Minnesota
Vikings
1-3
16
FINAL
24
New Orleans
Saints
1-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a pivotal Week 5 matchup of the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints topped the Minnesota Vikings with a final score of 24-16. The victory was crucial for the Saints as they look to solidify their position in the playoff race, while the Vikings aimed to stay competitive in a tightly contested division.
Kyler Murray was the standout performer for the Vikings, throwing for 228 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to lead the offense effectively. Despite Minnesota's efforts, Travis Etienne Jr. emerged as a key player for New Orleans, rushing for 111 yards and playing a vital role in maintaining the Saints' offensive momentum. Tai Felton also made his mark for the Vikings, recording 96 receiving yards, but it wasn't enough to secure a win.
Defensively, the game was defined by the relentless pressure from Chase Young, who recorded an impressive 2.5 sacks for the Saints, disrupting Minnesota's rhythm throughout the game. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Young's pressure forced a crucial turnover on downs, allowing New Orleans to maintain their lead and ultimately secure the win. James Pierre led the Vikings' defense with ten total tackles, but it wasn't sufficient to overcome the Saints' strong defensive front.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 42 | 19 | 45% | 228 | 2 | 0 | 78.2 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 46 | 28 | 61% | 191 | 1 | 1 | 68.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 17 | 111 | 6.5 | 48 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 12 | 50 | 4.2 | 22 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 9 | 27 | 3.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Ty Chandler | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Felton | WR | 6 | 96 | 16.0 | 14 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 6 | 51 | 8.5 | 29 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 6 | 37 | 6.2 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Pierre | CB | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 4 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylan Ford | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Demmings | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 56 |
| Will Reichard | K | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 |

