Vikings Week 5: 3 Most Important Things to Watch for vs. Saints on Sunday (Underrated Rivalry Continues)

Your 4-0 Vikings head south this weekend to chase a perfect 5-0 record as they prepare to enter their bye week. In their way? A chippy Saints team led by head coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough.

Despite their record, facing the 1-3 Saints won’t exactly be a vacation to the French Quarter, as Shough has thrown for an impressive 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns to start the season.

The Vikings' defense will certainly need to keep up their patented aggression to limit Shough’s effectiveness, but the biggest story may be on the opposing side of the ball.

Here’s what to watch as the Vikings fight to remain perfect in 2026 against an opponent with whom they share quite a history.

1. Vikings-Saints rivalry

If recent trends continue, the matchup between the Vikings and Saints may just be one of the more entertaining games of the weekend.

In fact, the two squads have built quite the rivalry over the years, despite being non-divisional foes on opposite sides of the country. Although Minnesota holds a dominant 25-13 all-time series lead, the two squads have had some incredible matchups over the last two decades.

Of course, there’s the 2009 NFC Championship/Bountygate scandal that we choose to ignore whenever possible, the Minneapolis Miracle in the 2017 divisional round, a Vikings OT walkoff Wild Card round win in 2019, Alvin Kamara’s six rushing touchdowns against the Vikings in 2020, and the peak of “Dobbs-sanity” as Josh Dobbs defeated the Saints in Minnesota in the last battle between the two teams.

Throwback to the last time the Vikings and Saints faced off in 2023 as Josh Dobbs plays lights out in his first start for the Vikings.

- 268 passing yards
- 1 passing TD
- 1 sack taken
- 101.1 passer rating
- 44 rushing yards
- 1 rushing TD

Vikings win 27-19 pic.twitter.com/SYJUh1tED7
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) October 9, 2026

Needless to say, there’s not much love between these two franchises in recent years.

Drew Brees’s induction into the Saints’ Ring of Honor at halftime on Sunday adds extra fuel for Vikings fans in the stands who saw him win a Super Bowl with New Orleans after the controversial 2009 conference championship.

2. Passing game progression

We started to see glimpses of what the Vikings’ pass game could look like at the end of Week 4’s matchup against Miami, and we’ll need to see the next steps in that marriage between coach and QB this weekend. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kyler Murray are clearly working through the difficult task of blending two completely different passing philosophies, and it has not always been perfect.

The Vikings are currently dead last in the NFL with 156 passing yards per game (h/t: ESPN). While it would be unfair to expect Murray to suddenly become Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins and turn into a pure pocket passer, the team needs the passing offense to get on track if it wants to contend.

Luckily, we saw glimpses of what this could look like last week, as O’Connell began implementing more shotgun and quick-game concepts. Minnesota’s offense could start to take key strides this weekend if that trend continues.

Justin Jefferson was listed as a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday and told the media he plans to play Sunday, barring any setbacks with his left ankle. Jefferson’s return in front of his hometown crowd could give the passing offense a much-needed boost, especially if he takes the field with fellow Louisiana legend and mentor Odell Beckham Jr.

3. Perfection at the bye week

Entering the bye week at 5-0 would be a major accomplishment for the Vikings, especially given how inconsistent their offense has been at the start of the season. With their schedule getting tougher, every win they can stack now gives them an additional buffer for a challenging November-through-December stretch.

The bye week also gives them chances to address concerns along the offensive line, the running back room, and in the passing game, regardless of Sunday’s outcome. If the Vikings use the bye week to retool and recover, they may be set up for a successful run through the gauntlet portion of their schedule that starts in November.

Being 5-0 on the break just happens to be the best possible circumstance.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google