Vikings defense leads Minnesota to 16-10 victory over Colts

Ben Goessling, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Oct 25, 2026

Published in Football

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings had claimed their first lead of the day over the Indianapolis Colts with their first home touchdown in 42 days.

They’d stretched their lead to six as Will Reichard rebounded from his first missed field goal in more than a year. And as they sent five pass rushers after Daniel Jones, 37-year-old safety Harrison Smith lay in wait for an interception that had been a long time coming.

Smith picked off Jones’ overthrow of Will Mallory, becoming the fourth player in NFL history with 40 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career. He slammed the ball down to the U.S. Bank Stadium turf, bypassing teammate Josh Metellus’ invitation to head to the end zone for a celebratory dance in front of former Vikings safety Cam Bynum.

And as Smith retreated to the sideline, the Vikings ensured themselves of more time atop the NFC standings while they wait for their offense to settle in.

Their 16-10 win over the Colts, which got them to 6-0, was the latest in a series of wins that came with pressing questions about their offense. Sources expect the Vikings to be active before the Nov. 10 trade deadline in an attempt to approve a roster that could be in position for a playoff run.

Sunday’s game reinforced their need for help along the offensive line. And, as running back Aaron Jones Sr. battled another knee injury, it served as a reminder that the Vikings could use backfield depth as well.

But the Vikings remained unbeaten, leaving the field as the NFL’s only 6-0 team after the 49ers fell to Atlanta. And as they prepared for a grueling November schedule, the victory continued to give them margin for error while they try to figure things out.

Kyler Murray’s pass to Hockenson early in the fourth quarter was the Vikings’ first touchdown at U.S. Bank Stadium since the regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the Green Bay Packers, and ignited a crowd that had been more subdued than snarly.

Though the Vikings didn’t turn the ball over in the first three quarters, Murray was 11 of 19 for just 103 yards. He missed a throw on an in-breaking route to Justin Jefferson, while Jordan Mason and Max Bredeson dropped passes.

The Vikings gained only 61 yards on 20 rushing attempts in the first three quarters against a Colts defense that ranked 21st in the league against the run. On third downs, the Vikings converted just two of their first eight attempts in the first three quarters. And with the Vikings facing a third-and-12 from the Colts’ 41 in the fourth quarter, Murray overshot Jordan Addison on a deep ball where the receiver had a step on Colts corner Kenneth Harris

On the next play, the Colts blocked Will Reichard’s 59-yard field goal attempt, ending the kicker’s franchise-record streak of consecutive field goals at 36.

But as has been the case so often this year, the Vikings’ defense refused to let the game get away.

Jones, who’d practiced against the Vikings’ defense in 2024 and turned down the team’s offer to return for the 2025 season, was deprived of chances to throw downfield before the Vikings’ pass rush arrived. With less than two minutes left in the game, the Colts quarterback still had thrown for just 95 yards.

And though running back Jonathan Taylor led Indianapolis to 154 rushing yards — more than any team had posted against Minnesota this year — the Colts reached the red zone just once. On that drive, they had to settle for a Spencer Shrader field goal when Blake Cashman sacked Jones for an 11-yard loss before halftime.

Shrader missed two field goals, pushing one left after Isaiah Rodgers’ surge around the right side might have affected his approach. The Vikings sacked Jones four times, for a loss of 44 yards, and Smith’s game-sealing interception was the only turnover of the game.

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