Five games into the Kyler Murray era of the Minnesota Vikings, and they still haven't experienced their first loss.
On Sunday, Murray and the Vikings improved the team's record to 5-0 this season after defeating the New Orleans Saints by a final score of 23-13.
We'll have more in-depth analysis about Minnesota's latest win during the next few days, but for now, let's go over some of the initial reactions to this week's victory.
Immediate takeaways from Vikings/Saints in Week 5
Vikings fans finally get the Kyler Murray they've been waiting for
Week 1 was a letdown after an injury limited Kyler Murray to just 11 snaps in his Minnesota debut. Then in Murray's last two starts, he was only on the field with Justin Jefferson for 18 snaps.
But on Sunday against the Saints, Murray and Jefferson were finally on the field for the majority of the matchup, and it made a huge difference.
With Jefferson in the lineup, and what looked like Murray feeling like himself for the first time since his Week 1 injury, the Vikings QB1 ended the matchup throwing 24-for-30 for 229 yards and one touchdown, in addition to 10 carries for 51 yards.
Justin Jefferson is HIM
Speaking of Jefferson, he's still the best receiver in the NFL (in case anyone was wondering).
Minnesota's All-Pro receiver finished Sunday with six catches for 79 yards and an incredible 15-yard touchdown reception despite being triple-covered by New Orleans.
OH MY GOODNESS JUSTIN JEFFERSON pic.twitter.com/z5OWEE1zu0
— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) October 11, 2026
Vikings' defense continues to ooze with an elite odor
The Vikings' defense was already arguably the best in the entire NFL entering Sunday, and they proved why once again in the win over the Saints.
Minnesota's defense held New Orleans' offense to just one touchdown (other Saints touchdown was scored by their defense), 3.3 yards per play, and just 2-of-10 on third down.
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy also snagged two interceptions during the victory, as he continues to have himself an impressive 2026 season.
Aaron Jones literally carrying Minnesota's run game on his back
With Jordan Mason out of action since Week 2, Aaron Jones has received the majority of the workload in the Vikings' offensive backfield in the last few games. Jones has also battled through a knee injury recently, but that hasn't stopped him from giving Minnesota someone they can consistently count on when utilizing their rushing attack.
Against New Orleans on Sunday, Jones finished with 25 carries for 113 yards and an impressive eight-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Injuries continue to pile up for Vikings offense
Minnesota was already without Mason, Jordan Addison, Josh Oliver, Christian Darrisaw, and Donovan Jackson heading into Sunday's game, and then on the opening drive of the matchup, tight end T.J. Hockenson had to exit the field with a concussion.
After being evaluated by the Vikings' training staff, Hockenson was ruled out for the rest of the day.
Luckily, Minnesota has their bye next week, which means Hockenson should have enough time to recover and return to the field for the team's next game in week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Ball control will be an emphasis during the bye
The Vikings' offense didn't have much trouble moving the football against the Saints on Sunday, but New Orleans was kept in the matchup after two big fumbles by Minnesota's Aaron Jones and Myles Price.
These were the Vikings' first two lost fumbles of the 2026 season, and it's safe to say Kevin O'Connell will be utilizing the team's bye next week to make hanging onto the football even more of a major priority.
Will Fries is in the middle of his final season with the Vikings
During the 2025 offseason, Minnesota gave free-agent offensive lineman Will Fries a big contract worth more than $80 million to be their new starting right guard. Fries was pretty underwhelming for the Vikings in 2025, and so far, it's been more of the same disappointing play from him this season.
Minnesota's right guard was dominated for most of the contest on Sunday against the Saints, and it just doesn't look like he's going to remain with the Vikings past the 2026 campaign unless things drastically improve during the remainder of the season.
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