The Minnesota Vikings improved to 5-0 after defeating the New Orleans Saints 23-13 on Sunday afternoon, leaving fans with mixed feelings. While the Vikings rode a gritty effort from Aaron Jones and Kyler Murray’s best performance of the year to victory, they are also heading into their bye week, leaving fans with a long wait to see what happens next.
But with several notable injuries, the Vikings will welcome the week off. After claiming their fifth straight win to open the year, several winners and losers will go into the bye looking to keep their momentum rolling or improve after a tough afternoon.
Minnesota Vikings winners and losers from their Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints
Winner – Kyler Murray (QB)
Sunday’s biggest winner couldn’t be more obvious. As Vikings fans panicked over their offense, Murray answered the bell in his most complete performance of the year.
Murray completed 24 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown, but he got more comfortable as the game went along. The flashiest example was a 21-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson that was floated over triple coverage, and there were other examples during the game, peppering his tight ends and scrambling 10 times for 51 yards.
As a result, the Vikings wound up with a season-high 364 yards on Sunday, and Murray’s play was a big reason why. With more experience, Murray and the rest of the offense are building momentum and could make an undefeated team even scarier when they return to host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.
Winner – Justin Jefferson (WR)
A lot was made about the Vikings’ decision to bring in Murray, but the main reason was to find someone who could get Justin Jefferson the ball consistently. That didn’t happen last year, as J.J. McCarthy fired rocket balls all over the place, but Murray did enough to keep the star wideout happy.
Returning from an ankle injury, Jefferson caught six passes for 79 yards. The 21-yard touchdown also showed how much he can help Murray, rising above three defenders to haul it in, and his performance was even more impressive without Jordan Addison (hamstring) and T.J. Hockenson.
Long story short, the arrow is pointing up and Jefferson had to have loved what he saw on Sunday.
Winner – Aaron Jones (RB)
Jones capped off a solid four-game run in place of an injured Jordan Mason, tying a career high with 25 carries on Sunday afternoon. But Jones wasn’t just a contributor in volume, as he ran for 113 yards and a touchdown to keep the chains moving.
While he lost a fumble in the second quarter, Kevin O’Connell had a lot of respect not only for what Jones did on Sunday, but toting the ball 85 times in Jones’s absence. Nursing a knee injury, Jones will likely welcome the bye week and Mason’s return against the Colts.
Winners – The Vikings’ tight ends
Tossing everyone into the same category feels fitting even as Hockenson left with a concussion on the second snap of the game. Gavin Bartholomew had a career day with five catches for 33 yards, and Ben Yurosek contributed with a catch for 10 yards, giving the group seven catches for 50 yards on the afternoon.
This trend won’t be going away. Hockenson had one of his best games as a Viking one week ago, catching 13 passes for 119 yards in a win over the Miami Dolphins, and Murray helped Trey McBride become one of the top players at his position by feeding him 147 targets during the 2024 season. When Hockenson returns, Murray will be ready, and the three could be key cogs in the offense when the Vikings return from the bye.
Winner – Byron Murphy (CB)
The Vikings offense deserves some flowers for its performance, but the Vikings’ defense has been so good it felt like another day at the office. That wasn’t the case for Byron Murphy, who came away with two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter that effectively put the game away.
Murphy has 14 since joining the Vikings as a free agent in 2023, which ties the NFL lead with Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley. While the Vikings held the Saints to 87 passing yards and 142 total yards, Murphy’s picks played a key role and put him on his way to a strong year with an elite unit.
Loser – Jauan Jennings (WR)
Vikings fans were excited about Jennings during the offseason, but he’s been one of their biggest disappointments through five games. That continued against the Saints, as he failed to reel in his lone catch and watched several other receivers jump ahead of him on the depth chart.
Tai Felton was one of those receivers, catching two of three targets for 27 yards. Myles Price also saw time on the field with three catches for 20 yards, though he lost a fumble that led to an 87-yard return for a third-quarter touchdown. This also happened with Addison on the sideline and Odell Beckham Jr. inactive, and with Jennings failing to make an impact; it feels like it’s a matter of time until Minnesota throws in the towel.
Loser – Will Fries (OG)
Fries is becoming a weekly staple of this article, and for good reason. With $87.7 million to fix the Vikings’ decade-long guard crisis, Fries looked like a guy who should be making a lot less.
Pro Football Focus charged Fries with two pressures and a sack on 39 pass-blocking snaps, and he had the third-lowest grade among Vikings’ starting offensive linemen at 56.5. With regular backups Joe Huber (55.2) and Ryan Van Demark (49.1) below him, Fries’s struggles are becoming a constant theme and could make him the weakest link along the offensive line.
Loser – Ryan Van Demark (OT)
Replacing Christian Darrisaw is an unenviable task, but Van Demark didn’t look like an upgrade over former backup Justin Skule. Denmark had the lowest PFF grade among the Vikings’ starting offensive linemen, 49.1, and allowed three pressures on 39 pass-blocking snaps, marking the highest total on the team.
The good news is that Van Demark didn’t allow a sack going up against Chase Young; that honor went to Will Fries, but it wasn’t the performance the Vikings hoped for as Darrisaw works his way back from a concussion. Darrisaw has a history of concussions; the Vikings will have to hope that he recovers over the bye week and returns to the backup role.
Add us as a preferred source on Google