The Minnesota Vikings extended their winning streak to ten games, dating back to last season, with a 23-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints on the road. The Vikings were able to overcome some offensive fumbles with an elite defense and special teams and an otherwise methodical offense led by Kyler Murray. The game was more statistically lopsided for the Vikings, who held the Saints to their lowest yardage in five years offensively and dominated time of possession and most other stats. A Saints fumble recovery for a touchdown kept the game closer in the second half than it otherwise was.
The Vikings’ road win moves them to 5-0 heading into their bye week with a dominant No. 1 defense, elite special teams and an ascending offense that will have Jordan Mason, Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson returning from injury. They also have a two-game lead in the NFC North division race.
Kyler Murray. He played near-perfect football, moving the chains with his arms and feet en route to going 24/30 (80%) for 229 yards and a TD pass, 109.6 passer rating, plus 51 more yards on ten rushes. This results in a QBR of 81.3, the highest of the season for the Vikings. He also had an adjusted completion percentage of 86.2%, which is a gauge of accuracy, with no turnover-worthy plays.
Byron Murphy Jr. He turned two Tyler Shough giveaways into two interceptions and allowed just 3 receiving yards in coverage.
Isaiah Rodgers. He allowed just one reception for a loss of 5 yards and had a pass breakup to deny a third-down conversion.
Team defense. Brian Flores’ unit doesn’t really have any superstars. But they don’t really have any weak links either. The combination of an aggressive, hard-to-play scheme with players who don’t make many mistakes and are relentless is stifling for opposing attacks.
Jake Golday. He suffered forced fumbles on special teams and had already been an elite special teams player this season.
Aaron Jones. He totaled 113 yards on 25 carries (4.5 ypc) and a touchdown, but also a turnover in the red zone which cost the Vikings points.
Myles Price. He still had some good returns and some nice receptions, but his fumble was returned for a Saints touchdown.
Justin Jefferson. He had some incredible catches – including a key touchdown – and 79 total receiving yards, but also a turnover-worthy pass that should have been a turnover on an ill-advised trick play that should probably be removed from the playbook. It was technically a fumble as a backwards pass that the Vikings recovered.
Ryan Van Demark. He had a few penalties that turned out to be drive killers. He also allowed 3 quarterback pressures. Can live with some hurried quarterbacks, but can’t take penalties.
Vikings’ ability to win with a possession offense combined with dominant defense and elite special teams while missing some key pieces on offense. The Vikings had the best defense and special teams units in the league heading into the Saints game, and the results only widened the gap with the second-best units.
The Vikings offense continues to rank near the bottom of the league. Kyler Murray is slowly becoming more comfortable and confident in leading the Vikings offense despite missing some key pieces and missing two games himself. And after the Vikings’ bye week, they’ll get Jordan Mason, Jordan Addison, Christian Darrisaw and TJ Hockenson back.
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