10/12/2026
WEEK 5: VIKINGS 23, SAINTS 13
HEY VIKINGS FANS!
It's only been 5 wins out of 5 games so far, but we just might have something special going on with our team this season. And if you go back to last season, when they missed the playoffs by half a game, that makes 10 straight wins for Minnesota. Pretty impressive!
They say "defenses win Super Bowls" and this defense is certainly Super Bowl worthy. Brian Flores' unit held New Orleans to just 87 passing yards and 55 rushing yards. This wasn't achieved in inclement weather at an outdoor stadium like in Chicago either, but indoors, at the racetrack environment of the Caesars Superdome.
New Orleans' offense only made it into the red zone once, scoring one touchdown on the day. They converted just 2 of 10 3rd downs. Byron Murphy, Jr. intercepted Saints quarterback Tyler Shough twice. Linebacker ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴡ ᴠᴀɴ ɢɪɴᴋᴇʟ sacked him once. The Vikings defense prevailed again.
But this time, Minnesota's offense also gave fans a reason to cheer.
Quarterback Kyler Murray finally showed why he was handed the reins to the team. He threw for 229 yards to 10 different receivers and got a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. He scrambled 10 times for 51 yards. There would have been more scoring for Murray if not for fumbles in the red zone by running back Aaron Jones and receiver Myles Price. He finished with a 109.6 QBR, easily his best performance as a Viking to date.
And this was achieved under adversity, without many key parts of Minnesota's offense.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison was out with a hamstring injury. Jefferson was a game-time decision to play while recovering from an ankle sprain that kept him out of the previous game, but he finished with 6 receptions for 79 yards and a spectacular touchdown reception while being triple-teamed.
Running back Jordan Mason is still on IR and Aaron Jones played hurt, but he still bullied his way into the end zone and rushed for 113 yards on 25 carries. Jones' performance this season has been a pleasant surprise. At 31 years old and forced into a bell cow role without Mason or another reliable replacement, he's carried the team to 5 victories now.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson started the game off with a reception, but suffered a concussion on the play and never returned. With #2 tight end Josh Oliver already out with a torn bicep, this led to a breakout performance by 2nd year man, 2025 6th rounder tight end Gavin Bartholomew, who missed all of his rookie season with a back injury. Bartholmew caught 5 of 6 passes for 33 yards, giving Murray a safety valve option when needed.
And last, but certainly not least, special teams did it again. Kicker extraordinaire Will Reichart continued his perfect season making all 3 field goal attempts and 2 extra point conversions. On the 2nd half kickoff, rookie linebacker Jake Golday punched the ball out of the arms of Saints returner Jayden Price, creating a short field for the Jefferson touchdown reception that set the tone for the 2nd half dominance by the Vikings.
Now at 5-0 and a bye coming at the perfect time, Minnesota will hopefully get rested up, get their star playmakers back on the field, and be ready for the rest of the season.
SKOL Vikings!!!
