SmashMouth

What is the key to stopping Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram? "They're good players. They're really good players. You've gotta get your hands on them, you've gotta get them to the ground. You have to be a great tackler with them guys. … You've just gotta be on your game. You'd better be a great tackler, a great cover player, all that with them."

Who would scare you more: Ingram and Kamara or Drew Brees? "Neither scares me. But if I had to choose, I'd say Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram because they can beat you in the pass and in the run. Part of that has to do with Brees, but what they do once they have the ball is all them."

Where is the Saints' defense vulnerable? "When we played them, they were a pretty solid group. They got after us a lot of different ways. From my vantage point, they're very talented. Their secondary has improved. They're just playing with confidence right now. They're playing well. I can't say anything bad about them."

Prediction: The best thing about the Saints this year is they can win with their running game, passing game or defense. And they proved it last week when the Panthers became the first opponent to really focus on shutting down the running game and forcing Drew Brees to beat them (he gladly obliged with his best performance of the year). Unfortunately, the Vikings’ defense is good enough to stop both. They’re ranked No. 1 in both yards allowed and points allowed, No. 2 against both the pass and the run. First-team All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes can help nullify the Saints’ go-to receiver Michael Thomas, while first-team All-Pro safety Harrison Smith can help defend Ingram and Kamara, and second-team All-Pro Everson Griffen can provide a pass rush. This game will have to be a showcase for Saints coach Sean Payton’s game-planning greatness just like last week was a showcase for Brees. Vikings 26, Saints 23 -- Mike Triplett, Saints reporter

2017 NFL playoffs: Player scouting reports and game predictions - NFL Nation- ESPN