MINNEAPOLIS - The Miami Dolphins travel to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday to face the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in a Week 4 matchup that marks Miami’s first visit to the venue since 2018, with both teams entering the game having faced a gauntlet of opponents that were all undefeated heading into Week 4 - only the second time in NFL history that has occurred.
Minnesota enters at 3-0, fresh off a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and is in pursuit of a second 4-0 start in three years. The Vikings rank second in points allowed at 13.7 per game, second in takeaways with 6, and fourth in run defense at 85.7 rushing yards per game.
“I think it’s one of the better atmospheres in the NFL with a really good team and a really good staff, I think it’s a huge challenge,” Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said. “We know we’ve played really good teams, and I think individually we went up against a lot of really good players. I think we’re gaining experience and we’re getting better because of that, and that’s important.”
Miami’s path to an upset may run through the Vikings’ backfield. All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been ruled out for Sunday’s game, and Minnesota’s top running back, Jordan Mason, is on the injured reserve list. That leaves a passing offense that ranks last in the league at just 137 yards per game as the Vikings’ primary weapon if the Dolphins can contain the run.
The Miami defense showed it can do exactly that. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker was averaging over 140 rushing yards per game through two weeks before the Dolphins held him to just 70 yards in a 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami’s run defense ranks tied for fourth in the NFL, allowing just 3.5 yards per carry.
“Watching the tape, they do a lot,” quarterback Malik Willis said of the Vikings defense. “They’re undefeated for a reason, and they’ve been doing a great job. And we’ll just continue to search and try to come up with a plan to go out there and execute.”
Hafley pointed to the Chiefs performance as a turning point for the team’s confidence. “I think for some of those guys that maybe weren’t sure if they believed, I think a lot of them now are starting to believe, and I think that’s very powerful,” he said. “I thought we played more physical.”
Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX. The updated injury report will be available 90 minutes before the game.