Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview
by Dave Cariello on Jan 20, 2010 6:00 AM CST
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS–NFC NORTH (13-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS–NFC SOUTH (14-3)
SERIES
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VIKINGS |
SAINTS |
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LEADER (REGULAR SEASON) |
18-7 |
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STREAKS |
7 of past 8 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Childress: 1-0 |
Payton: 0-1 |
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COACHES PLAYOFF RECORD |
1-1 |
2-1 |
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VS. COMMON OPP. (REGULAR SEASON) |
Min.: 4-1 (Car. 0-1, Det. 2-0, NYG 1-0, StL. 1-0) NO: 4-1 (Car. 1-1, Det. 1-0, NYG 1-0, StL. 1-0) |
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PLAYOFF RECORD |
19-25 |
3-6 |
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LAST WEEK |
W 34-3 vs. Cowboys |
W 45-14 vs. Cardinals |
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LAST GAME |
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LAST GAME AT |
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LAST PLAYOFF |
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BROADCAST |
FOX ( |
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STAT LEADERS
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PASSING |
Favre: 363-531-4,202-33 (T2L)-7-107.2 (2L) |
Brees: 363-514-4,388 (3C)-34 (1L)-11-109.6 (1L) |
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RUSHING |
Peterson: 314-1,383 (2C)-4.4-18 (1L) |
P. Thomas: 147-793-5.4-6 |
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RECEIVING |
Rice: 83-1,312 (2C)-15.8-8 |
Colston: 70-1,074-15.3-9 |
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OFFENSE |
379.6 (3C) |
403.8 (1L) |
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TAKE/GIVE |
+6 |
+11 (3L) |
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DEFENSE |
305.5 (2C) |
357.8 |
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SACKS |
J. Allen: 14.5 (1C) |
Smith: 13 (2C) |
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INTs |
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Sharper: 9 (T1L) |
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PR |
Reynaud: 10.3 |
Bush: 4.8 |
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KR |
Harvin (R): 27.52 (3C) |
Roby: 27.47 |
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PUNTING |
Kluwe: 43.9 |
Morstead (R): 43.6 |
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KICKING |
Longwell: 132 (3L) (54/55 PAT; 26/28 FG) |
Hartley: 37 (10/11 PAT; 9/11 FG) |
NOTES
TEAMS MEET for 3rd time in postseason (
VIKINGS: Participating in 26th postseason, tied for 4th most in NFL history. Have 19 playoff victories. Vikings have NFL-high 9 players named to Pro Bowl: DE JARED ALLEN (3rd), ST HEATH FARWELL (1st),QB BRETT FAVRE (11th), rookie WR-KR PERCY HARVIN (1st), G STEVE HUTCHINSON (7th), T BRYANT MC KINNIE (1st), RB ADRIAN PETERSON (3rd), WR SIDNEY RICE (1st) & DT KEVIN WILLIAMS(5th). Team averaged 29.4 points per game, 2nd best mark in NFL behind NO…Favre was selected to 11th Pro Bowl, most ever by QB. Had career-high 107.4 rating & reached 30+ TD passes (33) for 9th time, most in NFL history. Ranks 2nd in postseason history with 453 comp., 5,545 pass yards & 43 pass TDs. Has TD pass in NFL playoff-record 19 consecutive games. Threw for postseason career-high 4 TD passes in Div. Playoff. At 40 years, 106 days old on Sunday, will become oldest QB to ever start Conference Championship Game…RB Peterson rushed for 1,383 yards & 18 TDs, joining HOFers EARL CAMPBELL & BARRY SANDERS as only players with 1,300+ yards & 10+ TDs in each of 1st 3 years. Peterson’s 18 rush TDs were franchise record for season. Has 6 rush TDs in past 5 & 2 rush TDs in 2 career playoff games. Selected to start Pro Bowl in each of 1st 3 seasons, 1st RB since Sanders to accomplish feat…Club is only team in NFL history with 6 players with more than 40 receptions: Rice (83), Harvin (60), TE VISANTHE SHIANCOE (56), WR BERNARD BERRIAN (55), RB CHESTER TAYLOR (44) & Peterson (43). WR Rice was 2nd in NFC with career-best 1,320 yards. Had 141 receiving yards & 3 TDs last week, tying NFL postseason record. Became 3rd player in past 25 seasons with 3 TD catches in 1st career playoff start (STERLING SHARPE, WILLIE JACKSON). WR-KR Harvin was named AP Offensive Rookie Of The Year. Tied for NFL rookie lead with 60 catches & 790 yards. Led NFC rookies with 8 TDs (6 rec., 2 KR). Set team single-season record with 2,081 combined yards (1,156 KR, 790 rec., 135 rush) & 2 KR-TDs. Shiancoe was 2nd among NFL TEs with 11 rec. TDs. Caught 11-yard TD pass in Div. Playoff. Offense was 2nd in NFC with 62.3 TD pct. in redzone…Team ranked 2nd in NFC in total defense (305.5) & rush defense (87.1). DE Allen has 3 sacks & 2 FF in last 2 playoff games. Had 14.5 sacks & is only player in NFL with 14.5 sacks in each of past 3 seasons. CB ANTOINE WINFIELD had 59-yard blocked punt TD & sack in last game vs. NO. DE RAY EDWARDS had 3 sacks & FF last week. LB BEN LEBER had INT & FR last week.
SAINTS: Led NFL with 510 points, 9th most points scored by team in NFL history. Topped NFL in total offense (403.8). Ranked 4th in pass offense (272.2) & 6th in rush offense (131.6). Only team in NFL to rank in top 6 in both. Club won 13 games, most in franchise history, incl. team-record 13-game winning streak. Saints have 5 players selected to Pro Bowl: QB DREW BREES (4th), G JAHRI EVANS (1st), S DARREN SHARPER (5th), T JON STINCHCOMB (1st) & LB JONATHAN VILMA (2nd). 19 different Saints scored TD this season…QB Brees set NFL record with 70.62 comp. pct. (363 of 514). Led NFL with career-high & franchise-record 109.6 rating. Owns top 4 marks in club annals. Had 4,388 pass yards, 4th consecutive 4,000-yard season. Has only 4 4,000-yard seasons in team history. Tied own club record with 34 TD passes. In 4 playoff games, has completed 65.2 percent of passes for 1,163 pass yards (290.8 per game), with 8 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 99.5 passer rating. Has led NO to 2 NFC Champ Games in past 4 years. In last game vs. Min., threw for 330 yards & TD…RB PIERRE THOMAS has 10 TDs (7 rush, 3 rec.) in past 10 home games. Led team with career-high 793 rush yards. RB REGGIE BUSH has 333 scrimmage yards (111 per game) & 4 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec., 1 PR) in 3 career playoff games. Has scored TD in all 3 career playoff games & became 1st player in NFL history with 80+ yard TD in 2 straight postseason games. Had 46-yard rush TD & 83-yard PR-TD in Div. Playoff. Became 2nd player in postseason history with rush TD & PR-TD in same game (HOFer CHARLEY TRIPPI) & 2nd with 80+ & 40+ yard TD in same game (RICKY SANDERS). Had NFL-record tying 2 PR-TDs in last meeting vs. Min. WR ROBERT MEACHEM led team with career-best 10 TDs (9 rec., 1 FR). Averaged 16 yards per catch. WRMARQUES COLSTON led team with 70 receptions & 1,074 yards, his 3rd 1,000-yard season in career. Tied Meachem for club lead with 9 rec. TDs. In Div. Playoff, Colston had 6 catches for 83 yards & TD. WR DEVERY HENDERSON averages 24.6 yards per catch in postseason. Had 44-yard TD catch last week. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY had 17-yard TD catch in Div. Playoff. Ranks 4th among NFL TEs with 469 catches & 5,280 yards since 2002…S Sharper tied for NFL lead with 9 INTs. Set single-season NFL record with 376 INT return yards. Had 3 INT-TDs & has 11 in career, 2nd most in NFL history. LB Vilma led team with 110 tackles. Tied career-high with 3 INTs. S ROMAN HARPER was 2nd on team with 99 tackles. DT SEDRICK ELLIS had sack last week & has sack in 2 of past 3. CB TRACY PORTER ranked 2nd on Saints with career-high 4 INTs & had 12 PD.
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anybody else think....
that this will be a tougher match-up than last week? I believe that the key to winning this game will start with the line on both sides of the ball. If we can slow down this awesome pass rush that the Vikings have and give time for Brees to feel comfortable and do his thing, we will score a lot of points. Other key is for our pass rush to keep up the pace. I believe that we need to get as much pressure with our front four as possible to allow the linebackers to play the run and short passing game. And to also allow our corners to blanket the receivers. If we can minimize our blitzing numbers as far as being able to get constant pressure on Favre with only three or four man rush we will be successful. If we can jump out to an early lead playing this way, then start sending a fifth and six pass rusher for added pressure, we will control this game and win big. Of course this plan would be ideal, but I’m sure that GW will have to aply pressure in other ways.
Yes, tougher than last week.
However, I (as vikings fan) disagree that either side will “win big” again.
Interesting how you start out saying it will be a tougher game, but then end up still predicting (essentially) a blowout (’win big")
I think (hope?) Vikings have an edge, but I expect it to be close, the eventual loser may very well have the ball and an opportunity to take the lead in the 4th.
Oh crap
Buck and Aikman again. Well, Buck anyway. Aikman I can tolerate, he only makes me cringe because I know it’s a package deal, you get Buck too.
Sigh. It’s not like I shouldn’t have known this, but I guess I forgot.
You guys are lucky you didn’t’ have to endure that last week.
At least there are no NFC East teams involved.
That’s when Aikman gets on my nerves. I actually kinda like him purely as an analyst. Midnight Cowboy always makes me sick to my **s, though.
"I do know that we have some unfinished business that we started a few years ago and we want to finish the deal."- Dulymus McAllister
I figured they would have taken some "personal days" off after the cowgirl loss
In Breesus' name we play
by Breesus Christ Superstar on Jan 20, 2010 5:04 PM CST up reply actions
by "win big" I meant...
that one team will control the game hands down without being in any real trouble of loosing. I stated that if our D-line can keep constant pressure on Favre with minimal pass rushers we will control that aspect. in other words, if Favre is hurried on every play, he will have to un-load the ball quickly and with solid coverage, i.e. linebackers and DB’s, it will be hard to move the ball through the air. And with linebackers free to play run support, it will be hard to move the ball on the ground. Moving the ball is obviously the key to scoring so if that is limited, then you get a low scoring opposing offense. I also stated that if our O-line can afford Drew more time to do his thing, then we will move the ball well through the air, meaning putting points up. This will also allow for a good ground attack because the opposing defense will be worried about the pass. In other words moving the ball on offense will result in points scored. So what I meant by my post is simple, in a perfect scheme as described above, one team scores points the other doesn’t. That my friend results in “winning big” and yes, a high blow out type score. But I am no fool. I know as I stated the Vikings are a real good team. I know that the Saints are to. Therefore, I am sure that this perfect formula will not happen consistently so therefore it will not be a blow out on either side. I can only hope that the Saints can successfully execute in that manor on a consistent bases to improve our chances of a win. I would be lying if I said I felt comfortable saying the Saints will win but I do feel confident that they have the players and coaching to do just that. It will all boil down to execution which is what I meant by this post. Whoever does it better and more consistently will walk away champs.
by “win big” I meant…that one team will control the game hands down without being in any real trouble of losing.
OK. That’s fine. Given that I said that I predict the losing team will have the ball in the 4th quarter with the chance to take the lead, I obviously just see it unfolding differently. IMO it won’t be a repeat of either Saints vs Cardinals or Vikings vs. Cowboys.
Last playoff meeting
“1/6/01: Saints 16 at Vikings 34. Minnesota QB Daunte Culpepper throws for 302 yards & 3 TDs, including 53- and 68-yarders to WR Randy Moss. Vikings WR Cris Carter adds 120 receiving yards & TD in NFC Divisional Playoff win.”
One thing this blurb failed to mention: Chad Morton setting the NFL record for most receptions by a RB in a playoff game (13). That’s a record that still stands, btw.
"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper
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