Vikings top Saints 23-13 as Jefferson returns, Jones scores late
Minnesota stayed unbeaten at 5-0 behind a Justin Jefferson touchdown and a late Aaron Jones score, dropping New Orleans to 1-4.
Vikings pull away in the fourth quarter
Minnesota beat New Orleans 23-13 at the Caesars Superdome, staying unbeaten at 5-0 and 3-0 in the division. The Saints fell to 1-4 and 0-3, losing their third straight, all three in the Superdome.
Will Reichard opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter. Kendre Miller answered for New Orleans with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Reichard added a 54-yard field goal right before halftime to make it 7-6 Minnesota at the break.
New Orleans briefly tied the game at 13 in the third quarter on Jonas Sanker's 87-yard fumble return, after the Saints' Daniel Carlson missed the point-after. Justin Jefferson had put Minnesota up 13-7 moments earlier on a 15-yard touchdown catch from Kyler Murray. Aaron Jones put the Vikings ahead for good in the fourth quarter with an 8-yard touchdown run, and Reichard closed it out with a 55-yard field goal.
Numbers tell the story
Minnesota outgained New Orleans 364 total yards to 142. The Vikings ran for 153 yards and threw for 211, while the Saints managed just 55 rushing yards and 87 passing. New Orleans also turned the ball over three times to Minnesota's two, and the Vikings held an 18-9 edge in first downs.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough finished 16-of-25 for 96 yards and threw two interceptions. New Orleans was also flagged six times for 41 yards, compared to four flags for 30 yards on Minnesota.
Jefferson's return, Jones' bounce-back
Jefferson caught six passes for 79 yards and the touchdown in his return from an ankle injury that had kept him out the previous week. Murray finished 24-of-30 for 229 yards and a touchdown without a turnover.
Jones led all rushers with 113 yards on 25 carries and the go-ahead score. Chris Olave led New Orleans with four catches for 46 yards, and Kendre Miller added 30 yards on 10 carries to go with his touchdown.
On defense, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted Shough twice. Minnesota's Andrew Van Ginkel had a sack, and Blake Cashman led the team with nine tackles. For New Orleans, Carl Granderson had 1.5 sacks and Justin Reid led with 10 tackles.
Injury report
New Orleans played without Jeremiah Wright (concussion), Nathan Shepherd (illness), Kaden Elliss (calf) and Anfernee Jennings (knee). Minnesota was missing Christian Darrisaw (concussion), Charles Demmings (hamstring) and Jordan Addison (hamstring soreness), while tight end T.J. Hockenson was questionable with a concussion.
Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.