The Vikings went into their bye week at 5-0, and the win over the New Orleans Saints was the kind of lopsided performance that let a stock report tell a pretty clear story. Minnesota’s offense is finally starting to climb toward the level of a defense that has carried plenty of the burden early, and the team as a whole is playing the kind of complementary football that keeps stacking wins. But not every name on the roster is benefiting equally from the perfect start.
At the top of the rise chart is Carson Murray, who keeps making the early-season quarterback conversation look more and more outdated. He turned in his best outing yet against New Orleans, piling up 283 total yards and a touchdown.
After four weeks of frustration, the offense is now moving, and Murray is a huge reason why. Since the fourth quarter of the Miami Dolphins game, he is 36-for-43, and the break should only help a unit that is about to get healthier.
For a group that has gone from shaky to functional, Murray’s ascent has changed the conversation fast.
If Murray is trending up, Jennings is heading the other direction. Another quiet game left him with a goose egg, and the Vikings’ patience is starting to look thinner by the week.
He has only two catches all season despite the absences of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he’s beginning to look like a pricey WR3 who doesn’t bring anything on special teams to offset the lack of production. The Vikings still appear to value his run-blocking, and there’s no sign a trade is around the corner, but Odell Beckham Jr. and others are at least creating pressure on his role.
A week off gives the coaching staff time to sort through that.
One of the biggest bright spots was Bartholomew, who made the most of a suddenly expanded role after T.J. Hockenson went down on the second play of the game.
Bartholomew finished with five catches for 33 yards, good for second on the team in both receptions and yards behind only Jefferson. He also came painfully close to a long touchdown from Murray.
There was already some camp buzz around him, but with Hockenson and Josh Oliver unavailable, he showed he can handle meaningful work. Hockenson will reclaim his starting spot when he returns, but Minnesota may have found a reason to keep Bartholomew involved.
Dallas’ stock is slipping too, and the roster math is starting to look bad for him. He played only five offensive snaps in a game where Aaron Jones handled the heavy lifting again, and his main value has come on special teams.
With Jordan Mason expected back after the bye, the Vikings are unlikely to keep four backs. For a 27-year-old running back who doesn’t help much on offense, that’s a hard case to make to Vikings GM Nolan Teasley.
If Demond Claiborne is still part of the long-term picture, Dallas looks like the odd man out. If he is released, his Minnesota line will end at three carries for 10 yards, four catches, and one incredible kick return block.
Murphy, meanwhile, used the Saints game to put his name right back in the spotlight. After a quiet stretch, he came away with two interceptions and finished as the highest-graded Viking in the win with an 86.7 overall mark from Pro Football Focus.
Those picks pushed him into a tie for the league lead. Minnesota’s defense has still given up its share of explosive plays, but Murphy and the secondary have stayed steady enough to keep producing redemptive moments.
The numbers from the last two weeks tell the story: Tyler Shough was held to 96 passing yards, and Malik Willis managed 85 the week before.
In Other News...
Vikings Defense Is Starting To Look Like Every Offenses Nightmare
Minnesotas defense spent Sunday looking like the kind of unit opposing offenses would rather avoid altogether. In a 23-13 win over the Saints, Byron Murphy Jr. turned in a strong night in the secondary, while linebacker Blake Cashman and the rest of the group helped keep New Orleans out of rhythm and fed a Vikings team that went into its bye week without a loss.
What made it stand out was how little the Saints were able to build, even with a young quarterback trying to settle in. Tyler Shough never found much room to operate, and Minnesotas coverage and pursuit kept the pressure on from start to finish. Murphys two interceptions were the headline, but the bigger story for the Vikings is that this defense is starting to look consistent enough to carry real weight as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Stay Unbeaten As Their Defense Sends A Clear Message
The Vikings kept their unbeaten start alive Sunday with a 23-13 win over the Saints, and once again the story was about a defense that keeps making life miserable for opponents. Minnesotas offense did enough to stay in control, but the tone of the game was set by a unit that never let New Orleans find much rhythm and helped push the Vikings to 5-0 heading into their Week 6 bye.
Aaron Jones gave Minnesota an important fourth-quarter cushion with an 8-yard touchdown run, and Will Reichard later added a 55-yard field goal to help close it out. For a team that keeps stacking wins while waiting for its next test, the bigger message is getting harder to miss: the Vikings are not just surviving the early season, theyre dictating how games are played. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Jefferson Just Lost A Record To A Vikings Rival
Justin Jefferson has long been the benchmark for early-career production at wide receiver, but one of his records has now been overtaken by a familiar NFC North rival. Amon-Ra St. Brown has kept piling up catches since entering the league in 2021, and his steady output has put him in position to pass a mark that once belonged to Jefferson.
The new standard arrived during the Lions Week 5 game and was later confirmed by Detroits public relations account, underscoring just how consistent St. Brown has been from the start. For the Vikings, it is another reminder that the divisions top pass catchers are still trading blows, and Jeffersons place atop that list no longer looks quite as secure. [Read more 🡒]