Vikes vs Saints

[Rick]

I love our Vikes but I'm afraid they're in a bit of trouble being down to three healthy corners and going against a high octane passing offense like the aints. Hopefully Griffen can go but I fear it won't be at full speed IF he can. I can see the Saints coming at us in three and four receiver sets a lot.

This is a tough team to start the season out being short on corners. We will need dominating line play, an aggressive offense and a + in the turnover battle to win it.

[Scott K]

The line on the game is the Saints by 5, I think that is a little high, and if i was a betting man, I would bet on them odds.

[nonteepical]

I doubt either team is gonna be running on all cylinders.

it could be a blowout by either team first game of the season.

[MuleShack]

Vikings gained nearly 500 yards against that ferocious blitz last year...bring it!!!

Agreed, Saints only gained 200 some odd yards against us. 1 corner back isn't going to make a huge difference. Sheppard has the veteran wisdon and allen has the speed...between the two of them we should be ok. Last time we had Winfield playing nickel because he was not full strength, now he is good to go.

The 2nd half Brees didn't know which way to go he was under pressure so much. If we can bring it like we did it will take some pressure off the dback.

As far as offense goes, that is the "?". Who knows if Harvins head is in the game, but the chatter today was they would like to move him to the split out and put camarillo in the slot which would be a good fit for him to find the crease in the middle for some quick hitters.

Lastly, I almost hope Berrian gets hurt because I saw him doggin it more last year than Moss did when he was here. Besides he can only catch the ball when it hits him in the numbers

[Big Tom]

I'm guessing it will be the first of several losses for the Vikes this year.

[zepman]

The Vikings are a better team than the Saints...them, playing at home, evens the odds...I think it'll be a close game either way. This time...Vikes win by 3!!

[LMITOUT]

Troy Williamson is available.

[zepman]

Isn't it funny how Williamson and TJack are about the same type of player...almost exactly. Both probably PRACTICE and work-out really well but when the lights come on and the seats are full....they fail miserably!

At least we had the sense to get rid of one of them....

[Rick]

Actually, Williamson couldn't catch balls well in practice either. So bad comparison and faulty logic.

T-Jack did not have a good pre-season. I'll give you that.

[FISHINGURU]

Williamson lol, wow what a horrible draft pick from one of the worse trades in NFL history. It was pathetic when we traded Moss away for basically nothing and then waste a high draft pic on that clown to replace him.

I remember we passed on DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman for that fast blind reciever, what a waste. Then we took Erasmus James later in the 1st round while we let Aaron Rodgers slide to the packers at pick 24 lol.

[zepman]

Maybe the worst 2 combined draft picks in the 1st round when a team has two of them to pick from. Those two draft picks (different players of course) should be on this team and in their prime...instead, we have nothing to show for either one of them.

[Rick]

That's the one thing the Childress era has changed for the better....

Spielman, Studwell and Childress do an outstanding job with player personnel. I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements. Chili does know how to pick good coaching staff, he just has a tough go being a head coach.

I'm a bit worried he's losing the team and that would be a disaster for our playoff picture this year. He hasn't looked comfortable on camera since Favre came back.

[LMITOUT]

Maybe the worst 2 combined draft picks in the 1st round when a team has two of them to pick from. Those two draft picks (different players of course) should be on this team and in their prime...instead, we have nothing to show for either one of them.

As I said in the other thread, just another horrible personnel move in a long line of many by the Vikings, striving for mediocrity.

[FISHINGURU]

I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements.

Tomlinson? Why would you want LT to be our coach lol?

I'd rather see what Leslie Frazier could do as a head coach instead of Chilly, unless he's a Junkson fan. I'll take any coach that send that kid packing, he's the only player in the NFL that has a secure job even though he plays like dung.

[SkunkedAgain]

Fanning the flames!

Quote:

METAIRIE, La. — The disrespect card has become such a cliché in professional sports that players and teams routinely deal it to manufacture motivation instead of just shutting up and performing.

To be sure, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are not martyring themselves this week as they prepare for their NFC championship game rematch with the Vikings, who did everything last January to punch their ticket to Miami and a showdown with the Colts — except hold on to the football.

Nor are the Saints deaf to the chatter emanating from Minnesota for seven months that the Vikings, who dominated every statistical category, lost that game more than New Orleans won it.

They simply do not care.

"If they think anything because they had more yards and they were able to run the ball, throw the ball, if they could just take away the turnovers ... no, that's part of the game," defensive end Alex Brown said.

Added coach Sean Payton: "Part of winning the game is scoring more points. Certainly turnovers win and lose games, and I would say the turnovers were the difference in that game."

Minnesota's generosity — five turnovers, including quarterback Brett Favre's interception during a potential game-winning drive in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter — was uncharacteristic for a team that had only 18 turnovers all season.

The giveaways led directly to only seven New Orleans points. But the scoring opportunities the Vikings

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lost with the football cost them dearly and still has players and fans gnashing their teeth.

Besides Favre's second interception, Minnesota was poised to take a seven-point lead into halftime when Favre and running back Adrian Peterson botched a handoff with 56 seconds remaining that snuffed that drive.

In the fourth quarter, wide receiver Bernard Berrian fumbled at the Saints' 11-yard line. Peterson scored with 4:58 remaining to tie the score 28-28.

But Favre's notorious pick on third and 15 from the Saints' 37 — one play after the Vikings lost 5 yards because they were penalized for having 12 men in the huddle — robbed kicker Ryan Longwell of a 55-yard field-goal attempt to send them to Super Bowl.

The Vikings never touched the ball again after the Saints won the overtime coin toss and Garrett Hartley booted his 40-yard winner.

"They are the Super Bowl champs and they deserve that respect, but we beat ourselves in that game," Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "We have a lot stuff to work on. We've got that bad taste in our mouth, and we need to brush our teeth."

New Orleans defensive tackle Remi Ayodele begs to differ.

"People can say that, but I don't think they lost it. They're not turnovers, they're takeaways," he said. "There was one time when Adrian fumbled, it was an actual fumble. Every other time, it was forced. That's our game plan every game. That's the main reason we had so many turnovers. That's what we're coached to do."

The Saints certainly were an opportunistic team in 2009. Their plus-11 turnover ratio was the third-best in the NFL. They also scored eight touchdowns off fumbles and interceptions, and their 141 points off turnovers tied them with Green Bay for tops in the league.

Winning the takeaway battle is a coaching axiom as old as the forward pass because turnovers shift momentum, shorten field position and stagnate offenses.

"When you finish five takeaways to one giveaway you're going to win 95 percent of those games," Payton said. "You steal a possession. When you're losing one and giving one, that's tough to overcome."

Debating whether the Vikings lost or the Saints won makes interesting conversation, but it will not pry the Lombardi Trophy away from New Orleans or grant Minnesota a do-over.

Because take away Thursday's pregame parade in the French Quarter, the Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band concert and the banner-raising ceremony at the Superdome, and what you have simply is a Week 1 matchup that has zero effect on what happened here in January.

"They're looking at us as the Super Bowl champs, and that's the position they wanted to be in," said Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, who intercepted Favre at the pivotal moment. "They didn't win that game, so they think they've got something to prove to us, and by us winning the championship, we've got something to prove to the world."

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP REWIND

Vikings vs. Saints — a tale of the tape

Minnesota New Orleans

Points 28 31

Total yards 475 257

Passing 310 189

Rushing 165 68

First downs 31 15

3rd-down convers.7-12 3-12

Plays 82 55

Time of poss. 36:49 27:56

Turnovers 5 1

[Jim Uran]

Vikes will smoke them this year. No turnovers and we'll get them by 14+ points!!! Stupid Saints!

[LMITOUT]

Saints by 6 in a causual win, while the Vikes struggle to stay in the game.

[zepman]

That's the one thing the Childress era has changed for the better....

Spielman, Studwell and Childress do an outstanding job with player personnel. I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements. Chili does know how to pick good coaching staff, he just has a tough go being a head coach.

I'm a bit worried he's losing the team and that would be a disaster for our playoff picture this year. He hasn't looked comfortable on camera since Favre came back.

Chilly may be losing the team a little...he should know better than to play mind-games with a veteran squad...it doesn't fly. The Sage trade sends the wrong message to those trying to "earn" and keep a spot on the Vikes roster. Trust is lost.

Same goes with the media...his aloof and arrogant "style" gains him no points with them and average Joe who takes it all in. Chilly is the ultimate control freak and is finding out he can't manipulate every circumstance in his favor.

[SkunkedAgain]

Ouch! Scathing, but accurate Zepman. Trying to control everything is pointless and energy wasting. Setting a course and adjusting to the inevitable changes is better.

[Dark Cloud]

Vikes will smoke them this year. No turnovers and we'll get them by 14+ points!!! Stupid Saints!

Wow! I dont even know what to say besides wow....

[Rick]

Wow! I dont even know what to say besides wow....

DC, you sure do sound like a Pittsburgh fan, just thinking about what BIG BEN did!!!

score 18-17 MN wins. DBs and WRs are an issue.

[Born2Fish]

Vikes by 7. Vikings 30 Saints 23.

[harvey lee]

No turnovers and the Vikes should win.

[RiverFish]

Saints 30 vikes 23.

[walleyes12]

Vikes 31-23, AP 156 and 3 TDS