Minnesota
Vikings
2-2
35
FINAL
52
New Orleans
Saints
1-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-scoring showdown, the New Orleans Saints topped the Minnesota Vikings 52-35 in Week 5 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to solidify their playoff positioning, the Saints showcased their offensive firepower, leaving the Vikings scrambling to keep pace throughout the game.
Tyler Shough had an outstanding performance, throwing for 365 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Saints to a commanding victory. Jeff Caldwell was a standout target, racking up 176 receiving yards, while Travis Etienne Jr. contributed significantly on the ground with 86 rushing yards. The Saints' offensive line provided ample protection, allowing Shough to find open receivers and control the game tempo.
The Minnesota defense struggled to contain the explosive Saints' offense, and the game's turning point came late in the second quarter when Jonas Sanker intercepted a pass, halting a Vikings drive and setting up another touchdown for New Orleans. Despite Jake Golday's effort on defense, including five tackles and a sack, the Vikings were unable to stop the relentless scoring from the Saints, sealing their fate in a high-octane contest.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 27 | 21 | 78% | 365 | 5 | 0 | 158.3 |
| Jalon Daniels | QB | 23 | 11 | 48% | 329 | 4 | 2 | 97.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 23 | 86 | 3.7 | 35 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Jalon Daniels | QB | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jeff Caldwell | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Caldwell | WR | 6 | 176 | 29.3 | 20 | 3 | 44 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 3 | 133 | 44.3 | 15 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| Sincere Brown | WR | 3 | 111 | 37.0 | 58 | 2 | 68 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 14 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 28 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 16 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 13 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | — | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | — | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Sanker | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zemaiah Vaughn | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dru Phillips | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DaRon Bland | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jarvis Brownlee Jr | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| James Pierre | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 7 | 35 |
| Will Reichard | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

