Minnesota
Vikings
2-2
31
FINAL
28
New Orleans
Saints
1-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling matchup, the Minnesota Vikings narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in Week 5 of the 2026 season. Both teams entered the game with high hopes, but it was the Vikings who emerged victorious, keeping their playoff aspirations alive while the Saints faced a tough setback.
Offensively, Tyler Shough of the Saints had a standout performance, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his prowess in the passing game. Meanwhile, Demond Claiborne led the Vikings' ground attack with 72 rushing yards, providing critical support as Minnesota balanced their offensive strategy. The receiving game was highlighted by Jordyn Tyson, who racked up 85 yards, demonstrating his reliability as a target for Shough.
Defensively, the game was marked by a few key plays, but it was ultimately the Vikings' ability to hold off the Saints in the final minutes that made the difference. Jonas Sanker led New Orleans with eight total tackles, but the Saints struggled to contain the Vikings' late-game execution. The turning point came when Minnesota capitalized on a crucial turnover, allowing them to secure the win and move forward in the tightly contested season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 42 | 28 | 67% | 301 | 2 | 0 | 103.3 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 24 | 17 | 71% | 162 | 2 | 0 | 117.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 15 | 72 | 4.8 | 11 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 7 | 62 | 8.9 | 19 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 20 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 13 | 30 | 2.3 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 33 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 6 | 80 | 13.3 | 50 | 1 | 53 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 4 | 49 | 12.3 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 1 | 44 | 44.0 | 41 | 1 | 44 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Barion Brown | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Gavin Bartholomew | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Caleb Farley | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domonique Orange | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon Broughton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Theo Jackson | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jay Ward | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Graham | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 51 |
| Will Reichard | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 50 |

