Minnesota is 6-0, the NFL's last unbeaten team, and its defense is doing the heavy lifting

A defense-led win

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium, moving to 6-0 and standing alone as the NFL's last unbeaten team. The win was Minnesota's 11th in a row, a streak that reaches back to last season. It was also the latest game in which the Vikings' defense, rather than their offense, settled the outcome. m:…4159 m:…5751

The deciding sequence came in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Kyler Murray scrambled 35 yards, the play that set up the Vikings' only touchdown, a pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson. Murray finished 14 of 24 for 150 yards, was sacked three times, and posted a 90.6 passer rating, numbers that say less about a quarterback in command than about a team finding ways to win while its offense searches for rhythm. m:…5751 m:…9812

Head coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game that the offense is close to finding its identity despite its inefficiencies. The evidence for the inefficiency is plain: Minnesota converted 3 of 11 third downs, scored on only one of two red-zone trips, and managed 94 rushing yards combined from Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. Justin Jefferson, the team's top receiver, finished with 44 yards on four catches. m:…5751 m:…9812 m:…4159

Smith's milestone

The play that sealed the win belonged to safety Harrison Smith, who intercepted Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter for the 40th interception of his career. It was Smith's 213th regular-season game, in his 15th NFL season, and the interception tied him with Ed Sharockman for third place in Vikings history. With it, Smith joined the group of players with at least 40 interceptions and 20 sacks in a career. m:…1746

Smith was not the only defender to stand out. Linebacker Blake Cashman recorded 12 tackles, 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits and four passes defensed. Minnesota's defense has now allowed only three points in the fourth quarter across all six games this season, which is why a 16-10 game never quite slipped away. m:…4159 m:…2341

The cost, and the other sideline

The win came with costs. Running back Aaron Jones Sr. left the game with a knee injury, and kicker Will Reichard saw his streak of consecutive made field goals end after Grover Stewart blocked a 59-yard attempt. m:…2341 m:…8265

For Indianapolis, the loss dropped the Colts to 2-5 and extended their losing streak to three games. Head coach Shane Steichen said he is not considering a change at quarterback, sticking with Daniel Jones, who completed 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards and threw the interception that sealed the Vikings' win. The Colts' bright spots were on the ground: Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan combined for 141 rushing yards on 29 carries, including a 38-yard touchdown run by Taylor. But kicker Spencer Shrader missed field goals from 56 and 48 yards, and cornerbacks Justin Walley and Cam Taylor-Britt left the game with injuries. m:…8265 m:…1084

The shape of the Vikings' season is now clear, and it is unusual: an unbeaten team whose defense closes games and whose offense has not yet caught up. That combination has produced 11 straight wins, but the margin here was six points against a 2-5 team, and the offense's numbers on third down, in the red zone and on the ground give the next opponent a clear plan of attack. The question for Minnesota is whether the offense finds its identity before a team makes it pay for the slow starts. m:…5751 m:…8265