Minnesota
Vikings
3-1
24
FINAL
49
New Orleans
Saints
2-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe New Orleans Saints delivered a commanding performance, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 49-24 in Week 5 of the 2026 season. With this victory, the Saints solidify their position in the playoff race, while the Vikings look to regroup after a tough outing.
Tyler Shough led the Saints' offense with two touchdown passes, effectively orchestrating the high-powered attack. However, it was Travis Etienne Jr. who stole the show on the ground, racking up an impressive 235 rushing yards and finding the end zone multiple times. On the other side, Kyler Murray threw for 311 yards, but his efforts were not enough to keep pace with New Orleans' explosive offense, while T.J. Hockenson stood out with 206 receiving yards for Minnesota.
Defensively, the Saints were impactful, highlighted by Jonas Sanker’s five total tackles and a key interception that shifted momentum in their favor. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Sanker’s pick set up another scoring drive for New Orleans, allowing them to extend their lead and ultimately control the game. The Vikings' struggles on both sides of the ball were evident, as they were unable to contain the Saints' relentless offensive onslaught.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 34 | 19 | 311 | 2 | 3 | 69.6 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 9 | 7 | 189 | 2 | 1 | 118.7 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 13 | 235 | 18.1 | 3 | 74 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 10 | 73 | 7.3 | 1 | 59 | 1 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 11 | 206 | 18.7 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 101 | 50.5 | 1 | 93 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| James Pierre | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Theo Jackson | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Will Reichard | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 48 |

