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New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the Minnesota Vikings higher than the New Orleans Saints overall, with a clear advantage. The main reasons are the stronger defense and the stronger coaching operation.

Current PFM Team Scores

NO

New Orleans Saints

73.0PFM Team Score#30 NFL
Clear edgeMIN

Minnesota Vikings

79.5PFM Team Score#15 NFL
WEEK 5 MATCHUP Sunday, Oct. 11 1:00 PM ET
View on NFL Schedule
PFM CALL Locks October 11th at 1:00 PM EDT

Who wins Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints?

Week 5 matchup
AwayMIN4-0
HomeNO1-3

Pick the winner.

Choose your Call
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PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Minnesota Vikings Higher

The Minnesota Vikings own the stronger defense. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day. New Orleans' strongest counterargument is Offense. New Orleans' offense is the less serious concern, but it still grades below the strength range.

Minnesota also brings the stronger coaching operation. Minnesota adds the deeper roster. That is enough to keep the Minnesota Vikings ahead.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

New Orleans vs. Minnesota Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

NONew Orleans Saints
MINMinnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: New Orleans Saints 76.8, Minnesota Vikings 75.4, edge NO +1.4; Offense: New Orleans Saints 74.5, Minnesota Vikings 71.9, edge NO +2.6; Defense: New Orleans Saints 68.2, Minnesota Vikings 83.6, edge MIN +15.4; Coaching Direction: New Orleans Saints 75.8, Minnesota Vikings 82.7, edge MIN +6.9; Roster Depth: New Orleans Saints 73.5, Minnesota Vikings 79.1, edge MIN +5.6. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
THE COUNTERARGUMENT

New Orleans Saints’ Best Argument

Neither offense gives its team a dependable base. The New Orleans Saints have the smaller problem. The offense advantage is a real point in New Orleans' favor, but it does not outweigh the rest of the higher-rated team’s advantages. The problem for New Orleans is that Minnesota counters with the stronger defense and the stronger coaching operation.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

NO73.0
New Orleans Saints 73.0
MIN79.5
Minnesota Vikings 79.5
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Overall NFL Rank

NO#30
New Orleans Saints #30
MIN#15
Minnesota Vikings #15
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

QB Stability

NO76.8
New Orleans Saints 76.8
MIN75.4
Minnesota Vikings 75.4
Slight New Orleans Saints edge

Roster Strength

NO73.5
New Orleans Saints 73.5
MIN79.1
Minnesota Vikings 79.1
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Coaching Direction

NO75.8
New Orleans Saints 75.8
MIN82.7
Minnesota Vikings 82.7
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Recent Performance

NO69.8
New Orleans Saints 69.8
MIN86.8
Minnesota Vikings 86.8
Major Minnesota Vikings edge

Offense

NO74.5
New Orleans Saints 74.5
MIN71.9
Minnesota Vikings 71.9
Clear New Orleans Saints edge

Defense

NO68.2
New Orleans Saints 68.2
MIN83.6
Minnesota Vikings 83.6
Major Minnesota Vikings edge

Franchise Direction

NO69.4
New Orleans Saints 69.4
MIN76.8
Minnesota Vikings 76.8
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Explosiveness

NO68.1
New Orleans Saints 68.1
MIN72.1
Minnesota Vikings 72.1
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Conference Rank

NO#16
New Orleans Saints #16
MIN#7
Minnesota Vikings #7
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

Division Rank

NO#4
New Orleans Saints #4
MIN#3
Minnesota Vikings #3
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

Outlook

NOPlayoff Long ShotMINIn the Playoff Mix
Stronger outlook: Minnesota Vikings
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

New Orleans Saints

Remaining schedule rank: #30

Toughest stretch: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers

Strongest opponents: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings

Next five difficulty: 75.8

View New Orleans Saints Road Ahead

Minnesota Vikings

Remaining schedule rank: #15

Toughest stretch: Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers

Strongest opponents: San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears

Next five difficulty: 79.1

View Minnesota Vikings Road Ahead

Minnesota has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 15. The strongest opponents include San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and Chicago Bears. New Orleans gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Minnesota still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated October 6, 2026. Schedule data updated October 6, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams