[Vikings Break Touchdown Drought Streak, Set Course for New Orleans Test]
The 4-0 Vikings have returned to the offensive creativity of the Purple People Eaters era. However, the dominant defense struggles to compensate when the offense calls timeout.
The Vikings have endured 18 consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown. Their longest spell began in the second quarter of a Week 3 victory over the Buccaneers, and the Week 4 triumph over the Dolphins came solely through five field goals.
While tight end T.J. Hockenson nearly capitalized just before the two-minute warning, he wisely converted safely, ensuring the Dolphins couldn’t equalize or pressure their lead. Regardless, the Vikings recorded no touchdown against Miami.
As previously noted, this victory made the Vikings the first franchise in over a century to start 4-0 despite not scoring a touchdown in multiple games. The 1922 and 1923 Chicago Cardinals stand as the only other teams to replicate that unparalleled feat.
Should the pattern repeat later this season, Minnesota would join four clubs in NFL history as the sole team to secure three or more victories without racking up a single touchdown—preceded by the 1922 Chicago Cardinals, the 1923 Chicago Bears, and the 1993 Indianapolis Colts according to NBC Sports research.
Yet momentum may yet shift. Following the Dolphins’ late-third-quarter touchdown that slimmed Minnesota’s edge to 12-10, the Vikings’ attack appears revitalized. A lengthy 15-play, 60-yard march dominated more than eight minutes of game time and widened the field advantage to 15-10. After a costly three-and-out by Miami, the offense surged, consuming a full five minutes and forty-one seconds to inch the ball ninety-one yards toward New Orleans.
This sets the stage for a decisive clash tonight in New Orleans. The 1-3 Saints are clawing back from a hard start after dropping their first two home contests of the season, highlighted by Monday night’s disheartening defeat to Atlanta. For New Orleans, ending a three-game home losing streak—unbroken since 1995—is paramount.