The Minnesota Vikings defeated the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season despite injuries piling up for the Purple and Gold and some important mistakes being made on the field.
The 23-13 victory keeps the Vikings undefeated heading into their bye week at a time when the rest should help multiple key players get healthy in time for the next game in two weeks against the Indianapolis Colts.
One key reason that Minnesota was able to keep its winning ways alive was how head coach Kevin O'Connell used the players he had available and how those players were able to contribute to Sunday's contest.
Here are five observations from the Vikings' snap counts against the Saints.
Snap count winner: Gavin Bartholomew, tight end
Starting tight end T.J. Hockenson was coming off a huge game against the Miami Dolphins where he caught 13 passes for 119 yards. Sadly, he only played two snaps before having to leave the game with a concussion.
Gavin Bartholomew stepped into his role and played 44 offensive snaps along with eight special teams snaps. He finished second on the team in receptions (5) and receiving yards (33) while earning a 71.3 Pro Football Focus grade for the game.
Snap count loser: Josh Metellus, safety
Typically, it is a great thing if a player is on the field for every possible snap. Even though Josh Metellus was one of only two players who were in the game for all 45 defensive snaps, he struggled mightily against New Orleans.
Metellus had the lowest PFF grade of all Minnesota defenders on Sunday (46.7). The problem is that the Vikings are trying to limit Harrison Smith's snaps but still maximize his efficiency. Meanwhile, Theo Jackson is getting 31 defensive snaps, and Jacob Thomas only got three.
Snap count winner: Blake Cashman, linebacker
Blake Cashman was the other defensive player to participate in all 45 defensive snaps. He turned that into a team-high nine tackles, one for a loss, and one quarterback hit, on his way to a 79.2 PFF grade for the game.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores can't afford to take Cashman off the field this season. He is a stabilizing presence in the middle of the defense and deserves to play every possible snap if he is able to.
Snap count loser: Jauan Jennings, wide receiver
Jauan Jennings played 49 offensive snaps against the Saints. He was held without a catch and was only targeted once in the game. There is absolutely no chance that giving him that many reps is the most efficient thing for the offense.
He was outplayed by Jeshaun Jones and Tai Felton, both of whom had fewer offensive opportunities. After the bye, it wouldn't be shocking if Jones starts cutting into Jennings' snaps more significantly to get more value out of the routes.
Role change: Ben Yurosek, tight end
When Hockenson left the game and didn't return, Bartholomew stepped into the receiving role at tight end, and Yurosek became the blocker. However, he showed that he could do a lot more than just block because he caught a pass on Sunday.
Yurosek can block to keep offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan from trying to do what Josh Oliver was doing before his season-ending injury. The fact that he was on the field for 39 offensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps shows how much the coaching staff believes in him.
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