The Vikings are still perfect, and the reason is easy to spot. Their special teams and defense have carried the load while the offense keeps trying to find its footing, even with plenty of talent on that side of the ball.
That makes the next stretch feel a lot more revealing. Minnesota has spent the last few weeks punishing weaker opponents, but the schedule is about to sharpen fast, with the 4-2 Lions next on the docket. So after the win over the Colts, which Vikings are moving in the right direction, and who is running out of runway?
Blake Cashman is the clear name at the top of the risers list. He was everywhere against Indianapolis, piling up 12 tackles and two sacks in a dominant showing.
Through Week 8, he leads the Vikings in tackles and tackles for loss, and he’s second on the team in sacks and passes defended. He may not be the first name that jumps to mind around the league, but he is playing like someone forcing his way into First-Team All-Pro territory.
There’s also the contract angle looming. Cashman is scheduled to be up after 2026, like several other key Minnesota starters, and if this is the version of him the Vikings are getting, the price tag is only going one direction.
Will Fries, on the other hand, is heading the wrong way. With Donovan Jackson already out for the year, Fries is making matters worse by failing to settle in after signing a massive deal to come to Minnesota.
Sunday was another rough outing, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-worst offensive player on the team with a 59.8. The interior line as a whole was shaky, but Fries is the veteran whose time to sort it out is shrinking fast, especially with Joe Huber and Blake Brandel carrying the burden of inexperience.
Harrison Smith gave the Vikings another reminder of why he still matters. He recorded the 40th interception of his career in the win over the Colts, and Kevin O'Connell’s postgame locker room speech made it clear how much "The Hitman" means to this team.
Smith hasn’t been at his sharpest this season, but his interception of Daniel Jones to finish the game was a step back in the right direction. Minnesota still hasn’t settled on the ideal answer at safety, yet Smith continues to show there’s still savvy left in the tank.
Kyler Murray lands on the other side of the ledger, even if his season has had some mixed benefits for Minnesota. He has done a decent job protecting the ball and making sensible throws, but the downsides have been just as obvious.
He’s been inconsistent with his accuracy and has rarely pushed the ball downfield. That’s a problem with Detroit, Buffalo, Green Bay and San Francisco all looming next month, especially after a quiet 150-yard performance this week.
Jake Golday is one of the quieter developments worth watching. He logged a season-high nine defensive snaps on Sunday, and his role appears to be growing each week.
Ivan Pace Jr. has been moving in the opposite direction, and if Golday keeps showing well in practice, he could work his way into a useful reserve role. Minnesota doesn’t have an immediate need there, but the reps are starting to add up for someone who could matter later.
And then there’s the bigger-picture question hovering over all of it: can the Vikings keep winning the way they have, and how much of that is happening despite the head coach? This isn’t a call to fire Kevin O'Connell, because he has done a good job overall.
But his handling of the J.J. McCarthy trade and the fact that the offense is still sputtering in Week 7 are fair points of criticism.
O'Connell remains the answer at head coach. Still, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that Minnesota’s offense could end up being the reason this team comes up short when the games get bigger.
In Other News...
Kyle Van Noy Is Making This A Tough Vikings Decision
Kyle Van Noy has turned a short-term Vikings signing into one of the more interesting roster conversations of the season. Brought in on a one-year deal, the veteran has given Minnesota useful snaps as both a pass rusher and run defender, and his strong play has shown up in the grading as well, with Pro Football Focus giving him high marks for what he has brought to the defense.
Even in a limited role, he has made his presence felt enough to complicate the team's plans for 2027. At about 32 percent of the defensive snaps, Van Noy has done enough to make a case that he should not be treated like a stopgap, and Minnesota now has a decision to make about whether it wants that kind of production around beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Just Showed The Vikings What They're Missing
The Vikings spent plenty of the afternoon seeing just how disruptive Jonathan Taylor can be when an offense is built around a true workhorse runner. Taylor was a steady problem for Minnesota, helping Indianapolis stay on schedule and convert third downs in a game that exposed a defense that had usually been better in those situations.
For Minnesota, the reminder is obvious: a back like Taylor changes the feel of a game and gives an offense a different kind of edge. It is easy to see why his fit would be appealing here, even if the reality around any pursuit is more complicated, with no indication the Colts are eager to move him. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Flores Just Tested How Far The Vikings Defense Can Go
Brian Flores did not exactly hide what he was trying to do against Indianapolis. The Vikings came after the Colts with a dizzying mix of pressure and disguise, leaning on linebacker Blake Cashman, safety Harrison Smith and a defense built to force quick decisions. The result was the kind of stat line that gets attention inside a building: just 64 net passing yards allowed, plus four sacks and an interception.
What makes it more interesting for Minnesota is the tradeoff that comes with that aggression. The blitz-heavy plan can smother a passing game, but it also asks a lot of the back end and leaves room for an opponent to survive on the ground. The Colts found some of that room, and whether Flores keeps pushing that envelope as the season goes on is the real question hanging over a defense that just showed how disruptive it can be when it gets the formula right. [Read more 🡒]