Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 15, Dolphins 10
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
If you were forced to watch this Dolphins vs. Vikings game, well, it wasn’t very exciting for most of the afternoon. Both teams struggled to play clean football, combining for 20 penalties, while several wild calls had a major impact on the game. That started with the opening punt, which appeared to be touched by Miami but was ultimately ruled a touchback. There were also several plays decided by inches, including a penalty on a blocked kick, a potential Chris Bell touchdown catch, and a massive potential Ollie Gordon run. In the second half, the better offense eventually took control, as the Vikings put together long drives and successfully drained the clock while Miami remained inconsistent offensively. Both defenses played well, but there is still plenty of work to be done for these two offenses moving forward.
Three Up
- Ollie Gordon — Gordon was overlooked with Jaylen Wright getting the start, but Gordon quickly proved to be the more effective back in the Dolphins’ backfield. He made the most of his opportunities and ended up dominating the workload as the game went on.
- T.J. Hockenson — They say a tight end can be a quarterback’s best friend, and that was certainly true Sunday. Kyler Murray looked toward Hockenson often in the second half, and their connection became a deciding factor in helping the Vikings secure the win.
- Aaron Jones — The veteran running back took advantage of a favorable matchup and delivered a strong performance. Jones finished with over 100 all-purpose yards and played an important role in helping Minnesota control the game in the second half.
Three Down
- Jaylen Wright — Coming into the game as the starter, Wright failed to make much of an impact. As the game went on, he eventually started losing touches to Gordon, who looked like the more effective back in the Dolphins backfield.
- Both coaching staffs — How do you let your teams combine for 20 penalties? At some point, that falls on the coaching staffs for not having their players disciplined and prepared. Both teams consistently hurt themselves with avoidable mistakes throughout the game.
- Chris Bell — Things could have looked much different for the rookie if not for a few inches on his would-be catch. Still, finishing with zero receptions in a zone-friendly matchup was disappointing for a young receiver who had an opportunity to make an impact
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
Malik Willis: 9/17, 85 Yards | 2 Carries, 11 Yards, Fumble (LOST)
Malik Willis may have had one of his worst outings of the 2026 season. The quarterback was ineffective as a passer for most of the game, making a few solid throws toward the outside but rarely attacking the middle of the field. Willis was consistently under pressure, and unless he was able to escape the pocket, he struggled to make something happen. In the second quarter, Willis was sacked and fumbled the ball, setting the Vikings up with an opportunity to score. Willis entered this game having struggled against zone coverage, and those issues showed up again against Minnesota. The lack of rushing production also limited his fantasy upside. He did have an 11-yard run called back because of a penalty, but overall, there weren’t many positives from Willis in this game.
Running Back
Ollie Gordon: 9 Carries, 100 Yards, TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 0 Yards
Ollie Gordon may not have gotten the start in this game, but he showed why he should be the guy moving forward for Miami. Gordon took some time to get going, but things opened up for him in the second half. On Miami’s first drive after halftime, he broke off a 53-yard run to the outside that showcased his explosiveness. Gordon also displayed his physical running style throughout the game, breaking tackles and consistently picking up extra yards after contact. Late in the third quarter, he added a 12-yard touchdown run to cap off his strong performance. His role in the receiving game was minimal with just a few catches, but Gordon looked like the more physical and explosive option in this backfield. After this performance, he should be in line to take over as Miami’s starting running back moving forward.
Jaylen Wright : 5 Carries, 7 Yards
Jaylen Wright got the start for Miami and received the first two carries of the game, but he would touch the ball only three more times the rest of the afternoon. Wright had just one touch in the second half, which went for negative yards. It’s unclear if Wright was fully healthy, but he was wrapped up quickly on most of his runs and didn’t show much physicality as a runner. Wright has always been more of a speedster than a bruiser, but Miami also did very little to get him the ball in space where he could use that speed. We’ve seen Wright play well in past seasons, so there is still some hope, but this game belonged to his backfield teammate Ollie Gordon.
Wide Receiver-Tight End
Malik Washington: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 67 Yards | 2 Carries, 3 Yards
The Dolphins’ WR1, Malik Washington had a solid outing despite Miami’s passing game looking underwhelming for most of the afternoon. Washington caught all five of his targets and consistently created separation on his routes for solid gains. Miami also made an effort to get Washington the ball in space and allow him to create yards after the catch. He has been one of the few consistent pieces in this Dolphins offense lately and should remain a solid bye-week flex option as we get deeper into the season. The one play that could have hurt his day came on a muffed punt, but it was ultimately ruled as a uncontrolled catch in the end zone for a touchback.
Chris Bell: 3 Targets
Rookie Chris Bell had an opportunity to produce in a favorable matchup, as the Vikings play plenty of zone coverage and Bell has thrived against zone. Two of his targets weren’t very catchable, but Miami still should have done more to get the young receiver involved. Bell’s day could have looked much different because of one play in the second quarter. He was targeted deep, caught the ball, and took it all the way for what would have been a 60-plus-yard touchdown. However, Bell had stepped out of bounds earlier in the play and never re-established himself in the field of play, resulting in a penalty that wiped away the touchdown. It was a frustrating afternoon that easily could have looked much better in the box score.
Kevin Coleman Jr.: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Will Kacmarek: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Jalen Tolbert: 1 Target
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: 27/37, 247 Yards | 6 Carries, 16 Yards
Kyler Murray had a mediocre performance against Miami. He struggled to find a rhythm early, and losing two offensive linemen didn’t help, as Murray was consistently pressured and sacked four times. He rarely pushed the ball downfield, instead relying on short throws over the middle and dump-offs. When Murray did take his shots, he was able to connect with his pass catchers. Things improved in the second half as he found more of a rhythm, especially with T.J. Hockenson becoming a frequent target. Murray also didn’t provide much on the ground, finishing with only 16 rushing yards, although his ability to move around the pocket helped overcome some of the protection issues. Murray was fine overall, but there wasn’t much upside shown against a poor Miami defense. That raises some concern about how productive he’ll be when he faces stronger defenses in the coming weeks.
Running Back
Aaron Jones Sr.: 20 Carries, 94 Yards | 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 34 Yards
Veteran Aaron Jones Sr. took advantage of a favorable matchup against the Dolphins’ run defense, although his production on the ground was somewhat inconsistent. Jones showed he still has some speed with runs of 15, 14, and 19 yards, but Miami was also able to stuff him at the line several times. More running lanes opened up in the second half as the Dolphins’ defense began to wear down. Jones also had a solid role in the receiving game with eight targets, including an 11-yard reception, although most of his opportunities were short dump-offs from Murray. He did have a drop on an easily catchable pass, but for the most part, Jones put together a solid all-around performance in a favorable matchup.
Demond Claiborne: 3 Carries, 12 Yards
DeeJay Dallas: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Wide Receiver-Tight End
T.J. Hockenson: 13 Targets, 13 Receptions, 119 Yards
The MVP of the Vikings’ offense has to be T.J. Hockenson. The veteran tight end became Murray’s go-to target throughout the game, despite not recording his first catch until midway through the second quarter. From that point on, Hockenson was consistently targeted on short throws over the middle and picked up multiple key first downs. He dominated Miami’s man coverage, breaking tackles and creating yards after the catch. Hockenson was especially clutch in the second half, helping Minnesota sustain long drives and run down the clock. He also saw a few red-zone opportunities, with the biggest coming late in the game when he was left wide open near the goal line. Hockenson could have easily scored, but he went down at the 1-yard line to allow the Vikings to run out the clock and secure the win.
Jordan Addison: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 52 Yards | 1 carries, -1 Yards
Jordan Addison had a decent outing against the Dolphins, but it took some time for Kyler Murray to start pushing the ball downfield. Once Murray did take his shots, Addison was often the target, producing a few big catches of 19 and 27 yards. He also missed out on a potential 21-yard gain in the second quarter. The biggest issue was that Murray rarely had enough time in the pocket to consistently attack downfield, forcing him to get the ball out quickly with short throws over the middle. Addison primarily worked the outside routes, which limited his opportunities in this type of passing attack. Still, when Murray looked his way, Addison took advantage of Miami’s poor secondary and consistently found open space.
Tai Felton: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yard
Gavin Bartholomew: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Jauan Jennings: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Myles Price: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards | 1 carry, 2 yards