to the attack.
In Other News...
Brian Flores Just Tested How Far The Vikings Defense Can Go
Brian Flores pushed the Vikings into unfamiliar territory against Indianapolis, leaning on a defensive game plan built around disguises, moving parts and constant pressure. Minnesotas linebackers and secondary did plenty of the heavy lifting, with Blake Cashman and Harrison Smith among the key pieces helping the scheme stay organized while the pass rush came after the Colts from every angle.
The result was the kind of passing-day squeeze Flores has been looking for, with Indianapolis held to just 64 net passing yards, four sacks and an interception. Even so, the broader test is still unfolding for Minnesotas defense, because the same aggressive approach left room for the Colts to find some traction elsewhere and raised the question of how far the Vikings can keep leaning into this style when opponents start preparing for it. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings-Lions Is Getting The National Stage This Week
The Vikings meeting with the Lions is getting the kind of broadcast treatment that signals just how much attention this NFC North matchup is drawing. FOXs coverage map shows a wide swath of the northern United States, parts of New England and even the Miami area carrying the game, giving Minnesota fans plenty of company beyond the usual regional footprint.
At the same time, a handful of notable NFL markets will be shown the late Chargers-Rams window instead, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore and Jacksonville. FOX is also putting its top broadcast crew on Vikings-Lions, with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady on the call, which only adds to the sense that this one has been circled well beyond Minneapolis and Detroit. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Face A Huge Week 8 Test With Their Fast Start On Line
A fast start has given the Vikings some breathing room in the NFC North, but Week 8 brings the kind of divisional test that can quickly sharpen the edges. Minnesotas trip to face the Lions comes with more than bragging rights attached, since it is also a chance to improve in the division and keep the season on track against a familiar opponent that can turn one Sunday into a momentum swing.
The matchup offers a few obvious pressure points. Stopping Jahmyr Gibbs will be central for Minnesota, while T.J. Hockenson has a chance to matter against a Detroit defense that has struggled at tight end. The injury reports due after practices on Oct. 28 could also shape the picture, and the biggest defensive question may be whether the Vikings can make Jared Goff uncomfortable enough to change the way the game unfolds. [Read more 🡒]