Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Will be meaningless. Our last 2 games haven't been spectacular but this one will, SAINTS 27 - VIKINGS 13

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

I've never heard of a favorite target not being the best receiver. He might not physically impress you, but apparently he's doing more things right than Diggs.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

I'll take that chance. Week #1, Bradford had DeVante Harris to pick on and no Lattimore on the other side.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

He definitely physically impresses me. Fast, great hands, good routes. They have similar measurables athletically, but Thielen has more size. I just think Diggs is slightly better and would have explosive numbers too if he was targets 8 to 10 times a game. I wouldn’t be upset about somebody thinking Thielen is better. He delivered all year in fantasy football for me.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

All this Vikings defense talk ... that "vaunted D" better find a way to slow down this guy :p .

https://media3.giphy.com/media/3o751...x38Y/giphy.gif

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Thielen has had some big games but also some real duds. A good CB on him and he shuts down. Going to be much more difficult this time for him with or starting CB's on the field. I could see him having a bad day.

They have a good D line though. I don't see them selling out like the Panthers either.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Absolutely, Ginn is a speedster just another one of Drew's weapons when the running game gets shut down.
Should be a big factor in the Vikes game.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Vikings are nothing but defense and field position. They remind me of Bama. Little to no offense. Rely on a stout defense and wear down the opposing teams defensive front 7. They look to the 2nd half to attempt to pull away. I could see the saints blowing this game wide open with the right play calling.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

The mantra continues... Just win!

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Carolina beat them, and we beat Carolina 3 times.

I'm OK with our chances

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

I just think that if he's getting the most targets, it must mean he's seen as more reliable and gets open more. Not to say Diggs isn't good, but I think he'd be the featured receiver if he were a better receiver than Thielen.

When I saw Thielen against the Saints in the first game, I didn't see anything about him that stood out, but all I know is nobody could seem to cover him, and apparently he's been able to do that against most teams, much to my surprise.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Nobody has the '85 Bears defense, but they sure made the Saints look awful in week one.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

I’m more concerned with head coach Mike Zimmer, I like his approach and he swears like a 100 drunken inbread falcon fans....ever since he was an assistant with the Bengals and I saw him on Hard Knocks, had a tough personal go, he is a leader of men and he will have his troops firing on all cylinders. I like our chances, but we better be real sharp and clean....

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Week 1 Kamara wasn't as involved like he is now. We still had AP & the offense had no real identity. We do now.

And we ain't gotta worry about Harris and Anzelone getting schooled in pass coverage this go round.

Way different all-around team now.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

I think it's a bad match up but hey it's the playoffs. Vikes defense is legit but they can be had. Million dollar question I have is can Case Keenum play BIG in the moment??? Give me #9 all day.

Any Given Sunday.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

That will be a question with Keenum, but it isn't really Keenum vs. Brees. Keenum isn't going to be asked to carry his team. If he is put in that situation, then it means the Saints did their job on offense, and the Vikings would have little chance. It'll be a battle of the trenches, and the Saints will have to prove that they are better than they were in the first meeting, up front. Being down an O-lineman won't help. But the game should be close, either way.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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 & Thielen running high school wide open without a defender in sight.

I can't wait for this one.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Keep it close and give us a chance to win in the 4th.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

You must mean Crawley. Lattimore played in the first Vikings game.

We can agree that Harris was Mr. "Coverage Bust".

SFIAH

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

We have to watch Rudolph. Our team seems to struggle against TEs.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

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...

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Well, yes and no, they started to look good before that, in the second quarter and second half against the Patriots. People just didn't notice it because they were down by two scores in the 1st/2nd quarter, trailing behind the whole day long, but after the initial bloodbath in the first half, the Saints hung score for score with arguably the best, most complete team in all of football, for most of two and a half quarters, after a disastrous early start to the Patriots game where they got outpaced and outfoxed by the defending Super Bowl champs at full strength. Lots of things have changed since then.

The Saints are a completely different team now than they were in the first week opener. Their chemistry/confidence/poise/swagger is completely different now. If anything, the Vikes' momentum is headed in the other direction, there are plenty of question marks and uncertainty about their team.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

The vikes are primarily a double a-gap defensive line with outside contain. They are going to drive into Brees' weakness, which is being short, and force him into rolling out where he is particularly ineffective relative to the other great QB's still in the playoffs. I think they'll do what the Panties did and make Brees beat them on the road, rushing 5 with press-man coverage.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

It sure would be nice to get off to a fast start...

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

+1.

I'm expecting Xavier to be on Thomas all day long. It's paramount that one/if not ALL guys you mentioned step up. Expect Kamara to give Vikes LB's fits. They are good however not as fast or have the range that Kuechly/Thomas/Shaq has. One on one, I like my chances with Kamara in space.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

We are not going to run on them. Sets with AK and Ingram out there at the same time and then moving AK out wide could open some things up; the more 1-on-1 matchups we have the better. Nice to see Hill involved last week, and hopefully that carries over.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

The Vikes fans on another board I visit seem to think this one is gift wrapped to them. They actually think they'll win by a larger margin than wk 1. They're giving our defense no credit.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Vikings Fans are nervous as hell :couch: so they post positive messages about the Vikings to keep them calm.

Ha.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Again, we aren't talking 85 Bears here. This isn't the week 1 Saints. Outside of Carolina (who they lost to in dominating fashion), who have they really played?

Packerless A Rodgers
Bengals were the Bengals
Browns :flush:
Bucs
High flying Bears :rolleyes:.

That's a lot of below-average offenses.

I highly doubt we get another combined 40 yards rushing effort from Ingram/Kamara. Our O line and RB tandem are too good for a repeat performance. Patience in the run game is key here.

Re: Vikings -3.5
 

Kamara is going to have a big day against these guys. I've got a feeling.