Mark Craig

The Vikings continue to come out on top in one-score games, in part because of the specific ways Brian Flores’ defense keeps opponents out of the end zone.

Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez headline a young six-man unit that counts just $9.4 million against the salary cap and has emerged as an early strength for the 2-0 Vikings.

Aaron Jones shortened the game, Brett Thorson flipped the field and Brian Flores limited Caleb Williams’ big plays. Plus, Justin Jefferson left a couple of tough catches on the field.

Wentz was accurate when his team needed him to be Sunday, tight end T.J. Hockenson said, pointing to a specific play. Plus, a look inside the moments that turned the game — and the defensive breakdowns that still need fixing.

All-Pro Will Reichard missed only two of 66 kicks last season. And in 27 losses under Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings have never lost because of a missed field goal. That kind of reliability could prove invaluable this season.

A motorcycle crash ended the Vikings’ new offensive line coach’s playing career. Criticism forced him to rethink his demanding style. Now he’s getting another chance.

The 6-6, 327-pound first-round pick can overwhelm an opponent on one snap and look like a rookie on the next. The former Florida defensive tackle knows he has plenty to learn.

The former No. 1 pick left Arizona with questions about his work ethic and leadership. But Kevin O’Connell sees a talented quarterback capable of writing a different ending in Minnesota.

Darrisaw’s return from a devastating knee injury didn’t go as planned last year. Fully healthy, the left tackle has his sights set on All-Pro honors.

Larry Fitzgerald Sr. died just months before his son’s induction. Now the Minnesota football legend will celebrate a career shaped by his parents’ sacrifices without either able to witness it.

The former Arizona Cardinals receiver who was a Vikings ballboy and played football at Holy Angels honored his family and his hometown in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday.