The 6-0 Vikings are the NFL's only unbeaten team, scoring 20.8 a game

Through Week 7, the Minnesota Vikings are 6-0, the NFL's only unbeaten team, per SportStrata's standings data. They score 20.8 points per game, below the league average of 23.2, and they win because of the other side of the ball: Minnesota has allowed 74 points, the fewest of the league's 32 teams, or 12.3 per game.

Game by game

• Week 1: beat Green Bay 39-22 at home
• Week 2: won 9-3 at Chicago
• Week 3: won 23-16 at Tampa Bay
• Week 4: beat Miami 15-10 at home
• Week 5: won 23-13 at New Orleans
• Week 7: beat Indianapolis 16-10 at home

Minnesota had a bye in Week 6.

Where the margin comes from

No opponent has scored more than 22 points against Minnesota, and 5 of the 6 opponents were held to 16 or fewer. Minnesota's offense has not needed to be good, just good enough: after the 39-point opener, Minnesota scored 9, 23, 15, 23, and 16. Minnesota's +51 point differential trails San Francisco's +58.

Not just a soft schedule

The fair question is the schedule. Minnesota's 6 opponents are a combined 16-25, so the schedule has been soft. But the suppression holds up opponent by opponent. Chicago averages 25.7 points per game and scored 3 against Minnesota. Tampa Bay averages 23.1 and scored 16. New Orleans averages 23.1 and scored 13. Indianapolis averages 22.0 and scored 10. Miami averages 16.3 and scored 10. Green Bay is the exception: Green Bay averages 20.6 and scored 22.

The caveat

The caveat: 6 games is 6 games. Minnesota wins by 8.5 points per game on average, but the offense sits below the league average, so the defense has little room to slip. If the defense allows even an average week, Minnesota's margin disappears.