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It wasn't a pretty win, but the Saints still made a statement in the NFL season opener Thursday night by once again defeating the Vikings, 14-9. Two New Orleans TD drives -- one through the air, one on the ground -- was enough to seal the victory.
The Saints defeated the Vikings 14-9 on Thursday night in the lowest scoring Saints victory in the Sean Payton era. SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles says this wasn't the type of game anyone expected.
Not the high-scoring shootout that some expected, but a hard-fought game with scoring brilliance, lots of killed drives, inexplicable missed field goals, a blocked extra point, a defense that picked Favre off once, did ok stopping the run, and that really saved the game when the offense disappeared for long stretches of time.
Most figured each team would score at least 20 points but they barely scored 20 points combined.
Hop on over to Canal Street Chronicles where they've compiled just about every Saints and Vikings story out there.
The New Orleans Saints actually came away with more total yards than the team did in January's NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings, yet somehow the team's 14-9 victory on opening night of the 2010 NFL season looked much less impressive than the 31-28 win that occurred just about seven months prior.
Saints kicker Garrett Hartley, who launched the Saints to the Super Bowl last January, then had a superb game two weeks later in Miami, shanked two field goal attempts against the Vikings on Thursday night, making the game closer than they should have been. However the Vikings were unable to generate any viable passing options after the Saints shut down the Brett Favre to Visanthe Shiancoe connection that worked so well in the first half.
The Saints came out on their first possession in the first half of the game running roughshod over the Vikings defense and scored on a 29-yards touchdown pass fro Drew Brees to Devery Henderson. But New Orleans didn't score again until the 3rd quarter when Pierre Thomas plunged into the end zone to regain the lead after the Vikings had taken a 9-7 halftime advantage.
While the Vikings had turnovers the blame for the team's loss in the playoffs last season, Fvare's one interception didn't cost the team any points this time around. Instead, the Vikings simply couldn't come up with enough points of their own.
On a 3rd and 7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Brett Favre threw a pass to tight end Jim Kleinsasser that was initially ruled incomplete on the field. One referee ruled it a complete pass, but the lead official called it incomplete.
On replays, it appeared as though Kleinsasser got his hands underneath the pass, which would make it completion, but the officials determined that there was not enough evidence to overrule the call on the field.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
The Saints, having been stymied on offense since scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, managed an 11-play drive on their first possession of the third quarter to recapture the lead with a Pierre Thomas touchdown to return the Saints lead to 14-9 with about six minutes left in the third quarter.
Brett Favre nearly threw an interception on the ensuing Vikings drive, but Saints 2009 first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins was ruled out of bounds. The Vikings were eventually forced to punt.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
The Vikings and Saints 2010 season opener hasn't been the high-scoring affair many thought it would be.
At the halfway point, the Vikings lead the Saints 9-7.
The latest touchdown came from the Vikings inside the one-minute mark. Brett Favre hit Visanthe Shiancoe for a 33-yard pass with 46 seconds left and followed it up with a 20-yard touchdown pass that had Shiancoe leaping in the air. He's dominating in the passing game with four receptions for 76 yards.
The Saints and Vikings were the number one and two offenses in the 2009 season yet they've only combined for 16 points through the first half.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
The Saints, looking as though they ceded momentum to the Vikings, forced an interception from Brett Favre when Roman Harper blitzed with less than three minutes left in the first half, leading to a Jonathan Vilma interception.
This, however, lead to nothing but a Garrett Hartley missed field goal. Having been baled out from what seemed like a critical Brett Favre mistake, the Vikings marched down the field to take the lead on a drive that relied mainly on Brett Favre throws to Visanthe Shiancoe. Shiancoe made a leaping catch to give the Vikings the lead.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
The Vikings took the ball back from the Saints at the beginning of the second quarter and lead a drive from their own 11 yard line to the Saints 23 to narrow the New Orleans' lead to 7-3 with five and a half minutes to go before halftime.
So far, the Saints been effectively moved the ball up the field on each of their first half drive but the Vikings, with the exception of the opening drive, are stymieing the opposing offense earlier and earlier on each drive.
On the following drive Brees nealy threw an interception with four minutes left in the half to Asher Allen, but the Saints were fortunate to get to punt the ball away.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
In a surprising move, it took NBC's Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth nearly a quarter and a half before mentioning Brett Favre's ankle.
The Vikings QB had ankle surgery in the offseason and it was the subject of hours and hours of media discussion (we're guilty, too).
It was the 8:32 mark in the second quarter before NBC's announcers brought up the most discussed ankle in NFL history.
"And we haven't even mentioned Brett Favre's ankle," Al Michaels said sounding as surprised as we were. Cris Collinsowrth said Favre is now taking shots in his ankle to relieve him of the pain.
I'm surprised it took so long bring it up. If it's anything TV announcers love, it's Favre's gutsy play and child-like enthusiasm for the game!
The Saints are leading Brett Favre and the Vikings (and Brett Favre's ankle) 7-0 in the second quarter.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
The Saints threw the ball 15 times in the first quarter alone and run the ball only once, yet had great success moving the ball, gaining 138 yards to Minnesota's 44 yards. Nevertheless, the score remains a close 7-0 after the opening slate.
The Vikings are presently driving with two first downs on their first drive of the second quarter. But the Vikings have yet to strike on a 20+ yard play, as the Saints did twice to Marques Colton alone on their opening drive.
The New Orleans Saints ended the 2009 season scoring 31 points in a Super Bowl win.
2010 hasn't started off any differently.
Drew Brees and the Saints offense took less than two minutes to score. Brees threw for 69 of the 77 total yards in the drive including a 28-yard pass to Marques Colston and a 29-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson. I think you can count on seeing that connection quite often throughout the 2010 season.
The Saints are leading the game early, 7-0.
For live comments during the game, check out Canal Street Chronicles and Daily Norseman.
Don't worry, Taylor Swift is almost done warbling and we'll be there to live blog the football proceedings once she's done.
The Vikings are severely depleted at cornerback, meaning Asher Allen has a huge target sitting on him going one-on-one against Robert Meachem, but the Vikings have the pass rushing force that can potentially negate even the Saints passing attack.
Minnesota also does not have Toby Gerhart activated, so they had better hope that nothing happens to Adrian Peterson, lest they be forced to rely on Albert Young in the backfield.
It's no surprise that Vikings fans are predicting victory against the Saints on Thursday evening.
Eric Thompson of SB Nation's Daily Norseman has a terrific run down of Thursday night's game and comes away with a prediction of 34-30 in favor of the Vikings.
But let's not forget about the positives the Vikes are bringing to the table--they're bringing back nearly the exact same team that was thisclose to the Super Bowl last year. Throw in a healthy E.J. Henderson and the fact that AP is determined to pull a Keyser Soze on the NFL this season to remind everyone that he's still the best player on the planet, and I like our chances no matter who we're playing.
Vikings fans may like their chances but Vegas doesn't. The line in the game is currently set at six points in favor of the Saints.
Keep up with the Vikings at Daily Norseman and the Saints at Canal Street Chronicles.
In the 2009 NFC Championship game, the Minnesota Vikings turned the ball over five times against the New Orleans Saints. It was still a very tight game all the way through despite the massive turnover number.
SB Nation's Daily Norseman says heading into the 2010 regular season opener against the Saints, the Vikings should have one goal: Protect the football.
The Vikings need to combat the Saints' super-duper, uber-secret "hitting the quarterback" blueprint with another little-known NFL strategy. . ."holding on to the football." Quite simply, if the Vikings hold on to the football against the Saints and don't gift them five turnovers, they will win.
If the Vikings don't turn the ball over five times against the Saints last year they probably win the game and head to the Super Bowl. Alas, those turnovers were real and they didn't walk away with the victory.
If the Vikings avoid turnovers, you have to think they have a good shot in this game.
Keep up with the Vikings at Daily Norseman and the Saints at Canal Street Chronicles.
(Sports Network) - The New Orleans Saints will begin the first title defense in their 43-year history on Thursday night, when Drew Brees and company host Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL's 2010 lid-lifter from the Louisiana Superdome.
The Saints are seven months removed from their landmark 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, a championship that offered a long- sought-after taste of glory for a franchise that had previously been among the most star-crossed in league annals.
New Orleans welcomes back most of the critical pieces from last year's run to a title, with Brees and the league's No. 1 scoring offense (31.9 points per game) returning largely intact and a playmaking defense undergoing just a few subtle tweaks.
Head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis brought in end Alex Brown (ex-Bears) and tackle Jimmy Wilkerson (ex-Buccaneers) to compete for jobs in the offseason, also using a first-round draft choice on cornerback Patrick Robinson (Florida State). One of the missing pieces from the 2009 squad, at least for now, is safety Darren Sharper. The Pro Bowler, who posted nine interceptions a year ago, comes off microfrature knee surgery and will miss at least the season's first six games. Another is linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who is out for the year with a foot injury. The Saints earlier this week signed veteran linebacker Danny Clark (ex-Giants), who last played for the team in 2006, to help bolster the depth in that area.
Attempting to exploit any lingering defensive deficiencies among the Saints will be Favre, who returned to the Vikings in mid-August after his obligatory annual battle with retirement.
Favre, whose key interception helped deflate Minnesota in last January's 31-28 overtime loss to the Saints, will begin his 20th season in the league, and second as the Vikings' starter. The 40-year-old legend comes off one of his top statistical seasons, in which he threw for 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions for a team that went 12-4 and won the NFC North.
Questions linger around the future Hall of Famer, however. Favre underwent offseason ankle surgery that helped delay his decision to return to the NFL, and the fabric of the Vikings' receiving picture is different from when he last led a meaningful drive last Jan. 24th.
No. 1 wideout Sidney Rice (83 receptions, 1312 yards, 8 TD in 2009) is expected to be out until at least November after undergoing hip surgery, and second-year speedster Percy Harvin (60 receptions, 790 yards, 6 TD) was sidelined for much of the preseason due to persistent issues with migraine headaches.
Also missing will be Chester Taylor, who defected to the NFC North rival Chicago Bears after catching 44 balls as a Viking a year ago.
The Vikes' added ex-Dolphin Greg Camarillo via a trade late in the preseason and signed Favre's former Packers teammate Javon Walker, though Walker did not make it past the team's final roster cuts.
The Saints will be trying to maintain a positive streak by reigning Super Bowl champions, which have won the next year's regular season opener in each of the last 10 seasons. The 1998 Denver Broncos, who followed up their Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Falcons with a 38-21 Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins in 1999, are the last defending champion to open their subsequent slate on a losing note.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota has a 18-7 lead in its all-time regular season series with New Orleans, and extended its winning streak over the Saints to four with a 30-27 road win in Week 5 of the 2008 season. Minnesota has won three straight regular season meetings at the Superdome since the Saints were 28-15 victors in a 2001 contest, a game that also marks New Orleans' most recent victory in the non- playoff series.
The Vikings have a 2-1 edge in the playoff series, including last year's NFC Championship loss. Minnesota won an NFC Divisional Playoff in 2000 (34-16), one week after New Orleans had posted its first playoff win in franchise history, and also claiming a 44-10 decision in an NFC First-Round playoff in 1987, which marked the first postseason game in Saints annals.
The Vikings' Brad Childress and Saints' Sean Payton are 1-1 in their head-to- head series, and 1-1 against their counterpart's respective teams.
WHEN THE VIKINGS HAVE THE BALL
With Favre still hobbled to an extent and the receiving corps in a state of flux, the Vikings could head into Thursday looking to ride the significant talents of running back Adrian Peterson (1383 rushing yards, 18 TD, 43 receptions in 2009) to a victory. Peterson comes off his third Pro Bowl season in as many years as a pro, but his three fumbles (one lost) in last year's NFC Championship loss to the Saints still loom large on his resume'. The offseason departure of Taylor means second-year-pro Albert Young (53 rushing yards) is in line for a bigger role as Favre's backup. When the most famous No. 4 in NFL annals drops to throw, a group including wideouts Harvin (60 receptions, 6 TD), Camarillo (50 receptions with Dolphins), Bernard Berrian (55 receptions, 4 TD) and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (56 receptions) will be the top targets. Shiancoe's 11 touchdown catches led the Vikings a year ago. The trench group, led by tackle Bryant McKinnie and guard Steve Hutchinson on the left side, returns intact. The o-line allowed 34 sacks of Favre a year ago.
A Saints defense that knocked Favre around in last year's NFC Championship will look to execute a similar gameplan in this installment, albeit with some new pieces doing the attacking. Brown (47 tackles, 6 sacks with Chicago), who had 43.5 sacks as a Bear from 2002 through 2009, will seek to provide a complement to Will Smith (49 tackles, 13 sacks) in the pass rush, while on the back end second-year safety Malcolm Jenkins (47 tackles, 1 INT) takes on a larger role in the absence of Sharper from the lineup. A New Orleans team that was just 21st against the run last year leans on linebackers Jonathan Vilma (109 tackles, 3 INT, 2 sacks) and Scott Shanle (68 tackles, 2 INT), tackle Sedrick Ellis (34 tackles, 2 sacks) and strong safety Roman Harper (99 tackles, 1.5 sacks) to do much of the run-stopping. Vilma and cornerback Tracy Porter (57 tackles, 4 INT) each had interceptions of Favre in January's playoff contest, with Porter's pick in overtime setting up New Orleans for the game-winning field goal. That said, both Porter (knee) and Vilma (groin) are battling injuries heading into Week 1 and their status will bear monitoring.
WHEN THE SAINTS HAVE THE BALL
While Favre is dealing with some uncertainty among his group of weapons, his counterpart Brees (4388 passing yards, 34 TD, 11 INT) welcomes back an offensive arsenal that remains virtually intact. The team's core group of wideouts - Marques Colston (70 receptions, 9 TD), Robert Meachem (45 receptions, 9 TD), Devery Henderson (51 receptions, 2 TD) and Lance Moore (14 receptions, 2 TD) - will continue to compete for balls along with tight ends Jeremy Shockey (48 receptions, 3 TD) and David Thomas (35 receptions, 1 TD). Henderson caught one of Brees' three touchdown passes in the 2009 NFC Championship, with the other two going to running backs Pierre Thomas (793 rushing yards, 39 receptions, 8 TD) and Reggie Bush (390 rushing yards, 47 receptions, 8 TD). The biggest change for the New Orleans offense could come within an underrated running game that was quietly No. 6 in NFL rushing offense a year ago. Mike Bell was a free agent defection to Philadelphia, and former Packer DeShawn Wynn is now attempting to insert himself into the New Orleans mix of backs. A solid New Orleans o-line allowed just 20 sacks of the quick- firing Brees in more than 500 dropback attempts a year ago.
The big question for the Minnesota defense on Thursday night is whether it has enough horses to run with the bevy of Saints targets. Cornerback Cedric Griffin (73 tackles, 4 INT) is a major question mark as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery, while rookie CB Chris Cook (Virginia) is dealing with a knee issue of his own and will miss the opener. That could leave Antoine Winfield (52 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack), Asher Allen (25 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack) and newcomer Lito Sheppard (31 tackles, 1 INT with the Jets) as the team's only three healthy corners. Suffice it to say, safeties Tyrell Johnson (54 tackles, 1 INT) and Madieu Williams (67 tackles) will have to be on their game as well. Looking to get in Brees' face will be the fine pass-rush tandem of ends Jared Allen (51 tackles, 14.5 sacks) and Ray Edwards (51 tackles, 8.5 sacks). A run defense that was No. 2 in the NFL last season remains a strength, and could be taken up a notch with middle linebacker E.J. Henderson (82 tackles, 2 sacks) back in the fold following last year's broken leg. Henderson and fellow LB Chad Greenway (98 tackles, 3 INT) should make plenty of plays behind the "Williams Wall", tackles Pat (44 tackles, 2 sacks) and Kevin Williams (31 tackles, 6 sacks).
FANTASY FOCUS
Apart from Brees and perhaps kicker Garrett Hartley, using members of the Saints in fantasy lineups is always a risky venture because of the uncertain way the football will be distributed from week to week. Pierre Thomas, Bush, Colston, Meachem and Henderson are all going to get their touches, but predicting which weapon will make the biggest impact is a weekly exercise in futility. If it helps, Thomas scored twice against the Vikings in the 2009 NFC Championship, and Bush and Henderson found the end zone once each. The Saints defense scored a ton of real and fantasy points last season, and is a solid play even if there is no shutout potential here.
If you drafted Favre to be your starter, don't hesitate to use him. There may be some rust, and the receiving corps has some questions, but the guy always finds a way to make some big plays in these main-stage events. Peterson, Shiancoe and kicker Ryan Longwell are must-plays as well, and Berrian and/or Harvin might work as flex options. You're going to want to use the Minnesota defense most weeks, but this might be a time to pick up a spare "D" if it's a possibility.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Saints might have to battle the after-effects of the "Super Bowl hangover" at some point in 2010, but look for their season-opener to be more an extension of the 2009 party than anything else. The Saints will have nearly their entire Super Bowl team on the field in what should be a raucous Superdome, and the big-game atmosphere should help Brees and company put their best foot forward. For their part, the Vikings would love nothing more than to spoil the party for a team that broke their hearts seven months ago, but Minnesota is banged-up and dealing with a little too much drama and uncertainty at this stage to make it happen.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Saints 33, Vikings 24
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Vikings Vs. Saints: K Garrett Hartley Is Safe After Missing Two Field Goals
Saints kicker Garrett Hartley was one of the heroes in the 2009 NFC Championship game against the Vikings. On Thursday night in the 2010 NFL season opener, Hartley was nearly the goat.
The Saints kicker missed two field goals in the 14-9 win but Saints head coach Sean Payton says he hasn't given any thought to replacing Hartley.
That's probably a good call as Hartley is 22 of 24 in 13 games with the Saints. He's a solid kicker but had a tough night against the Vikings. If they had lost the game, I imagine Payton wouldn't be saying that.
Check out Canal Street Chronicles for more on the Saints victory.
Sep 10 11:38a by Joel Thorman - 0 comments