Vikings-Saints Wild Card Round Predictions
It's almost time to find out if the 2019 Vikings are going to go out with a whimper, put up a fight but fall short, or find a way to pull off a big-time upset and continue their season.
The Vikings are eight-point underdogs against the Saints, and that makes sense. Drew Brees and the Saints' offense have been on fire of late, while the Vikings have yet to beat a good team on the road this season.
But that's why you play the game. Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen are healthy for the first time since Week 6, and the Vikings certainly have the talent to pull off an upset. It's just going to take their best all-around performance of the season.
Here's what the national media thinks will happen in NOLA on Sunday.
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com: Saints 36, Vikings 27
"The Saints have averaged 36.3 points in their last seven games. Their combination of unstoppable route combinations created by Sean Payton's playbook and Michael Thomas' ability to make contested catches is unparalleled. A year after losing a playoff game in the most excruciating way possible, the Saints enter this postseason at 13-3 looking a lot more like the 2009 Saints than last year's group did late in the 2018 campaign. That should result in another big total on Sunday and a lot of soul-searching in Minnesota about the efficacy of building around Mike Zimmer's defense."
Bleacher Report: Saints 31, Vikings 20
"The Vikings are a good team, and having Cook back for this game is a big boost. But the Vikes aren't close to as good as the Saints, who will be playing in front of a raucous Superdome crowd. New Orleans likely isn't happy about even having to play on Wild Card Weekend, and there's the matter of payback for the Minneapolis Miracle of two years ago. Saints roll to a double-digit-point win, and the 'Kirk Cousins can't win the big one' narrative rolls on."
Courtney Cronin, ESPN Vikings Reporter: Saints 33, Vikings 24
"Bold prediction: Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins will shatter the notion that he can't play well in big-time games. With his full core of offensive starters available and healthy, Cousins will have his best game of the season, passing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. But it won't be enough to outduel Brees and the NFL's highest-scoring offense (36.3 points per game since Week 10)."
Mike Triplett, ESPN Saints Reporter: Saints 30, Vikings 23
"What to watch for: Saints quarterback Drew Brees is playing some of the best football of his career at age 40. He threw 15 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in December and finished the regular season with a career-best passer rating of 116.3 despite missing five games earlier in the season because of thumb surgery. On the flip side, the Saints have quietly had the NFL's No. 1 run defense over the past two seasons but will face a formidable matchup against a healthy Dalvin Cook."
Tadd Haislop, Sporting News: Saints 30, Vikings 21
"The Vikings knew they would be in for a tough road trip in the wild-card round no matter what happened in Week 17, and it came in the form of a Sunday afternoon game in the raucous Superdome against the hottest team in the NFL outside of Baltimore. Minnesota is one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, but New Orleans, boosted by the resurgence of Alvin Kamara to compliment the brilliance of Michael Thomas, has rediscovered its groove. In an effort to control time of possession and keep the crowd level to a minimum, the Vikings will want to employ the Dalvin Cook-led zone rushing attack they spent the entire season sharpening. The problem is the Saints have the NFL's fourth best rush defense. If this becomes a duel between Drew Brees and Kirk Cousins, Minnesota will lose."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Saints 33, Vikings 23
"This is a rematch of a classic playoff game two season ago, which was won by the Vikings on the Minneapolis Miracle. But this one is in New Orleans. The Saints are a much better team at home and Drew Brees and the offense move it much better inside the Superdome. The Vikings have had defensive issues this season, and I think Brees will exploit those. Kirk Cousins, who has never won a playoff game, won't be able to keep up. Saints move on."
Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports: Saints 29, Vikings 24
"This is a serious prove-it opportunity for Minnesota, who could easily advance to the NFC title game as long as it can escape Louisiana with a win. That's a big "if," though, and the oddsmakers aren't crazy to forecast this as a two-score game. A ton of Dalvin Cook and Kirk Cousins play-action should keep the Vikings in play, but the Saints might be the most explosive team in the NFC, and their quick-strike attack should offset the Danielle Hunter-headlined pass rush. Alvin Kamara. Michael Thomas. Drew Brees. It's all too much to bet against, especially at home against Mike Zimmer, who's suspect in big games."
Michael David Smith, ProFootballTalk: Saints 24, Vikings 10
"This is the easiest pick of the weekend. The Saints are one of the league’s elite teams — good enough that in most years they would have earned a bye week — and the Vikings just aren’t on their level. I like the Saints not just to win this one, but to win by a couple of touchdowns."
Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: Saints 27, Vikings 10
"It will take more than a miracle for the Vikings to upend one of the best teams in the league. Minnesota won’t even have a chance without a potent running game that makes it easier to move the ball through the air. Even though Dalvin Cook is healthy, the Saints’ defensive front should be able to bottle him up, and in turn to make the Vikings’ offense one-dimensional. The Saints, who shouldn’t even be playing in this round, advance to the next one easily."
Editor's Note: looks like Mike Zimmer was right when he said no one was picking the Vikings.
