First Look: Vikings at Saints
The Saints (10-4) are looking to break their two-game skid and finally wrap up the NFC South. They've been in a position to do so for weeks, but haven't been able to deliver. In short, win and their division champs. Enter the Vikings (6-8), who are clinging to playoff hopes at 9th overall in the conference. Football on Christmas Day in the Superdome should be a fun affair, as the two will meet as the lone matchup of the day.
What to Watch For
Vikings Rushing Attack. Dalvin Cook is second in the league for rushing yards, sitting at 1,484 on the year. He's been a huge part of the Vikings being the 5th ranked offense in the league in terms of yards per game, boasting a 387.1 average. It wasn't so long ago that the Saints run defense had a chip on their shoulder in not allowing a 100-yard rusher for an extraordinary amount of games, but that streak died against the Eagles, and the Chiefs had pretty good success running the football as well. Still, New Orleans ranks 4th in the NFL in run defense, surrendering just 95.6 yards/game on the ground. This will be the huge focal point of the defensive matchup for Dennis Allen's defense, who almost played two full games against the Chiefs last week.
Brees Bounce Back. Overall, Drew Brees struggled in the first half, but rebounded in a big way in the second half. Being down Michael Thomas hurt, but the offense found a way to make it close and keep the team in the game after looking rough. Brees enters 4-2 against Minnesota in the regular season, sporting a 72.4 completion percentage (157-of-217) with 1,683 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The last regular season meeting against the Vikings in 2018 saw Brees throw for just 120 yards, but the Saints won 30-20 in Minneapolis. He's due for a big game.
3rd Down Struggles. On both sides of the ball, 3rd Down has been a challenge over the past two games. However, it's been more on the offensive side. Collectively, New Orleans is 6-of-23 (26 percent) on offense (1-of-11 against the Chiefs, 5-of-12 against the Eagles), while being 13-of-31 (42 percent) on defense (9-of-18 against the Chiefs, 4-of-13 against the Eagles). The emphasis is likely more on the offense for this matchup, and it will be key for the Saints to win early downs to be in a good position to convert. Truly, this is an area that they miss Michael Thomas. However, others will have to step up and help New Orleans move the sticks.
Injury Front. The Saints had an estimated practice report on Tuesday, and the biggest concerns would be Marcus Williams (ankle) and Tre'Quan Smith (ankle). Trey Hendrickson (neck) was a late addition to the report, as he suffered a stinger against the Chiefs. Both Williams and Smith left the game early and did not return. Andrus Peat (ankle) and Nick Easton (concussion) were also non-participants listed. Some good news saw Malcolm Brown (calf) listed as a limited participant, and he's someone the Saints run defense needs back. Marquez Callaway was designated to return to practice on Tuesday afternoon, so he could be a nice boost to the passing attack if he is ready to go. As always, we'll see what happens.
Focused Approach. Drew Brees said after the Chiefs game that this is essentially a one-game season now, as New Orleans is looking to wrap up the division. While it doesn't seem like the Saints can recapture the No. 1 seed from Green Bay, they need to fend off the Rams and Seahawks from taking them out for the No. 2 seed. The good news is that Seattle and Los Angeles play each other on Sunday, but Sean Payton's team will just be focusing on taking care of business.
This game will be nationally televised on FOX, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call. Additionally, Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer will call the game on Amazon Prime Video. Prime members can also tune-in to a special program called the 'Scout's Feed', which features Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Joy Taylor.
