NEW ORLEANS — It’s all starting to come together for the Vikings.

Though they were far from perfect on Sunday at the Superdome, the Vikings at times looked the part of a true contender during their 23-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.

The most encouraging part was the way they were able to move the ball. They accumulated 364 yards of total offense, and quarterback Kyler Murray looked as confident as he ever has in Minnesota.

If the offense can keep ascending, the Vikings could be dangerous, especially considering the defense continues to prove itself as the best in the league. You don’t have to squint anymore to see it. There’s a pathway for them to develop into a legitimate threat.

Here are five takeaways from the latest win:

Jefferson returns in style

There was little doubt that Justin Jefferson was going to suit up for the Vikings despite a lingering ankle injury that forced the receiver to miss some time. He wasn’t going to be held out of his highly anticipated homecoming in New Orleans.

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jefferson, with tons of family and friends watching from the stands, put on a show. He finished with six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown while serving as the catalyst for the offense.

His best play came shortly after halftime when he rose up in triple coverage, contorted his body and secured the ball in the corner of the end zone. It was an incredible catch that exemplified how important he is to everything the Vikings want to do.

Murray finds rhythm

Murray’s stat line told the story. He completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 229 yards and a touchdown while adding 51 yards on the ground. He made completions from the onset and parlayed that into the best performance in purple.

It was the type of game the Vikings need out of Murray. They don’t need him to try to do too much. They simply need him to keep the train on the tracks while sprinkling in a few big plays.

There was a noticeable swagger to Murray as he started to find his groove. It carried over into his chat with reporters after the game. That growing confidence is a good sign for the Vikings as they continue to ascend as an offense.

Ball security issues

The importance of taking care of the ball is something head coach Kevin O’Connell has preached ad nauseam since he was hired. That’s why O’Connell was so perturbed by the Vikings’ two fumbles Sunday.

They both occurred in the red zone and effectively took points off the board for the Vikings. The second — by Myles Price after a 7-yard reception — was returned 87 yards for a touchdown.

Those mistakes might not have hurt the Vikings against the Saints; they will against a better team.

Defensive dominance

There aren’t enough superlatives to properly describe how good the Vikings’ defenss has been over the past month and a half. They are hands down the best unit in the league and don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The group led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores has destroyed pretty much everything in its path on their way to a 5-0 start.

The most recent victim was Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who looked like his brain was melting while trying to navigate this defense. He completed 16 of 25 pass attempts for 96 yards, no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions by Byron Murphy Jr.

It’s the second straight week the Vikings held an opposing quarterback to fewer than 100 yards through the air.

Reichard stays perfect

It’s easy to take kicker Will Reichard for granted at this point.

It feels like every time he walks onto the field he’s going to casually put the ball through the uprights. He did it a few more times against the Saints, converting on field goals of 40 yards, 54 yards and 55 yards.

Reichard is now 15 for 15 on field goal attempts and 8 for 8 on extra-point attempts this season. He has made 34 straight field goal attempts dating back to last season.