The New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 on October 11, 2026 at 12:00 pm on FOX. The Saints last hosted the Vikings on Oct. 2, 2022 in the Caesars Superdome where the Saints fell in a 28-25 battle.
Let's take a deeper look at the Saints' Week 5 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings:
2026 NFL WEEK 5: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Meet your Saints opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Coach: Kevin O'Connell
Quarterback: Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy
2025 record: 9-8, third in NFC North
Most recent regular season matchup: Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 - Vikings 27, Saints 19
Vikings-Saints series record: Vikings lead 25-13 (including five postseason games)
Minnesota Vikings 2025 season recap:
The Vikings opened the year getting out to a 3-2 start heading into the team's bye in Week 6. Minnesota struggled coming out of the bye, with a 1-6 record in their next seven games putting their postseason chances in jeopardy. Despite closing the season with a five-game win streak to finish 9-8, the Vikings would fall short of the playoffs after making the postseason in 2024.
| 2025 Vikings Per Game Stats | League Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Avg. | 20.2 | 26 |
| Opp. Scoring Avg. | 19.6 | 7 |
| Total Off. | 275.0 | 28 |
| Rushing Off. | 108.3 | 23 |
| Passing Off. | 166.7 | 29 |
| Total Def. | 282.6 | 3 |
| Rushing Def. | 124.1 | 21 |
| Passing Def. | 158.5 | 2 |
Deep Dive: Minnesota Vikings roster review
1. Vikings add Kyler Murray to quarterback competition
The Vikings added Kyler Murray in free agency to their quarterback room. A two-time Pro Bowler, Murray started in five games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025 and completed 110 of 161 (68.3%) passing attempts for 962 yards for six touchdowns to three interceptions. He also added 29 rushes for 173 yards and a touchdown.
Murray will compete with returning starter J.J. McCarthy. The former first round pick had an uneven campaign in 2025 starting 10 games, completing 140 of 243 passing attempts (57.6%) for 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also added 37 rushes for 181 yards and four touchdowns.
2. Rookie additions on interior defensive line
The Vikings look to replace a pair of veteran interior former Pro Bowl defensive lineman that departed in free agency in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. To that end with two early selections in the NFL Draft, the Vikings sought to fortify that position group.
With the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings added defensive lineman Caleb Banks out of Florida. Banks was limited to only three games in his final collegiate season after suffering a foot injury that required surgery. He played in 34 games (20 starts) over his college career between Florida and Louisville and recorded 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In the third round, 82nd overall, they also added defensive lineman Domonique Orange out of Iowa State. Orange appeared in 50 collegiate games and accumulated 65 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and one sack.
The duo will look to keep the defense stout for a team that allowed only 3.99 yards per rush, eighth lowest in the NFL, and had the second highest sacks per passing attempt, getting to the quarterback 10.96% of the time in 2025.
3. Added depth at wide receiver
The Vikings added depth at wide receiver by signing Jauan Jennings in free agency. Jennings started all 15 games he played with the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 and accrued 55 catches for 643 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jennings is also known for bringing a physical blocking presence as a receiver, having blocked players all the way out of bounds on multiple occasions in his career.
"He brings a grittiness," Vikings running back Aaron Jones said. "He does all the dirty work in a sense, where he may not be highlighted on the play — or sometimes it will be highlighted because he's the receiver in there doing the blocking … but he's doing it for the sacrifice of the team, and he just brings that dog mentality with him. It doesn't matter who lines up in front of him; he's going to win, and he's going to show them, 'Hey, I'm physical.'"
