Seven weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the landscape looks very different from where it began. Preseason talk about the Chargers' offense, a Rams march to the Super Bowl and a possible Browns tank for Arch Manning has given way to new questions. Sunday's games raised three of them: how good the Vikings' defense really is, what has gone wrong for the Texans, and whether the Giants deserve respect in the NFC East.
Minnesota, the last unbeaten team in the league, has the strongest case. Brian Flores' defense is allowing 1.1 points per possession through six games. No other team is under 1.7 except the defending champion Seahawks, at 1.4. After giving up two first-half touchdowns to the Packers in Week 1, the Vikings have allowed only four offensive touchdowns over the next five and a half games.
Measured against the modern era, which ESPN's analysis dates to 2007, the Vikings rank as the 10th-best defense through six games in the past 20 seasons. The 2019 Patriots lead that list comfortably at 0.4 points per possession, though they played an easy early schedule. Minnesota has faced Baker Mayfield, Malik Willis and Tyler Shough recently, but it also held a dynamic Bears offense to three points through three and a half quarters before Caleb Williams left with a hamstring injury.
Against Indianapolis on Sunday, Jonathan Taylor opened the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown run, and the Colts did little afterward. Daniel Jones, a former Vikings backup, finished with 64 net passing yards on 26 plays while being blitzed on more than 85% of his dropbacks. That was the highest blitz rate for any defense in a single game since 2013. Spencer Shrader also missed two field goals for Indianapolis.
The pressure shapes everything else. When Minnesota rushes four or fewer, it allows 3.6 yards per attempt and 2.8 yards per dropback, both the best marks through six games since 2007. The Vikings have faced play-action on only 18% of dropbacks, the second-lowest rate in the league, and they lead the NFL in run defense by success rate. Linebacker Blake Cashman had two sacks and five total pressures on 12 rush attempts against the Colts. Some of the results may not last, though. Minnesota is second in turnover rate, has allowed touchdowns on just 23% of red-zone drives, and opposing kickers have missed three of 12 field goals and two of seven extra points. Upcoming games against the Lions, Bills, 49ers and Packers will be a sterner test.
Houston's defense, fourth-best in points per drive a season ago at 1.5, is moving the other way. The Giants beat the Texans in overtime even though they started their third quarterback of the season, J.J. McCarthy, who went 20-of-28 for 252 yards in his first start for the team. Cam Skattebo ran 17 times for 124 yards, including a 42-yarder in overtime, and Devin Singletary closed it out with a 30-yard touchdown run.
The run defense is the central problem, ranking 30th in success rate against opposing rushing attacks. Missed tackles have compounded it: Houston has allowed 15 explosive plays from missed tackles this season, fifth most in the NFL, after just 24 all of last year. Corner Kamari Lassiter has struggled since dropping a potential game-winning interception against the Bills in Week 1, and the secondary has not been the strength many expected.
There is a chance for a reset. The Texans are on their bye, and coach DeMeco Ryans took over playcalling earlier this month. Their next three opponents, the Chargers, Browns and Colts, have not been overwhelming defenses. Still, the analysis questions whether this version of the team can hold up against the league's best offenses.
For the Giants, the win was the first by any NFC East team since Week 4. They lost Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and trading for McCarthy looked like a desperate move. Against Houston, though, McCarthy looked poised and accurate, posting a 63% precise pass rate, the best single-game figure of his career.
