The Minnesota Vikings have started the 2026 campaign with a 3-0 record – – a spurt most fans didn’t foresee. The offense still needs to awaken, but through three weeks, the win-loss record is spotless.
And VikesNow expects the streak to continue, picking the Vikings to chip off the Dolphins rather handily.
Here’s how and why.
The Vikings Should Handle Miami
Prediction: Vikings over Dolphins | 28-8
The prediction here isn’t built around a sudden 400-yard explosion from the offense. Kyler Murray has barely had a chance to settle into this system, and the passing game still ranks last in the NFL with 411 yards through three games. With Murray as the central piece of the Vikings’ 2026 offense, the expectation is for a much better afternoon against an opponent allowing 28.7 points per game.
Meanwhile, Brian Flores should have every opportunity to torment his former team. Flores’s defense has already carried the Vikings through an ugly win in Chicago. Miami has scored fewer than 14 points in all three games and just lost running back De’Von Achane for the season with a torn ACL. One touchdown plus a two-point conversion feels about right against the current purple defense.
The Dolphins Literally Have No Roster Advantages
This is unusually hard to argue otherwise.
Achane would’ve been the obvious place to start. He ran for 1,350 yards last season and added 488 through the air, giving Miami one player who could force Flores to build part of the defensive plan around him. He’s gone.
Malik Willis now has an offense averaging 12 points per game, and Miami ranks 26th in total yardage. The Dolphins defense isn’t bailing anyone out, either, with 86 points allowed through three games.
Miami’s offense also ranks 28th in the league per EPA/play – – one notch below Minnesota’s.
On paper, Miami has no obvious advantage over the Vikings at any position. The purple team’s defense is better. Its offensive line is better. Its pass-catchers are deeper, even with injury concerns, and its special teams have already helped swing multiple games. Myles Price has been one of the league’s most productive returners through September.
Miami can absolutely make this annoying for a while, yet its roster will not intimidate any opponents in 2026.
Are the Vikings Good Enough for a “Trap Game?”
Normally, this setup screams trap game. An unbeaten team comes home after two grimy road victories and drawing a 0-3 opponent, immediately starts hearing how easy the afternoon should be.
It’s just that the Vikings haven’t earned the right to feel invincible.
Their last two wins were 9-3 and 23-16. The offense produced no touchdowns in Chicago, then generated only 230 total yards at Tampa Bay. The 3-0 start has come with a giant offensive asterisk.
So this isn’t really a case of a dominant team overlooking a pushover. Kevin O’Connell has plenty of evidence to show his players what still needs work. Miami also stayed within one possession of Kansas City until late in the 4th Quarter last week, so mailing in the first half would be asking for aggravation.
MIN Offense Must Wake Up
Paging Murray.
He lost most of Week 1 to a concussion and missed Week 2, so the ugly early numbers deserve context. Still, his return at Tampa Bay produced 186 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Vikings are dead last in total offense at 238.3 yards per game. Murray’s return from the concussion was supposed to begin revealing an at-least-average offense. No cigar.
Justin Jefferson also may not play after missing Wednesday and Thursday practice with his ankle injury. His availability is the Vikings’ biggest injury question entering Week 4. Even so, Miami isn’t an opponent where the offense can disappear again. The Dolphins have allowed 6.1 yards per play and rank 32nd in net yards per passing attempt allowed. Opposing offenses have scored on half their possessions.
The Vikings need sustained drives and multiple offensive touchdowns. Sunday is tailor-made for the first real step forward.
Fans Will Leave with Mostly Optimistic Feelings
A 28-8 win wouldn’t answer every question about the current squad. The offense would still need to prove it can produce against much better defenses, and Jefferson’s ankle would continue hanging over the next few weeks if he sits Sunday.
But 4-0 would change the tone. How many times can a team win … accidentally?
The Vikings would have swept their first month despite losing Murray for most of the opener and all of Week 2. They would have survived two road games before returning home to handle the opponent they were supposed to beat. Most importantly, the offense would finally contribute enough points for Flores’s group to avoid carrying almost the entire afternoon again.
Nobody will leave U.S. Bank Stadium declaring the offense fundamentally fixed. That will take multiple weeks. A convincing 4-0 start with the defense still rolling, though, would provide plenty of reason to get pretty damn excited.
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VikesNow Verdict: Murray and the offense take a needed step forward while Flores continues his reign of terror. The Vikes head into Week 5 at 4-0 after a 28-8 dub.
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