Cashman's absurd day helps Vikings shake off slow start, beat Colts to reach 6-0
· Yahoo Sports
The formula continues to work for the Minnesota Vikings. Bring the NFL’s best defense to the fight, get a little bit of timely offense, and catch a break or two along the way.
On Sunday, the Vikings put together another incredible defensive performance and benefited from two missed field goals by a kicker who hadn’t missed all season as they overcame a slow start and beat the Colts 16-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota remains perfect at 6-0 this season, even if perfect isn’t the word you’d use to describe Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
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The latest spectacular defensive effort was spearheaded by an all-time great individual performance from Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman, who has a strong case to be the NFC defensive player of the week. Cashman was simply everywhere on Sunday. It felt like there were multiple players wearing No. 51 in purple.
Cashman led the Vikings with 12 tackles. He had two sacks, a third quarterback hit, and six pressures. He broke up a whopping four Daniel Jones passes. It was a truly sensational showing from a linebacker who is underrated nationally and might be the best player on the NFL’s best defense.
Needing one final stop, the Vikings sealed it when Harrison Smith picked off Jones for his 40th career interception. It was the game’s lone turnover.
The underdog Colts took an early lead with a long Jonathan Taylor touchdown run, but the Vikings’ defense didn’t allow much more after that. Two surprising missed field goals from Spencer Shrader loomed large. The Vikings’ offense wasn’t great, but a Kyler Murray touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson early in the fourth quarter held up as the game-winner.
The Vikings face a tougher test next week in Detroit.
Game rewind
The Vikings talked this week about not wanting a sluggish start coming out of their bye, but that’s exactly what happened. Four straight runs on the game’s opening possession, including stuffs on third and fourth down with one yard to go, resulted in a turnover on downs. The ensuing Colts drive ended in a 38-yard Taylor touchdown run. Indianapolis threw the first punch.
From there, it looked like a lot of other Vikings games have this season. Minnesota’s defense sent pressure on basically every play and made life very difficult on Jones. Meanwhile, the offense had moments where the ball was moving, but promising drives stalled out and resulted in three points instead of seven. The Vikings had 120 net yards on their third and fourth possessions of the game, but settled for field goals both times.
The Colts kicked a late field goal to take a 10-6 lead into the halftime locker room. That would remain the score at the end of the third quarter, as well. After a dominant defensive stop to open the second half, the Vikings went three and out. The Colts then put together a decent drive, but came away with nothing when they chose to kick on 4th and 2 from the 37 and Shrader missed from 56 yards.
The Vikings were finally able to get in the end zone and take their first lead of the day early in the fourth quarter, when a 35-yard Murray scramble on third down set up a five-yard touchdown pass to Hockenson.
Will Reichard’s franchise-record streak of 36 straight made field goals ended on a blocked 59-yarder in the fourth quarter, but Shrader then missed again to preserve the Vikings’ lead. Reichard tacked on a 52-yarder, and Smith called game.
Next up: Vikings at Lions next Sunday.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Vikings section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.