The Vikings have been the league’s stingiest defense through the first five weeks of the season and they remained in fine form during last Sunday’s 23-13 win over the Saints.
Cornerback Byron Murphy played a leading role in the effort. Murphy had two interceptions of Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, including one with just under three minutes left to play that allowed Minnesota to run out the clock on their fifth win in five tries.
Murphy also had three tackles and a tackle for loss in the win. The NFL announced on Wednesday that they have named him the NFC defensive player of the week in recognition of that effort.
It’s the second time that Murphy has been named the conference’s player of the week. The first came while he was playing for the Cardinals in 2021.