Saints Clips
The 4-0 Vikings have turned the page back to the days of the Purple People Eaters. And the stout defense isn’t getting a ton of help from the offense.
The Vikings have had 18 straight drives without a touchdown. The last one happened in the second quarter of a Week 3 win over the Buccaneers. The Week 4 victory over the Dolphins happened with five field goals.
Yes, tight end T.J. Hockenson could have scored just before the two-minute warning, but he wisely took a knee and allowed the Vikings to ensure the Dolphins wouldn’t be able to score twice and steal the game. Either way, the Vikings did not register a touchdown against the Dolphins.
As noted last Sunday, the win made the Vikings the first team in more than 100 years to start 4-0 despite not scoring a touchdown in multiple games. The 1922 and 1923 Chicago Cardinals were the only other teams to accomplish that feat.
If the Vikings do it again at any point this year, they’ll become only the fourth team in NFL history to win three or more games without scoring a touchdown. The others were the 1922 Chicago Cardinals, the 1923 Chicago Bears, and the 1993 Indianapolis Colts, per NBC Sports research.
The all-time record, held by the 1922 Cardinals, is four.
Still, there’s reason to believe the Vikings could snap out of their early-season funk. After the Dolphins scored a touchdown late in the third quarter to cut Minnesota’s lead to 12-10, the Vikings offense seemed to wake up. A 15-play, 60-yard drive consumed more than eight minutes of clock time and extended the lead to 15-10. Then, after a three-and-out effort from the Dolphins, the Vikings burned the remaining 5:41 by moving the ball 79 yards from their own 19 to the Miami two.
The next test comes today, in New Orleans. The 1-3 Saints are desperate for a win after losing their first two home games of the season — capped by Monday night’s embarrassing loss to the Falcons. New Orleans hasn’t lost its first three games at home since 1995.
While there’s a chance he’ll be inactive, Vikings receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a chance to make his debut for Minnesota on Sunday.
The Vikings, per multiple reports, will elevate Beckham from the practice squad in advance of the Week 5 game at New Orleans.
Coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday that Beckham likely would be elevated to the active roster for the game, but that he’d also likely be inactive if both Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) aren’t able to go.
Neither has been downgraded from questionable to out. Usually, a player who is listed as questionable but who isn’t playing won’t make the trip and, in turn, be ruled out the day before the game.
Beckham, a Louisiana native who played at LSU, surely welcomes the opportunity to suit up and play in New Orleans, in his first game with the Vikings.
Few players in NFL history have been a threat to make plays both running and receiving like Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
Kamara, who is listed as questionable for Sunday with a back injury, has 7,324 rushing yards and 4,995 receiving yards in his NFL career, which means he’s just five receiving yards short of reaching 5,000 yards in both categories.
If Kamara does it, he’ll be only the sixth player in NFL history with 5,000 yards both rushing and receiving. The previous five are:
Marshall Faulk: 12,279 rushing, 6,875 receiving.
Marcus Allen: 12,243 rushing; 5,411 receiving.
Tiki Barber: 10,449 rushing; 5,183 receiving.
Christian McCaffrey: 7,807 rushing; 5,512 receiving.
Lenny Moore: 5,174 rushing; 6,039 receiving.
The 31-year-old Kamara is not the player he once was. So far this season he has just 25 carries for 74 yards (2.96 yards per carry) and 11 receptions for 47 yards (4.27 yards per catch). Kamara may be nearing the end, but he’s poised to end up with an impressive statistical achievement.
The NFL has only three 4-0 teams after four weeks. Two of them — the Chiefs and Vikings — didn’t make it to the playoffs in 2025.
Via NBC Sports research, it’s the first time since 2013 that multiple teams that failed to make the playoffs in the prior season started with 4-0 records. That year, the Chiefs and Saints started 4-0. (In 2012, the Chiefs were 2-14, and the Saints went 7-9.)
The 2025 Chiefs went 6-11 after three straight Super Bowl appearances. The 2025 Vikings finished 9-8, with five straight wins.
Minnesota has the current longest active winning streak in the NFL, with nine in a row. They’ll go for 10 in a row, tying the second-longest winning streak in franchise history, on Sunday at New Orleans.
The 1975 Vikings started 10-0. The 1969 Vikings lost their first and last games of the regular season — and won all 12 in a row in between.
The Vikings may or may not have their top two receivers when they play the Saints on Sunday.
Minnesota has listed both Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) as questionable.
Jefferson was limited in practice all week, while Addison did not practice Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday.
With Odell Beckham Jr. signing to the practice squad this week, the Vikings could elevate him if Jefferson and/or Addison are unavailable. But if Jefferson and Addison can play, Beckham is unlikely to see the field.
“We’re still working through kind of what that looks like,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday. “Obviously with Justin and Jordan, obviously we’ll have to make that determination tomorrow based upon what it looks like for Sunday.
“But we’ve prepared really the whole receivers room — rostered guys and all of our practice squad — for just about anything.”
Additionally, offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) and cornerback Charles Demmings (hamstring) are out.
Offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (knee), center Michael Jurgens (elbow), and tight end Ben Yurosek (ankle) are questionable.
Punter Brett Thorson (hamstring) will be back, as he’s off the injury report and set to play.
The Saints will have wide receiver Chris Olave in the lineup against the Vikings on Sunday.
Head coach Kellen Moore told reporters at Friday’s press conference that Olave is good to go despite being in a walking boot after Thursday’s practice. Olave’s foot was stepped on, but he was able to fully participate in the team’s final practice of the week.
Running back Alvin Kamara (back) also practiced on Friday, but he’s been listed as questionable for Sunday. Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder), wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), and defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe) are in the same category.
The Saints have ruled out linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), and guard Jeremiah Wright (concussion).
The Week 3 Monday night game between the Eagles and Bears racked up 22.6 million viewers on the Disney family of networks. The Week 4 Monday night game between the Falcons and Saints did almost half that number.
Via ESPN, the latest Monday night game on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes attracted a total average audience of 11.9 million.
It’s a surprising drop in audience, especially in light of the significance of the game. It happened 20 years after the return of the Saints to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, with a 23-3 win over Atlanta sparked by a blocked punt by Steve Gleason that is immortalized in a statue outside the stadium. There was extensive focus, and rightfully so, on the relevance of the 2026 rematch.
Ultimately, the game has to hold the audience. The Falcons led 24-7 at the half, en route to a 45-24 win. By then, it was easy for many to check out.
Also, the fact that (unlock most Monday night games) the game wasn’t simulcast on ABC ate into the audience.
Through the first three weeks, Monday Night Football had averaged 21.8 million viewers. The Week 4 game pulls the average down to 19.325 million.
This week’s game should make up for it — the Bills visit the Rams in what could be a shootout that goes down to the wire.
Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, the legendary coach of the 1985 Bears, has died. He was 86.
Via ESPN, Ditka’s family announced his passing on Friday morning.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” Ditka’s family said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.
“Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
An Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, native who played college football at Pitt, Ditka was the first tight end to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. As a rookie in 1961, he was the first tight end in NFL history to generate 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
As a player, Ditka was a member of the Bears’ 1963 NFL Championship team. He also played for the 1971 Cowboys, who won Super Bowl VI.
After a 12-year playing career, Ditka joined the Cowboys as an assistant coach. In 1982, he became the head coach of the Bears.
Ditka became a larger-than-life figure in Chicago, and beyond. He oozed football, and his temperament matched the intensity of the game.
The Bears fired Ditka after the 1992 season. He became head coach of the Saints in 1997. He negotiated the famous Ricky Williams trade, in which the Saints gave up all of their 1999 draft (and another first-rounder) to get the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas.
Ditka also worked for NBC and ESPN, as an analyst.
We extend our condolences to Ditka’s family, friends, players, colleagues, and to the Bears and their fans.
Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley pushed back at comments ESPN analyst Troy Aikman made during the Monday Night Football broadcast.
With 2:43 remaining in the third quarter of the Saints’ 45-24 loss, Aikman said Staley didn’t have answers for the Falcons. Atlanta gained 420 yards, including 205 rushing yards, and the Falcons scored five rushing touchdowns.
The Saints played without linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge rushers Carl Granderson and Andernee Jennings.
“Brandon Staley, he just simply doesn’t have any answers, and I think he knew it when we talked to him coming in,” Aikman said Monday night. “I think he knew. He didn’t tell us, but the guys that are out — their big edge rushers and guys who can play the run and set the edge — they’re not on the field, and they just don’t have that star defender that can erase mistakes for other people.
“This was a matchup issue coming into this game, and it’s proven true.”
Staley heard the comments and said he has “no idea” what Aikman was talking about.
“It was a tough night for us, and certainly, I’m responsible. I’m calling the defense, but we’ve got a great group of guys,” Staley said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “No one defended that runner [Bijan Robinson] last year better than us. He’s a hell of a player. But our group defended him twice last year better than anyone through his time in the NFL.
“We’re focusing on Minnesota, learning the tough lessons from the other night. We’ve got the right guys to bounce back.”
Staley admitted the comments bothered him “because they’re not true.”
He also defended his players’ effort after Aikman commented that some of the Saints were “standing around watching the play, missed tackles, just bad football” on the fifth rushing touchdown.
“Our guys have played the right way,” Staley said. “And mainly that’s assignment, technique, effort, all in one. I think the other night, we were missing two out of the three. Our effort was there.”
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough downplayed his inclusion as a limited participant on Wednesday’s injury report and Thursday’s update on his participation supported that lack of concern.
Shough, who hurt his left hand in Monday night’s loss to the Falcons, is listed as a full participant. That should put him on track to play against the Vikings this weekend.
Running back Alvin Kamara (back) and wide receiver Chris Olave (rest, knee) also took steps in the right direction. Both players were limited participants after being listed as non-participants on Wednesday.
Linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), defensive lineman Damon Godchaux (rest, groin), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), and cornerback Jayden Price (personal) missed practice. Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder), wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), tight end Noah Fant (abdomen), linebacker Carl Granderson (ankle), and guard Jeremiah Wright (concussion) were limited participants.
Linebacker Jaylan Ford (ankle), safety Mike Reid (ankle), and safety Lorenzo Styles (calf) were the team’s full participants.
