The Saints get payback for last year’s NFC Divisional Playoff loss as they defeat the Vikings in Minnesota.
The Saints walked away from Minnesota with a comfortable 30-20 win against the Vikings. This win is big. The Saints have secured their spot as the second-best team in the NFC, with the opportunity to beat the best team in the NFC and the league next week: the LA Rams.
Although the Saints were in cruise control for most of the second half, the Vikings looked poised to take control of the match just before half time. Up 13-10, Kirk Cousins led the Vikings down the field before being 20 yards from the Saints’ endzone just before half-time.
If the Vikings could create a touchdown on this drive, they go into the half up two possessions. The home team draws up a fairly safe play: a quick throw in the flat to one of the best wide-receivers in football at the moment, Adam Thielen. Thielen gets sandwiched by two Saints defenders and fumbles the ball. Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore picks up the loose ball and runs all the way to the Vikings 32-yard line.
That’s when the game flipped.
The Saints went on to score a touchdown before halftime making the score 17-13 in their favour. A few more ill-advised turnovers by the Vikings (an interception and a turnover on downs) and the game was out of reach.
That’s what happens when you turn routine plays into errors against a high-powered offense.
On the other side, Drew Brees had a surprisingly quite game (120 Yds, 1 td, 1 int). But the veteran took what the Vikings defence gave him: a lot of check-downs to the Kamara-Ingram running-back monster and a few go-get-it throws to Michael Thomas. In other words, he played it as safe as he possibly could, waited for the Vikings to make-mistakes, and won the ball-game.
There are a few silver linings for the Vikings though. Thielen got his eighth straight 100-yard receiving game, tying the record held by Calvin Johnson. Kirk Cousins continues to be solid at worst, and elite at best. He lost a game that was there for the taking and, through no fault of his own, was snatched away by an excellent team.
The Vikings should still find themselves in the playoffs come January. And when that time comes, they’ll hang with any team, so long as they stop the self-sabotage.
