The Minnesota Vikings did enough to beat the Miami Dolphins last week and move to 4-0, but the 15-10 result left plenty of fans wanting more. Minnesota put up just 336 yards of offense, and the performance didn’t exactly quiet the questions about whether this group is ready to really open things up.
Now comes a matchup that could help change the mood fast. The Vikings head to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and New Orleans is coming off a rough Monday night in a 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons that dropped them to 1-3. The Saints’ defense has been the bigger story than the record itself, and Troy Aikman didn’t exactly soften his view of what he saw from defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
“He doesn’t have any answers, and I think he knew it when we talked to him,” Aikman said during ESPN’s broadcast on Monday night. “I think he knew.
He didn’t tell us, but the guys that are out, some of their big edge rushers and guys who can play the run and set the edge, they’re not on the field. …They just don’t have that star defender that can erase the mistakes of other people.
This was a matchup issue coming in, and it’s proven true.”
That assessment lines up with what New Orleans has been dealing with for four weeks now. The Saints have given up an NFL-high 128 points through their first four games, and the trouble starts up front.
Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings are both out with injuries, which has thinned the pass rush. Bryan Bresee is also on injured reserve after tearing his ACL during the Saints’ first training camp practice.
The problems don’t stop there. Kaden Eliss missed the Falcons game because of injury, and Pete Werner has been playing through a shoulder issue that has limited him.
In the back end, the Saints haven’t found much relief either, with safeties Justin Reid, Jonas Sanker, and Julian Blackmon all struggling. Without a true top corner, New Orleans ranks 14th in the NFL in net yards per attempt at 6.5, and its turnover rate is the second-lowest in the league at 4.5%, behind only the Indianapolis Colts at 4.3%.
Aikman’s point about Staley also hangs over all of it. The former Los Angeles Chargers head coach arrived in New Orleans with a reputation shaped by a defense that kept giving up big plays, and the Saints haven’t had the depth to cover for the breakdowns.
Against Atlanta, that showed up in the worst possible way. The Falcons, with Michael Penix Jr. back under center after his ACL injury in Week 3, ran wild for 205 yards and five touchdowns combined from Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr.
That kind of production is exactly what should catch Minnesota’s attention. The question is whether the Vikings can take advantage.
There are still some things to sort out on their side. The offense, even in a win, remains a work in progress. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported Tuesday that Minnesota made some notable adjustments against Miami, including leaning more heavily on shotgun and pistol looks to fit Kyler Murray’s strengths.
“First and foremost, the Vikings lined up in the shotgun formation 54 times Sunday, the most in a game since O’Connell was hired in 2022,” Lewis wrote. “Minnesota ran the ball 18 times out of those shotgun sets, a significant jump from any of O’Connell’s previous games as a play caller.
“On an even deeper level, the Vikings sprinkled in pocket movement on third downs. They also utilized staple passing concepts.”
There was also a late-game spark against the Dolphins, with Murray completing 13 of his last 14 passes to help close it out. Maybe some of that progress should have come earlier, especially if Murray hadn’t missed time with a concussion in Week 1 and if Kevin O’Connell hadn’t gone through a quarterback competition with the since-traded J.J.
McCarthy. Still, the offense has at least shown signs of moving in the right direction.
Health could complicate that. Donovan Jackson is likely out for the year after tearing his meniscus in Sunday’s win.
Christian Darrisaw is worth watching after suffering a concussion, and Justin Jefferson’s ankle is another situation to monitor. Even so, the setup could push Minnesota toward a more committed ground game.
Aaron Jones handled 20 carries for 94 yards and added four catches for 34 yards against Miami, and he could be in for even more work against a Saints defense that has been vulnerable everywhere. If that opens things up just enough for Murray, the Vikings may have a chance to stack a fifth win before the bye.
With 5-0 on the line, Sunday also offers one more chance to put something useful on tape before Minnesota self-scouts during the break. And based on what New Orleans has shown so far, the Saints might be just the opponent the Vikings need right now.
In Other News...
Vikings Injury Report Puts Several Key Starters In Doubt For Sunday
The first injury reports of the week gave the Vikings an early look at just how much juggling may be required before Sundays game at Caesars Superdome. Minnesota and New Orleans both released their initial availability lists, and the Vikings side includes some familiar names near the top, with Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw among the players worth monitoring as the week unfolds.
For Kevin OConnells staff, the bigger issue is less about one isolated absence than the overall practice picture this early in the preparation cycle. The Saints report brings its own concerns, with Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave also on it, which only adds to the uncertainty on both sides heading into the weekend. The next few practices will tell the real story, but for now Minnesota is dealing with a report that already has several starters in doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Still Have One Clear Path Even After Murray's Shaky Start
The early NFC quarterback picture already has a few familiar names under a microscope, and Kyler Murray is right there among them after a shaky start to the 2026 season. He is still viewed as a quarterback with enough talent to settle in as the year unfolds, but the opening stretch has left plenty of room for skepticism as the league starts sorting out which passers can carry their teams through the long middle of the schedule.
For Minnesota, that matters because the Vikings are watching the conference landscape with the same practical lens they use on everything else: which path still looks open, and which one is already closing. Jalon Daniels, meanwhile, is dealing with a far different early assignment as a rookie pressed into action because of injury, adding another layer of uncertainty to a quarterback group that is already hard to read. The upside for the Vikings is that the NFC still feels fluid, but the challenge is finding a route that remains clear once the season starts separating hopeful starts from real momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Odell Beckham Jr. Gives Undefeated Vikings Needed Help Fast
A quick phone call from Kevin OConnell helped push Odell Beckham Jr. toward Minnesota, and the move gives the undefeated Vikings a jolt they clearly needed. Beckham arrives with a rsum that still carries weight around the league, including Pro Bowl recognition and a Super Bowl title, and his familiarity with OConnell from the Rams' championship run made the fit easier to see from the start.
The timing matters even more because Minnesota has struggled badly through the air, sitting last in passing yards. Beckham also lands in a receiver room with a familiar face in Justin Jefferson, giving the Vikings another established target as they try to stabilize an offense that has not yet found its rhythm. Whether the addition can lift the passing game quickly is the question now hanging over a team that has kept winning anyway. [Read more 🡒]