The Minnesota Vikings head on down to New Orleans to face the Saints this Sunday Night in a big time offensive showdown. The Saints are looking for their first ever Super Bowl appearance while the Vikings look to go for the first time since Super Bowl XI.
The Vikings at home are a completely different team then they are on the road this season. They almost look like 2 totally different teams. Will that dynamic front 4 of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Edwards show up this Sunday? Going to have to if the Vikings have any shot to win. The Saints have given up the 4th fewest sacks in the NFL this season. If the Vikings are going to let Drew Brees sit in the pocket and have his time to pick apart the Vikings secondary that ranks in the middle of the pack against the pass, the Vikings will have no shot. The Saints are going to look to spread out that Vikings defense and turn the game into a backyard, 7 on 7 type of game. Do the Vikings have an answer to all those weapons the Saints have? I don't really see any.
On the other side of the ball you have Brett Favre having a spectacular season where he threw for 4,000 passing yards and turned ordinary players *cough* Vishante Shiancoe *cough* into offensive superstars. Everyone who followed Percy Harvin in college knew he would become an explosive NFL player but Favre has elevated him to another level. The Vikings have gone from a top 5 rushing attack with Peterson and Chester Taylor last year to an explosive passing team and a mediocre running team this year. Does this have to do with Favre? Definitely. But Brad Childress this season on a couple of occasions has tried too much to lean on the running game and create passing opportunities. This has become a burden on Favre many times this year. The Vikes do not run to set up the pass anymore. They are not the running team they were a year ago. They need to come out of the gate passing and passing and passing some more.
Besides the Jets, the Saints blitz more than any other team and at a rate 10% above the league average. Greg Williams believes in a highly aggressive defensive system dating back to when he was with Joe Gibbs and the Redskins in the earlier part of the past decade. The aggressive style has paid of with interceptions, as the Saints ranked third in the league with 26. If the Saints can get to Favre and Favre turns into the Favre of old when he threw 6 interceptions against the Rams a decade ago, it will be a long night for the Vikings.
Prediction: Saints 37 Vikings 21
Enjoy the games everyone. Make your picks in Comments.
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