Vikings Week 7 Report Card: Grading Every Position After Sunday's Win Over Colts

Who's at the top of the class this week?

Find out how Harrison Smith's performance impacted the secondary's grade, as well as how the rest of the Vikings' positions graded out after a Week 7 win. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If it ain't broke, well, maybe try and fix it a little bit. The Vikings—once again—extended their perfect season thanks to an elite defense and a good enough offense against the Colts on Sunday.

Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores's unit showed why it is the best in the league, while the offense still looks to be figuring things out in the 16-10 victory. Still, a win is a win, and the Vikings move to 6-0 on the year with few complaints from the Purple and Gold's fanbase.

As is tradition around here, let's get into some grades for the polarizing team.

Quarterback: C

Kyler Murray looked a bit out of sorts coming out of the bye, missing multiple throws throughout the day. Still, despite the off-target throws and pedestrian 150 yards through the air, Murray saved his afternoon with 39 yards on the ground, including a late 35-yard bomb that led to the only touchdown of the day.

The offense with Murray under center is still a work in progress, it seems, and a generational defense has allowed them to take their sweet time. Still, at some point field goals aren't going to be enough, and Murray will have to bring his best with the high-octane Lions and Bills up next.

Running back: B

Jordan Mason returned and looked like he did exactly what he was supposed to do: move the chains and grind away at the defense. His long was just 12 yards, though, and the Vikings are still lacking that explosive playmaker in the backfield who would take the offense to the next level. Aaron Jones was mostly stymied on the day until slashing through on a late 17-yard rush that also sent him to the blue medical tent.

Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile, gashed the Vikings with a 5.3-yard average and gave them a potential glimpse of what a possible trade could look like. Mason and Jones form a solid duo, but with Mason's lack of explosion and Jones' knee hanging on by a thread, the ice is thinning in Minnesota's backfield.

Wide receiver: B

We had a Jauan Jennings sighting, who doubled his catches and quadrupled his yards for the season in one afternoon. Whether or not the two-catch game was enough for the Vikings to hang up on any general managers who come calling, though, is another question, but it was a nice rebound out of the bye.

It was nice to see some production from Jauan Jennings on Sunday afternoon, but will it continue? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Justin Jefferson still has yet to notch 100 yards in a game this season after reeling in just 44 against the Colts, and either Murray or head coach Kevin O'Connell (or both) needs to remedy that soon.

Tight end: B

T.J. Hockenson and Gavin Bartholomew are forming a nice little duo at the tight end position. Without Josh Oliver, the Vikings haven't missed a beat, and Hockenson is clearly a favorite of Murray's. He snagged the only touchdown of the day for the Vikings and is slowly building a case to return again in 2027.

Hockenson is first on the team in catches and second in yards after six games.

Offensive line: C

The interior of the Vikings' line struggled with the Colts' defensive front. Will Fries is cruising for a one-way ticket out of Minnesota next season after another rocky game, and Joe Huber may not be the final answer at left guard with the trade deadline approaching. The Minnesota front has allowed three or more sacks in five games this season, and the run game hasn't been especially fruitful either.

Defensive line: C

The Colts attacked the Vikings' run defense and enjoyed some decent success, racking up 154 yards on the day. Their best run—a 38-yard Taylor TD—went right at rookies Domonique Orange and Caleb Banks, who got blasted out of the way.

Jalen Redmond is still clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the D-line, and if there were a weakness on defense, their depth here might be it.

Linebackers: A

Blake Cashman might be the best linebacker in football right now.

Blake Cashman was easily one of the Vikings' best players on either side of the ball Sunday afternoon. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Twelve tackles, two sacks and a near interception against Indy propelled the Vikings to a dominating defensive performance. While Dallas Turner may get the national spotlight, Cashman is on track to be a first-team All-Pro. Kyle Van Noy added valuable reserve snaps once again with a TFL and has been the best signing of the summer.

Secondary: A

The Vikings' secondary wasn't really tested by Daniel Jones and the Colts, but Harrison Smith called game with a fourth-quarter interception (h/t NFL)—his 40th of his career and Jones's seventh of the year.

HARRISON SMITH GETS THE INT! VIKINGS ARE 6-0 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/stul8J8hWe

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

The Vikings still have yet to allow a fourth-quarter touchdown this season, and Smith ensured that streak continues into Week 8.

Special Teams: B

All dreams come to an end eventually, and Will Reichard's epic field-goal streak came to an end on a blocked kick in the second half. Still, his leg has won more games for the Vikings this year than the entire offense, and he'll continue to be one of the most important players on the roster. Myles Price shook off a brief injury scare, but had a mostly quiet day outside of his opening 46-yard return.

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