PRO FOOTBALL : Unbeaten Saints Stifle the Vikings, 26-0 : NFC: Mills leads New Orleans defense that allows Minnesota past midfield only once.

It was as much an exorcism as a football game for the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints, led by linebacker Sam Mills and the rest of the defense, erased the memory of four embarrassing losses to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday with a 26-0 victory.

Mills, a 5-foot-9 inside linebacker, set up one score with a pass interception, stopped Herschel Walker on a key fourth-and-four run early in the fourth quarter and had 10 tackles.

In four previous games under Coach Jim Mora, the Saints had lost to the Vikings by a total of 154-33.

This time, Minnesota never crossed the 50-yard line, except on a long desperation pass at the end of the first half.

“It was great,” Mills said. “It was especially sweet when you look at who we beat. It’s a great feeling to finally come out on the winning side.

“I’d like to think this might have been our best performance ever as a defense and as a linebacker corps.”

Bobby Hebert completed 11 of 25 passes for 109 yards for the Saints (4-0), who limited Minnesota (2-2) to 151 yards. Walker, who entered the game second in the NFC with an average of 94 yards a game, was held to 15 yards in 10 carries.

“We tried running, passing, trick plays, and they were on everything we tried to do,” Viking quarterback Wade Wilson said. “They did everything we saw on film, but we just didn’t realize they were doing it so well.”

It was the first shutout for the Saints since they beat Dallas, 28-0, on opening day of the 1989 season. It was the first time the Vikings had been shut out since 1986, when they lost, 23-0, to Chicago.

Running back Gill Fenerty, getting his first start in place of the injured Dalton Hilliard, rushed for 106 yards, including a 54-yard run that set up the Saints’ first touchdown.

Fenerty also caught three passes for 35 yards.

Craig Heyward had 72 yards in 18 carries, completed a 44-yard halfback pass and scored on two runs of eight yards.

Morten Andersen kicked field goals of 34 and 30 yards in the second quarter and 38 and 26 yards in the fourth quarter. The second of his two fourth-quarter field goals was the 200th of his career.

Heyward’s second touchdown came after Pat Swilling recovered a fumble at the Viking 21 and returned it to the 16. Swilling had three tackles and a sack.

Wilson completed 11 of 22 passes for 120 yards for the Vikings. He got 43 of his yards on a pass to end the first half.

Quinn Early caught five passes for 85 yards for the Saints.