The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0 and top of the NFC North after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and there’s a good chance their success will continue when they face the Miami Dolphins next week. The Dolphins have had a rough start to the year, dropping their first three games, and their issues got worse when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that star running back De’Von Achane tore his ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Dolphins don’t have a lot of offensive weapons, but losing Achane for the rest of the season is a critical blow to a unit tied with the New England Patriots in scoring offense at 12 points per game after the first three weeks. It’s also a sign that the Vikings' defense can continue its dominant run to begin the year and carry Minnesota to a 4-0 start no matter what happens on the offensive side of the ball.
De'Von Achane's absence gives Brian Flores' Minnesota Vikings defense another advantage
The Vikings' defense has been on a remarkable run dating back to the final eight games of last season. According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Minnesota ranks first in expected points added (EPA) per play, success rate, points per drive, total defensive EPA, and pressure rate since their last loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 30, 2025. While much of that dominance has been centered around the pass rush, they’ve also been stout against the run.
Minnesota ranks sixth in the NFL, allowing 3.5 yards per carry entering Monday, and their 85.7 rushing yards allowed per game ranks fourth, trailing the Atlanta Falcons (47.7), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (76.0), and Washington Commanders (82.0). That success has been tied to the emergence of Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and rookies Domonique Orange and Caleb Banks along the interior of the defensive line, and it will make life difficult for whoever lines up in the Dolphins' backfield.
That being said, the Dolphins probably would have loved to have had Achane take that challenge. One of the NFL's most explosive running backs, Achane ran for 1,350 yards, eight touchdowns, and an NFL-high 5.7 yards per attempt last season. He is also a threat in the passing game, catching 67 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.
Predictably, the Dolphins’ rebuild has caused a dip in his performance, toting the ball 34 times for 127 scoreless yards and catching seven passes for 49 scoreless yards. Things got worse when Achane limped off the field in the first quarter of the 24-10 loss to the Chiefs, and leaving Miami without one of its top weapons against Brian Flores’s defense.
A thin receiving corps complicates Malik Willis' matchup with the Vikings
With backup Jaylen Wright also dealing with a stinger and a foot injury that kept him out of Sunday’s loss, the Dolphins turned to second-year running back Ollie Gordon, who ran for 41 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 14 yards against the Chiefs. But it further exposes a Miami offense that is short on weapons, with wide receiver Caleb Douglas dealing with an ankle injury, rookie Chris Bell in a starting role, and Malik Washington in the slot.
Long story short, it’s not a group that many teams would want to go into the U.S. Bank Stadium with. It’s also no secret that Malik Willis owns the NFL’s third-lowest passer rating against the blitz at 42.0, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s an offense that has lived up to expectations as one of the worst in football, and now it has to deal with a Vikings team that is on an absolute heater at this point in the season.
Of course, the Vikings will need to get something from their offense to come away with a win. But with Achane out, it should make life a lot easier for Minnesota to keep its momentum rolling.
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