When the Panthers beat them. Since then they had a bunch of soft matchups with no real challenge or pressure on them.
I predict that like the Rams, they come in a little rusty.
I was actually going to make a thread about this. A friend of mine said the same thing. The more I think about it, the more I think the last month of football really works to the Saints' advantage. The Saints have been in playoff quality games for most of the games since the end of November. I don't know that I expect a Saints win. But it would not surprise me to see the Saints put the Vikings on their heals early with their level of game planning and intensity of play.
Them beating teams on their schedule doesn't hurt them. I'm sorry but that's silly and we would laugh if an analyst said that about our Saints. You can't penalize them for being a great team and feeding offf of lower teams.
There's things we can hopefully use to our advantage vs Minnesota. Them not having a "real challenge or pressure" since the Panthers game is not one of them.
Vikes are soft. "This week off has been wonders! We really needed the break! I feel so much better now with the week off!" blah blah blah. Hope you enjoyed your vacation. Saints got swag. They've been fighting, scratching and crawling. They can't wait to get to Minnesota and do it again.
It didn't surprise me the Saints lost to the Bucs. I think the team mentally was looking forward to the playoffs and it didn't matter to them who they would end up playing.
Vikings aren't ready. Book it. Brees wants that Two Dat bad. The rest of the team is just as hungry. Vacation is over for three hours on Sunday, Vikes. Then your long, familiar vacation can begin once again.
Rewatched week 1 game vs. VikingsCasey Keenum isn't going to win the Super Bowl. No doubt anything can happen this week and he can beat us. I just don't see him beating 3 teams of this caliber in a row with all of the pressure. Not to mention he has to be feeeling pressure from the facts that Bradford and Bridgewater are getting healthy and he knows his play now goes a long way into determining his future/career. That's a ton of pressure.
I just hope his inexperience shows up now instead of later.
As agonizing as it was to watch this game the first time I managed to do it again. And after doing so, first of all it's obvious how much the defense misses Klein. That dude was all over the field making tackles and leading the whole unit. It was laughable to think De'vante Harris could cover Stefon Diggs, who killed the Saints with crossing routes early then used double moves later to burn us constantly. Hopefully this time things will be different. My guess is Crawley will draw the assignment on Diggs this time around and Lattimore will cover Thielen. If the front 4 can pressure Keenum it may lead to a key turnover.
On the other side, Snead was suspended for this game and since he hasn't produced much since returning I'm starting to wonder if TLL could play a bigger role in this game...he may not be elusive but he has some speed and maybe that could help dictate coverage since the Vikings may try to play more man to man. Either that or Snead HAS to be targeted more because I just don't see Zimmer allowing his defense to be beaten by Kamara in passing situations. The Saints proved they can move the ball against the Vikings but their failures in the red zone was their undoing. Some unconventional things may have to happen for the Saints to win this game. Brees may have to run for a first down or two. Ingram may wind up with more receptions than Kamara, etc. This time around it could be an even lower scoring game so the Saints will absolutely have to take advantage of any opportunities to score that they get. One thing for sure is this game will feature a battle of wits on the sidelines because and Offensive and Defensive Guru.
We will get our points. Pressure is key to this game. Cam Jordan can win this game and the Vikings know it. Someone else will need to help
We used a lot of good misdirection in that game. And it worked. Let’s hope it does again.
Vikings -3.5First off Saints had players on field shouldnt hve been. They was trying to find there identity and it caused them that game.
1. Devonte Harris was clearly not starter material
2. Lattimore first game getting his feet wet
3. Adrian Peterson debut back in Minny. Ingram and AK was a non factor because of that.
3. Started season without Armstead. Rookie Ram first game. Doing the Oline shuffle thing.
4. Defense and offense clearly isnt the same in week 1 against the Vikings.
For Vikings
1. Case wasnt the QB. Bradford was.
2. Cook was the feature running back and he gashed the Saints front. Hes out this game but you hve to contain McKinnon and Murray.
3. Vikings defense is the same.
Saints win with film study and mismatches. AD will hve to come up with an impressive defensive gameplan to stop Case and SP will have to spread Vikings defense out. You cant run sideline to sideline on Vikings defense. There to fast. You hve to spread them out make them cover every inch of grass.
That's the opening line I'm seeing...
Hopefully the Vikings players think this game is in the bag and all they have to do is show up.
They have a great front seven. There’s a lot of speed and strength there. I don’t think they’ll feel the need to stack the box. We should be able to move the ball on the ground a little better this game. They have an elite safety and corner. The other safety and corner are just okay. I trust Lattimore to shadow Diggs. He’s their best receiver, it’s just that Thielen is the favorite target. He’s going to get his on Crawley, but we have to keep them out of the end zone. Make their QB beat us.
These are two different teams from week one, Minn has the pressures of a QB without playoff experience, a chance to run the table at home all the way through the superbowl, and two weeks to think about it.
I just hope the Saints aren't spent from this stressful win over the Kittens.
If the Saints play the kind of balanced football they are capable of, I think they have a great chance to win.
if i recall we had hell on getting to brafford that first game he was dumping it out quick we had no chance of disruption and when we did get that lick on him he was out the rest of season, i still believe it was saints defense that killed his season, now we have a little roach thats hard to attack because he abandons the pocket and throws well on the run, cam has to stay home and keep him inside that pocket.
Crawley didn't play well yesterday against what amounts to a #4 receiver (Clay). Still shaking my head why we had Bush on Olsen so much.
Just like Carolina, we are going to have trouble running the ball, especially down another lineman
Looks like this one will be Brees' to win, again
Vikes #1 defense in a division with the high flying Bears offense, a Rodgers-less Packers, and a Lions offense whose leading rusher had just over 500 yards this season.
They also had the Browns, Bucs, & Bengals. That's 9 games against below-average offenses. Steelers, Redskins, and Panties put up 26, 30, & 31 on these guys.
Vikes D is very good, but you can see the flaw in that #1 ranking. Not the 85 Bears here.
I think the Saints will go there and pull away big to.
I been wrong and may be wrong this time. But theirs alot about the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC this year that scares me none when you start to really look at the resumes and situations.
They also played a wussy schedule.
AFC North (3-1), Lost to Steelers
NFC South (3-1), Lost to Panthers
NFC North (5-1), Lost to Lions
NFC others (2-0), Rams and Redskins
They are 3-2 versus playoff teams, all 3 wins at home.
We are 5-4 versus playoff teams
Color me unimpressed. Good team, but not great.
What makes me most unimpressed about the Vikings is they played a Rams team I thought was no good, (sure they beat us but only posted 26 pts against backup secondary), The first meeting with us they only won by 10 pts and we were bad, we wasnt very good and looked worse than last years teams. Had to look back to see who they beat, they beat a Falcons team that struggles on offense but by 5 pts. if the Saints are not their own worst enemy next Sunday, Saints win.
If the Saints can get Case into 2nd, 3rd and long ... advantage Who Dat. With pressure (see Cam Jordan), he'll be forced into bad throws against a good secondary. The bigger issue could be not allowing Diggs, Rudolph & Thielenrunning high school wide open without a defender in sight.
I can't wait for this one.
You could be right. But I seem to remember that Payton tried very hard to FORCE Kamara's involvement in that game. Minnesota was not fooled and Payton and Brees kept telegraphing the game plan.
The first time the Saints started to look good was the last game before I started boycotting, week 3 against the Panthers. AP was still here, then. So I'm not so sure how much the team has changed offensively, so much as the matchups just weren't good for the Saints the first couple of weeks. Afterall, it isn't as if the team didn't have other clunkers this season.
I'll certainly give you that having Lattimore over Harris is a distinct improvement from the first game. But my curiosity is more toward whether or not the Saints can move the ball effectively enough. If the offense keeps that defense on the field as much as they did the first time, we all know the Vikings will run the ball all over those tired defenders.
I'm not favoring any team, per se, but I do think the Vikings defense is better than people are giving them credit for, and will be a challenge.
Brees won't have time to go deep, so Vikes should stack the box & prolly go single high safety. Rhodes 1-on-1 vs MThomas w/safety cheating wherever Ginn is. We should get the ball quick on perimeter with MI/AK/TGJ. I think MT+Brees wins vs Rhodes & Kamara/Ingram on a LB'er in coverage is just sick. If we set-up the run with the pass instead of vice versa, your gonna see a gassed Vikes DLine in 4th Qtr IF we don't turn it over & get enough 1st downs through the air to own the clock.
We ain't getting chunk plays this game. "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast" should be the mantra. Coleman/Snead/Hill needs to step up big in this one if Coleman would quit holding the ball like a loaf of bread.
Or I could be 105% wrong. Us weathermen like to hedge our bets...