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Vikings stay unbeaten as Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy Jr. carry them past Saints 23-13

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Minnesota moved to 5-0 after Jones' fourth-quarter touchdown broke a 13-13 tie that New Orleans had forced with an 87-yard fumble return.

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WhyNFL Sports DeskPublished Updated
Kyler Murray in a 2020 archive photograph.
Kyler Murray in 2020 (archive photo). Photo: All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Aaron Jones Sr. ran for 113 yards and the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted two passes, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the New Orleans Saints 23-13 at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, October 11, to stay unbeaten.

Minnesota is 5-0. New Orleans fell to 1-4 on the day it inducted Drew Brees into its Ring of Honor.

How the game was decided

The Vikings controlled the ball for most of the afternoon, gaining 364 yards to New Orleans’ 142 and converting 9 of 18 third downs, but they needed until the fourth quarter to pull away. Will Reichard kicked a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter, Kendre Miller scored on a 2-yard run for the Saints, and Reichard answered with a 54-yarder as time expired in the first half to leave Minnesota trailing 7-6.

Kyler Murray put the Vikings in front early in the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson, who played after being listed as questionable. New Orleans then tied the game without its offense: safety Jonas Sanker scooped up a fumble and ran 87 yards for a touchdown with 2:34 left in the third quarter. Daniel Carlson’s extra point failed, leaving the score 13-13.

Jones broke the tie with an 8-yard run with 14:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Reichard extended the lead with a 55-yard field goal with 7:01 remaining. He made all three of his attempts.

Jones, Murray and Murphy

Jones carried 25 times despite a knee injury: Adam Schefter reported in the first half that he was questionable to return, and he came back to score the decisive touchdown. Murray completed 24 of 30 passes for 229 yards and ran 10 times for 51 more. Jefferson caught 6 passes for 79 yards.

Murphy’s two interceptions were the center of a defensive day that held Tyler Shough to 96 passing yards on 16-of-25 throwing. The Saints converted only 2 of 10 third downs. Chris Olave led New Orleans with 4 catches for 46 yards, and Alvin Kamara, listed as questionable before the game, ran 3 times for 12 yards. Linebacker Blake Cashman led Minnesota with 9 tackles, and Myles Price helped tilt the field with 57 yards on two punt returns, one of them for 43.

Minnesota’s win did cost it a starter. The Vikings ruled tight end T.J. Hockenson out with a concussion, and he now enters the league’s protocol.

What comes next

The Vikings have no game next weekend and return to host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m. EDT. The Saints visit the New York Giants on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. EDT. The complete box score is in the Vikings-Saints Game Center.

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