The Vikings came out of New Orleans with a 23-13 win Sunday afternoon, and the final score hardly captured how comfortably they controlled the game. Minnesota is heading into its bye at 5-0, one of three undefeated teams left in the league.
Kyler Murray delivered his strongest outing yet in a Vikings uniform. He completed 24 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown to Justin Jefferson, and he avoided an interception. He also gave Minnesota a needed boost on the ground, scrambling for 51 yards on 10 carries while working around pressure behind a patched-together offensive line.
The Saints got all of their points off Minnesota turnovers, and both of those miscues happened deep in New Orleans territory. Aaron Jones coughed it up on the 7-yard line on the Vikings’ second drive.
Later, in the third quarter, Myles Price made a catch and got all the way to the Saints’ 12 before losing the ball. That second giveaway turned into an 87-yard fumble return touchdown.
In that sense, this one could have gotten out of hand fast. It could have been a 37-0 victory.
Minnesota’s defense made sure the Saints never found a way back in. New Orleans finished with just 96 passing yards and 55 rushing yards, while the Vikings forced three turnovers.
Byron Murphy Jr. picked off two passes. Blake Cashman filled up the stat sheet with nine tackles, and Andrew Van Ginkel kept showing up too, finishing with a sack and two tackles for loss.
Jones bounced back from his own fumble and still ended the day with 113 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jefferson, back after an ankle injury, caught 79 yards worth of passes and delivered a circus-like touchdown grab. He also flirted with disaster on a trick play, tossing the ball up on a backwards pass that could have easily been intercepted.
Minnesota did all of that without its starting left tackle and left guard. Christian Darrisaw was not cleared from the concussion protocol, Donovan Jackson is out for the year, and Jordan Addison was scratched late with a hamstring injury.
Then T.J. Hockenson left in the first quarter with a head injury.
Even with those losses, this felt like the offense’s best showing of the season. It was not a perfect day, but the group kept moving forward.
Through the first four games, the defense had probably carried about 95% of the load. This time, the offense may have pushed that share up to around 25%.
That’s a start.
Nobody saw 5-0 coming, and nobody should shrug off these wins just because Minnesota has leaned on defense. With two weeks before the next game, the Vikings have a chance to get healthier and let Murray keep settling into the system. If the offense keeps climbing, this team has room to go wherever it wants.
In Other News...
Mike Pettines Vikings Exit Looks Even Stranger After His NFL Return
Mike Pettines exit from the Vikings already carried a little intrigue when he left amid philosophical differences with Brian Flores, but his latest move only adds another layer to it. After stepping away from coaching following the 2025 season, the veteran assistant is reportedly headed back to the sideline, this time with the Cowboys, a turn that keeps his NFL resume very much in motion.
For Minnesota, the part worth watching is the path that led him there. Pettines next stop is tied to familiar connections in Dallas, where he has previously worked closely with defensive coordinator Christian Parker and head coach Brian Schottenheimer. It is the kind of coaching reunion that makes his Vikings departure look even more unusual in hindsight, even if the full story of how his return came together is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Bye Week Moves Hint At A New Concern On Offense
During the bye week, the Vikings took a look at some veteran help at wide receiver, working out JuJu Smith-Schuster, DWayne Eskridge and Dayton Wade while also bringing in quarterback Cam Miller for a workout. It is the kind of move that usually says as much about depth and injury management as it does about immediate need, and it suggests Minnesota is at least keeping its options open on the offensive side of the ball.
The receiver group got the most attention, with Smith-Schuster standing out among the names the team evaluated, a reminder that the search is not just about adding bodies but finding someone who can fit quickly if called upon. And while the Vikings were sorting through those possibilities, they also lost running back Audric Estime from the practice squad, with Cleveland moving to sign him away, another small but notable hit to the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Enter Bye With A Rising Star And A Real Concern
The Vikings go into the bye week unbeaten at 5-0 after handling the Saints, and the early part of the season has given them plenty to like on offense and defense. Kirk Cousins has looked sharper than he did a year ago, and the supporting cast has helped carry Minnesota through the first month-plus, with Luke Musgrave and Andrew Booth Jr. among the names making real noise.
Booths rise has been especially encouraging, with the young defensive back tying for the league lead in interceptions and giving the Vikings another playmaker in a secondary that needs them. On the other side of the ball, though, the passing game still has a question hanging over it, and Jalen Jennings has yet to turn the opportunity around even with injuries around him creating openings that should have mattered. [Read more 🡒]