Minnesota
Vikings
0-4
35
FINAL
17
New Orleans
Saints
3-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an impressive display of offensive prowess, the Minnesota Vikings topped the New Orleans Saints 35-17 in Week 5 of the 2026 season. This victory solidified the Vikings' position in the playoff race, showcasing their ability to dominate both on the ground and through the air.
Kyler Murray was the standout performer, throwing for 291 yards and four touchdowns, effectively leading his team to victory. Isiah Pacheco made a significant impact on the ground, rushing for an impressive 254 yards, while Justin Jefferson emerged as a reliable target with 120 receiving yards. Together, they formed a formidable trio that the Saints struggled to contain throughout the game.
Defensively, the Vikings were equally impressive, with Josh Metellus recording eight total tackles, providing solid support against the Saints' offensive attempts. Jonathon Cooper was a game-changer with 2.5 sacks, consistently pressuring the quarterback and disrupting plays. The turning point of the game came when Cooper's relentless pursuit led to a crucial turnover, allowing the Vikings to extend their lead and ultimately secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 33 | 21 | 64% | 291 | 4 | 1 | 118.8 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 37 | 21 | 57% | 221 | 0 | 0 | 74.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 37 | 254 | 6.9 | 56 | 3 | 39 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 14 | 48 | 3.4 | 19 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 32 | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 6 | 22 | 3.7 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 8 | 120 | 15.0 | 28 | 2 | 33 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 3 | 95 | 31.7 | 77 | 1 | 78 | 1 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 5 | 86 | 17.2 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Jennings | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabril Cox | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 51 |

