Here are the offensive, defensive and special-teams players of the week from the Vikings' 42-20 loss to the Saints:

Offense

RB Toby Gerhart: He touched the ball only six times but netted 58 yards and two touchdowns, both on receptions. On a day when Adrian Peterson was held to 10 carries and Percy Harvin netted only seven yards on four offensive touches, Gerhart provided a spark.

Defense

MLB E.J. Henderson led the Vikings in tackles with 11 and made one stop behind the line. Those totals are remarkable considering what the Vikings were asking him to do. Playing a Tampa-2 the majority of the afternoon, Henderson was dropping 25-30 yards into coverage and being asked to cover the Saints' dynamic playmakers. That's not Henderson's strength, but he still did his best to make plays.

Special teams

P Chris Kluwe was busy with seven punts. Only one of the seven was returned very far, 24 yards by Darren Sproles, which is pretty good considering Sproles' explosiveness. Three of Kluwe's punts landed inside the 20-yard line, which lengthened the field for Drew Brees and the Saints. Not that it mattered much.