Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

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yezzir
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Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by yezzir »

Good morning and Skol!


NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS

KICKOFF: Monday, 7:10 p.m. ET, U.S. Bank Stadium. TV: ESPN, Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters.


SERIES HISTORY: 29th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 18-10. Vikings are 11-3 at home, but will be playing the Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time. The Saints have won the past three regular-season meetings and the past four overall. The last time these teams met in Minnesota, the Saints won 42-20 at the Metrodome late in the 2011 season. Drew Brees completed 32 of 40 passes for 412 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions and a 149.2 pass rating before taking a seat early in the fourth quarter. The teams have met in the playoffs three times. The Vikings won the first two, but lost in the NFC title game in overtime at New Orleans in January 2010. The game also served as one of the primary examples that uncovered the Saints' infamous "Bountygate" scandal.

KEYS TO THE GAME: The Saints will try to find balance on an offense missing their starting left tackle and one of its top receivers while breaking in a new running back-by-committee approach. The biggest challenge will be to utilize Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson and Alvin Kamara and establish a consistent run game against the Vikings' strong interior defense. When Drew Brees throws, he won't have his No. 2 returning receiver, Willie Snead, available because of suspension.

The Vikings have the superior defense, but they can't stay on the field all day with Drew Brees and all those Saints weapons. The revamped offensive line will have to start paying off immediately in first downs. It must open some holes for Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray. That will put the play-action passes in play, which will allow Sam Bradford to showcase his accuracy down the field.

Defensively, the Vikings will need to absorb the fury that Peterson is sure to bring early on.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Saints RB Adrian Peterson vs. Vikings MLB Eric Kendricks. Kendricks has led the Vikings in tackles in each of his first two seasons. Peterson is a former All-Pro and league MVP who spent his first 10 seasons in Minnesota. Yes, Peterson is now a complementary player on Drew Brees' team. He's not even the starter or primary back at this point. But the Saints no doubt will try to take advantage of Peterson's power and sheer rage over playing his former team on their field on 'Monday Night Football.'

--Vikings OTs Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers vs. Saints DEs Alex Okafor and Cam Jordan. The Vikings signed Reiff and Remmers from the Lions and the Panthers to upgrade the running game and better protect Sam Bradford. The Saints signed Okafor to complement Jordan and upgrade the Saints' pass rush.

SAINTS NOTABLE ROOKIE: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The first of the Saints' two first-round draft choices, Lattimore will get a chance to have an impact right away in the absence of starter Delvin Breaux. Though unclear whether Lattimore will start, he will definitely get significant playing time as Breaux recovers from recent surgery on a broken fibula.

VIKINGS NOTABLE ROOKIE: Running back Dalvin Cook. Cook didn't have a wow preseason, but he was there every day, all summer, grinding and learning the offense while veteran Latavius Murray spent most of the offseason recovering from ankle surgery. Cook, a second-round draft pick, has the speed, quickness and versatility to be a factor in the run game and pass game.

FAST FACTS: New Orleans RB Adrian Peterson can reach 1,000 rushing yards in Week 1 games with 115 on Monday night. He would become the fifth player in NFL history to reach that milestone. ... The Saints have become slow starters in recent years, dropping seven consecutive September matchups. ... Minnesota used 12 starters on the offensive line last year, which helps explain how it went from 5-0 to 8-8 and out of the playoffs. For Monday night's game, it is expected to trot out three new starters and play a fourth player at a different position than the one at which he started in 2016.

PREDICTION: The Vikings have been fast starters under coach Mike Zimmer, a marked contrast from the opponent they face Monday night. Peterson will be primed to burn his former team, but trends suggest a Minnesota victory.

OUR PICK: Vikings, 24-20.


https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/201 ... 504842498/
Last edited by yezzir on Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
Grashopa
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by Grashopa »

SKOL!

Going to the game this evening. After all the other games this weekend, seeing how good some bad teams (from last year) played and how flat some good teams played it made me lose some confidence. I am sure that it will build back up throughout the day. These first few weeks are really going to show whether we are a contender or a pretender.

I am most excited to see how our O-line performs in a meaningful game as well as how our running game has improved. As long as our D plays up to its potential it should be an easy win or we should at least keep it close enough to have a chance for the wind at the end.

Maybe I'm just being a downer though, watching the Packers and lions win and the Bears playing the defending NFCC to the last second makes me feel like if we aren't first in the division we are going to be last.

Again, SKOL! and we will see how it goes.
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by yezzir »

Grashopa wrote:SKOL!

Going to the game this evening. After all the other games this weekend, seeing how good some bad teams (from last year) played and how flat some good teams played it made me lose some confidence. I am sure that it will build back up throughout the day. These first few weeks are really going to show whether we are a contender or a pretender.

I am most excited to see how our O-line performs in a meaningful game as well as how our running game has improved. As long as our D plays up to its potential it should be an easy win or we should at least keep it close enough to have a chance for the wind at the end.

Maybe I'm just being a downer though, watching the Packers and lions win and the Bears playing the defending NFCC to the last second makes me feel like if we aren't first in the division we are going to be last.

Again, SKOL! and we will see how it goes.
Yeah, there were some suprises yesterday. The Vikings will have to be vastly improved on offense/o line to make a run at the division, I think.

I also think we'll see a different Vikings team than we saw in the preseason. I have a feeling they'll play really well tonight.


:ripple: :ripple:
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by akvikingsfan »

I have always hated prime time games. The waiting all day for the game is the worst. I have no attention for anything else and am just excitedly waiting out the next 5 hours until kickoff. What makes today's game even worse is that it's the first game of the season. On the bright side, I'll be in attendance. Skol Vikings.
IrishViking
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by IrishViking »

akvikingsfan wrote:I have always hated prime time games. The waiting all day for the game is the worst. I have no attention for anything else and am just excitedly waiting out the next 5 hours until kickoff. What makes today's game even worse is that it's the first game of the season. On the bright side, I'll be in attendance. Skol Vikings.

Nice! I hope its a great game for you!
S197
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by S197 »

akvikingsfan wrote:I have always hated prime time games. The waiting all day for the game is the worst. I have no attention for anything else and am just excitedly waiting out the next 5 hours until kickoff. What makes today's game even worse is that it's the first game of the season. On the bright side, I'll be in attendance. Skol Vikings.
I'll be there too, getting nervous!

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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by AsylumGuido »

Hello, all! It has been a while since I checked in, but it has been a long time since we faced each other. If y'all have any questions about the Saints I'll be happy to answer them. Personally, I am very excited to finally see all of the positive defensive changes in a regular season game. It looked like a completely different unit through preseason leading the league in sacks with 17. But, then again, it is for the most part an entirely different defense. Five or six (depending upon scheme) of the defensive starters are new and only one started all last season (DE Cameron Jordan). The new DL and LB coaches, Neilsen and Nolan, have totally revamped the culture.
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by 808vikingsfan »

S197 wrote:I'll be there too, getting nervous!

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Nice! Have fun!
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allday1991
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by allday1991 »

I don't think our offense will put up more than 17 points, with that being said pressure on Bree's and a turnover free game (typical Viking ball) and I think we can pull this out. :smilevike:
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808vikingsfan
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by 808vikingsfan »

yezzir wrote: Yeah, there were some suprises yesterday. The Vikings will have to be vastly improved on offense/o line to make a run at the division, I think.

I also think we'll see a different Vikings team than we saw in the preseason. I have a feeling they'll play really well tonight.


:ripple: :ripple:
I don't think the Lions game meant that much. I don't think AZ is very good this year. Chicago looks good though. If the Vikings run D hasn't improved much, beating the Bears will be tough. I can't believe GB hasn't addressed the RB this year.

One note on tonight's game. I hope the Vikings D don't key on AD. I believe they may use him as a decoy
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AsylumGuido
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by AsylumGuido »

808vikingsfan wrote: I don't think the Lions game meant that much. I don't think AZ is very good this year. Chicago looks good though. If the Vikings run D hasn't improved much, beating the Bears will be tough. I can't believe GB hasn't addressed the RB this year.

One note on tonight's game. I hope the Vikings D don't key on AD. I believe they may use him as a decoy
I'm expecting the same, especially early.
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by AsylumGuido »

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Oh, and congrats on your 2000th post!

:banana:
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by 808vikingsfan »

AsylumGuido wrote: Oh, and congrats on your 2000th post!

:banana:
Thanks
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S197
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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by S197 »

Brilliant Image

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Re: Saints @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

Post by S197 »

Just met Robert Tate. Guy is still in good shape. Sporting the Dalvin Cook hairdo.

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