Vikings Vs. Saints: Saints Come Away With Ugly Win Against Vikings On Opening Night

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.