Will Reichard’s five field goals carry Vikings past Dolphins 15-10

A kicking clinic decided the board

Reichard opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal late in the first quarter, then stretched the Vikings’ lead with a 50-yarder midway through the second. When he connected again from 33 yards as the first half expired, Minnesota had a 9-0 advantage without ever finding the end zone.

Miami finally scored on Riley Patterson’s 27-yard field goal at 11:56 of the third quarter, but Minnesota answered with Reichard’s fourth make, this time from 41 yards, to restore a two-score cushion at 12-3. The Dolphins’ best push came just before the quarter ended, when Ollie Gordon II broke through for a 12-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left and suddenly cut the margin to 12-10.

That made the fourth quarter simple on paper and tight in practice: one more clean scoring chance could decide it. Reichard provided it at 6:41, hitting from 29 yards for his fifth field goal of the day. It was the difference on the scoreboard and the clearest summary of the afternoon — Minnesota kept producing enough offence to stay ahead, even if the finishing touch never became a touchdown.

Minnesota owned more of the afternoon

The Vikings did not move the ball explosively, but they controlled more of the game’s volume. They ran 61 plays to Miami’s 36, held a 16-8 edge in first downs and kept possession for 33:30. On third down, Minnesota converted 7 of 16 chances while the Dolphins managed 2 of 8. In a five-point game, those extra snaps and extra conversions mattered.

Kyler Murray finished 23 of 33 for 185 yards without a touchdown or an interception, and his most reliable target was T.J. Hockenson, who caught 10 passes for 84 yards. Aaron Jones Sr. added balance with 75 rushing yards on 17 carries and another 34 yards on four receptions. The Vikings also got useful return production from Myles Price, who posted 70 kickoff-return yards and 51 more on punt returns.

Still, Minnesota left room for frustration. The offence averaged 4.1 yards per play, failed to score a touchdown and went 0-for-2 in the red zone. Miami’s front made that work difficult. Zach Sieler recorded two sacks, Josh Uche and Chop Robinson added one apiece, and Jacob Rodriguez piled up 17 tackles. The Dolphins kept the game close because their defence repeatedly forced Minnesota to settle.

Our take: one side finished cleaner, the other left too much unused

Miami can point to Gordon’s afternoon as the game’s most efficient individual rushing performance. He needed only nine carries to reach 100 yards, ripped off a long run of 53 and scored the Dolphins’ only touchdown. Malik Washington also gave the passing game some life with five catches for 67 yards. But those flashes never turned into enough sustained offence. Malik Willis completed 9 of 16 passes for 85 yards, and Miami finished with 77 net passing yards after sacks.

The broader problem for the Dolphins was not a total lack of productivity so much as a lack of chances. They averaged 6.7 yards per rush, yet ran only 36 total plays and possessed the ball for just 20:36. A lost fumble and nine penalties for 55 yards made that smaller workload even harder to overcome. When a team scores only 10 points, converts two third downs and gives away a turnover, there is little margin for a late rally.

For Minnesota, this was a useful reminder that control and polish can still win ugly games. Reichard’s perfect 5-for-5 line deserves top billing, and the Vikings protected the ball all day. Dallas Turner’s two sacks helped close the door on the other side. But a team that reaches the red zone twice and comes away with field goals both times will know this formula is fragile. The Vikings earned the result; the next step is turning this amount of possession into something more comfortable than a one-score finish.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 7:54

   Will Reichard 47 Yd Field Goal

2. Period 2 · 7:08

   Will Reichard 50 Yd Field Goal

3. Period 2 · 0:00

   Will Reichard 33 Yd Field Goal

4. Period 3 · 11:56

   Riley Patterson 27 Yd Field Goal

5. Period 3 · 6:35

   Will Reichard 41 Yd Field Goal

6. Period 3 · 0:11

   Ollie Gordon II 12 Yd Rush (Riley Patterson Kick)

7. Period 4 · 6:41

   Will Reichard 29 Yd Field Goal