After enjoying their bye week, the Minnesota Vikings will return to action when they host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. The Vikings are one of three undefeated teams remaining in the NFL entering Monday morning, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, who host the Washington Commanders in the Week 6 finale.
But for fans concerned about the Vikings’ sustainability after a hot start, the Colts won’t pose a threat after Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Colts hosted the winless Titans in what should have been a gimme loss on the schedule. But Tennessee overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to stun Indianapolis and hand them a 26-20 loss.
The defeat dropped Indianapolis to 2-4 on the season, but it also showed that the Vikings have a great chance of starting the season 6-0 for the first time since 2009, when the Colts visit next week.
Colts' loss to the Titans in Week 6 showed plenty of flaws the Vikings can exploit
The Colts were on shaky ground entering Sunday with a 2-3 record, but losing to the Titans on Sunday turned any tremors into an earthquake.
Indianapolis built their lead when Daniel Jones connected with Mo Alie-Cox for a one-yard touchdown pass, and Spencer Shrader knocked down a pair of field goals. But the Colts became their own worst enemy when Jonathan Taylor fumbled on the opening possession of the second half, and Jones threw an interception on the following possession.
Like a true 1-5 team, the Titans were only able to muster field goals on those turnovers.
But those giveaways shifted the momentum in their favor, and they capitalized on a 58-yard punt return by Chimere Dike that set up a Cam Ward touchdown pass to Carnell Tate to tie the game at 13-13 with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Things continued to spiral downward as Julius Chestnut blocked a Rigoberto Sanchez punt that was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Oluwafemi Oladejo that gave the Titans a 20-13 lead.
Taylor tied the game with a four-yard rushing touchdown with 5:32 to play, but Tennessee’s defense held firm and sacked Daniel Jones six times and intercepted him twice on the afternoon, leading to their first win of the year.
The loss dropped the Colts to 2-4 this season and has Shane Steichen’s seat getting warmer as head coach. But it should also leave the Vikings salivating, as Indianapolis’s weaknesses seem to head right into the teeth of Minnesota’s strengths.
Colts’ biggest weaknesses play right into the Vikings’ strengths
The Vikings have gotten to 5-0 on the back of their defense, and they’re two units that should feast against the Colts. Indianapolis came into Sunday ranking 27th with 4.6 yards per play and ranked 10th in turnover rate at 14.5 percent.
By comparison, Minnesota's defense ranked third in the NFL with 4.6 yards per play and had the NFL’s second-highest forced turnover rate at 16.7 percent entering Sunday.
In addition, Jones has a 46.8 passer rating under pressure, which is the eighth-lowest rating among qualified passers this season, according to PFF.
Special teams is another area where the Vikings could thrive against the Colts.
Aside from Will Reichard being flawless this season, Myles Price has become Minnesota’s best punt returner in a decade, averaging 21.6 yards per punt return and 29.8 yards per kickoff return.
Indianapolis allowed 7.3 yards per punt return and 26.9 yards per kick return entering Sunday, but those numbers will go up after Sunday’s performance and could be another weakness to exploit.
There are some things to consider, as the Colts' defense did its job by holding the Titans to 186 yards of total offense.
Weird things have also happened when the Colts have visited Minneapolis in the past, including a 34-6 beatdown of the Vikings in 2016 and Minnesota falling behind 33-0 to the Colts before mounting the largest comeback in NFL history during a 39-36 overtime victory in 2022.
Even Indianapolis’s last trip to Minnesota saw the Vikings fail to score in the first half before coming back for a 21-13 victory, and the Colts probably felt confident they could take care of the Titans before Sunday’s matchup.
But the Colts’ performance showed several areas where the Vikings could take advantage, and it could give them at least one more week of being an undefeated team when Indianapolis visits on Sunday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google