Minnesota
Vikings
2-2
19
FINAL
16
New Orleans
Saints
0-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Minnesota Vikings narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints 19-16, securing a crucial win in Week 5 of the 2026 season. The stakes were high as both teams battled for playoff positioning, with the Vikings emerging victorious in a game that tested their resolve.
Leading the charge for Minnesota was quarterback Kyler Murray, who threw for 246 yards and a touchdown, showcasing his ability to make plays under pressure. On the other side, Saints receiver Chris Olave was a standout performer, racking up 115 receiving yards and keeping the New Orleans offense competitive. Despite the loss, Travis Etienne Jr. added a solid ground game for the Saints with 78 rushing yards.
Defensively, the game turned when Andrew Van Ginkel of the Vikings recorded 1.5 sacks, disrupting the Saints’ offensive rhythm and creating critical stops. Kool-Aid McKinstry's interception for New Orleans kept the game within reach, but it was the Vikings' ability to apply pressure and make timely plays that ultimately determined the outcome. Minnesota's defense held firm in the final moments, preserving the victory and adding to their momentum this season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 49 | 28 | 57% | 246 | 1 | 1 | 68.9 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 26 | 14 | 54% | 181 | 0 | 0 | 75.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 20 | 78 | 3.9 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 32 | 1 | 35 | 1 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 12 | 19 | 1.6 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 7 | 115 | 16.4 | 17 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 8 | 73 | 9.1 | 27 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 6 | 61 | 10.2 | 21 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Josh Oliver | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 8 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Levi Drake Rodriguez | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| James Pierre | CB | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Demmings | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Jennings | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colby Wooden | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 3 | 5 | 1 | 52 |
| Will Reichard | K | 4 | 4 | 1 | 52 |

