Reichard’s long kicks and Murphy’s two interceptions carry Vikings past Saints 23-13

Minnesota’s control survived its mistakes

The Vikings set the first terms of the game with Reichard’s 40-yard field goal at 9:04 of the opening quarter, but they did not pull away early. New Orleans answered in the second on Kendre Miller’s 2-yard touchdown run, and for a stretch the Saints had the sort of low-scoring script they needed: keep the margin narrow, wait for a mistake, and make every red-zone chance count.

Minnesota still carried more of the afternoon. The Vikings ran 68 plays to the Saints’ 43, finished with 364 total yards to New Orleans’ 142 and held the ball for 39:37. That edge showed up before halftime, when Reichard connected from 54 yards as the second quarter expired to trim the deficit to 7-6.

The game turned again just after the break. Kyler Murray found Justin Jefferson for a 15-yard touchdown at 12:06 of the third quarter, putting Minnesota back in front at 13-7. New Orleans did not answer with an offensive surge, but it did get a massive lift from Jonas Sanker’s 87-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:34 left in the third. The extra point failed, leaving the teams level at 13-13 instead of pushing the Saints ahead.

Reichard and Jones settled the finish

That tie did not last long. Minnesota opened the fourth quarter with the game’s decisive touchdown, an 8-yard run by Jones at 14:06. It was a fitting finish for the Vikings’ most reliable offensive piece on the day. Jones carried 25 times for 113 yards, giving Minnesota a steady answer whenever the game threatened to tilt toward the Saints.

Reichard then widened the margin for good with a 55-yard field goal at 7:01. In a game without many explosive offensive moments, that kind of range mattered. Reichard accounted for 11 points and hit from 40, 54 and 55 yards, a clean afternoon that let Minnesota turn yardage and possession into a two-score win.

Murray’s passing line helped hold everything together around those kicks and runs. He completed 24 of 30 attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions, while Jefferson led the receiving group with six catches for 79 yards and the third-quarter score. Minnesota also spread the ball around, with 10 players recording a reception. Even with two lost fumbles, the Vikings had enough breadth on offence and enough field-position help from Myles Price’s return work to keep New Orleans from controlling the terms for long.

Our take

The revealing number for Minnesota was not the final margin but the way it was built. The Vikings converted 9 of 18 third downs, rushed for 153 yards and never asked their defence to rescue a collapsing game. That is the encouraging part. The caution is obvious too: two lost fumbles kept a comfortable statistical edge from becoming an easier afternoon. When a team wins the play count by 25 and the yardage battle by more than 200, it should not need a fourth-quarter reset.

For New Orleans, the defensive touchdown was a gift of relevance, not a sustainable formula. The Saints managed only nine first downs, converted just 2 of 10 third downs and stayed under 100 passing yards. Tyler Shough finished 16 of 25 with no touchdown passes and two interceptions, both by Byron Murphy Jr. Chris Olave’s 46 receiving yards led the team, and no Saints catch went longer than 16 yards. The defence did enough to keep the score respectable and spent much of the day on the field, but the offence never gave it a consistent partner. If there is a useful takeaway for New Orleans, it is simple: the next step has to involve creating more than one scoring drive and asking less of a unit that already produced a touchdown of its own.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 9:04

   Will Reichard 40 Yd Field Goal

2. Period 2 · 8:23

   Kendre Miller 2 Yd Rush (Daniel Carlson Kick)

3. Period 2 · 0:00

   Will Reichard 54 Yd Field Goal

4. Period 3 · 12:06

   Justin Jefferson 15 Yd pass from Kyler Murray (Will Reichard Kick)

5. Period 3 · 2:34

   Jonas Sanker 87 Yd Fumble Return (Daniel Carlson PAT Failed)

6. Period 4 · 14:06

   Aaron Jones Sr. 8 Yd Rush (Will Reichard Kick)

7. Period 4 · 7:01

   Will Reichard 55 Yd Field Goal