Saints at Vikings

[CharVike]

This Saint team is a painful research and I can't even say what they are good at or bad at. They are all over the board and change from week to week. They have a top 10 defense but you never know what will show up. They shut out the Pats and let Jax post 31. They lost a 17 point 4th qtr lead and got beat. Also they won a game by a point and lost one by a point. They won 34-0 and got beat 26-9. Their offense is up and down. Some games it looks like they can score at will and posted 34 and 38 points. Then others it looks like their offense blows. Posted 9 and 13. Last week they get 5 turnovers and still let the Bears hang around. They let an undrafted rookie QB Bagent throw for 200 yds and rush for 70. Flores will bring pressure and force Carr to throw it quickly, take a sack or make an off balance throw from his pocket movement to avoid the pass rush. Flores scheme is great and we are mid pack in ranking. I have alot of respect for him because our talent level is low. His DBs hang back but are looking to jump the route and they all tackle good which takes away yards after the catch. They are improving which is a good thing or maybe it's the QBs we have faced. Probably a combination. For us on O we will see what Dobbs brings with his first start. I don't know what it will be besides trying to run for yards but if he finds a groove it will keep us in the game for a late win possibility. Looks like Peg is in a groove but you never know with him. I always expect a miss extra point and a blocked right FG attempt from pressure stiffness. We are on a 4 game win streak but I think we get beat 20-17. One last Saint thing I found. Tysom Hill is the first NFL player since Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, who retired after the 1964 season, to score 10 or more times each as a passer (11), runner (26) and receiver (10). I guess it's all been done before. I'm sure he'll get in there and try to make some plays.

[StanM]

Reading through your post my first thought was that you described a team that is a lot like the Vikings. That is indeed a hard one to call.

[VikingLord]

The Saints are similar to the Falcons in that what defines both teams is how average each is on both sides of the ball. Like the Falcons, the Saints struggle a bit at the QB position, although in their case they struggle with an identity at QB IMHO, having a "classic" player at the position in Carr and a "gadget" player at the position in Hill. This helps and hurts them in my view, because while Hill brings something different to the position, he also apparently isn't good enough to have earned it outright. It poses additional planning challenges for a defense, but at the same time when Hill is in the defense knows the QB is far more likely to run and can adjust accordingly. This might explain the up-and-down nature of the results the Saints offense has had thus far that CharVike mentioned. Against some defenses, the change of pace at QB by the Saints is very effective. Against others, not so much. As to which category of defense the Vikings will fall into against the Saints, it is hard to tell. The Vikings defense has been generally better defending the run this season than the pass, but also hasn't really faced a gadget QB like Hill yet under Flores. It will be interesting to see how Flores game plans to contain Hill and how much success the Saints have with their offensive approach.

Defensively, the Saints are pretty good against both the pass and the run. They don't have an overpowering pass rush but can be disruptive and put pressure on opposing QBs. Dobbs is a huge wildcard in this game. Can he absorb enough of the offense to get in a nice rhythm early and keep the chains moving? Will his ability to scramble and extend plays with his feet translate as well as it did against the Falcons, or will the Saints be able to contain that better and force him into making more mistakes like he made early against the Falcons? Will the offense continue to improve in terms of execution and avoid the mistakes that cost them during the early part of the season?

This should be a tight game that might come down to a late drive to win for either side and could end up being fairly high scoring as well as I don't think either defense can shut down the opposing offense.

I want Dobbs to do well and part of me believes he will, but he's still got a lot to prove and is in a very challenging situation. Because of that, I'm going to give the edge to New Orleans in this one, but just barely:

Vikings - 27
Saints - 30

[CharVike]

Reading through your post my first thought was that you described a team that is a lot like the Vikings. That is indeed a hard one to call.

You're right they are basically a Falcon team or us. A middle of the pack team. No threat for a Super Bowl and not a door matt team either. Fighting to make the playoffs and then an a$$ kicking eventually. I think if we had Kirk playing and with our improved OL and Flores we are a better all around team. Would we pound them 35-7 in a cake walk? Nope. As was proven earlier in the season even at full strength we lacked the talent and or coaching to win. We always found a way to get beat most of the time. Started with turnovers, dropped passes and all around stupid play.

[J. Kapp 11]

The Saints have played one team — ONE — that currently has a winning record.

The combined record of the 5 teams they’ve beaten is 13-32.

The best team they’ve beaten is Indianapolis (4-5).

As always, I don’t predict scores. But there is no way I pick the Vikings to lose this game.

[psjordan]

The combined record of the 5 teams they’ve beaten is 13-32.

Quick look says our five wins are 16-28, with the following QB's:
Bryce Young
Fields (mostly Bagent)
Brock Purdy
Jordan Love
Taylor Heinicke

Our D may have it's hands full with a veteran QB who has played more than a season or two.

No score prediction, but this game could be a struggle. I do like our attitude when things go wrong however, so I don't think a struggle will put this team down for long.

[VikingsVictorious]

Defense bends, but doesn't break. Vikings ball looking to build on a 3 point lead. Dobbs playing well so far.

[VikingsVictorious]

Dobbs doing it with his feet again. I'll take it.

[VikingsVictorious]

Ty Chandler with his first of hopefully many TDs. Vikings 10-3.

[VikingsVictorious]

I think that should be a TD for Addison. He got the feet down in bounds. The ball did touch the ground, but he was in control when it touched the ground and I never saw him lose the ball unless the replay missed that.

Never mind another replay showed him losing the ball. I hate the catch rules about all the way to the end of the process. He had the ball in control. His feet were in bounds. Should be a completion.
Dobbs for the TD run making it moot.

[VikingsVictorious]

What a game for Hock. I take back all the mean things I ever said about you Hock. Dobbs looking good.

[VikingsVictorious]

The Saints are similar to the Falcons in that what defines both teams is how average each is on both sides of the ball. Like the Falcons, the Saints struggle a bit at the QB position, although in their case they struggle with an identity at QB IMHO, having a "classic" player at the position in Carr and a "gadget" player at the position in Hill. This helps and hurts them in my view, because while Hill brings something different to the position, he also apparently isn't good enough to have earned it outright. It poses additional planning challenges for a defense, but at the same time when Hill is in the defense knows the QB is far more likely to run and can adjust accordingly. This might explain the up-and-down nature of the results the Saints offense has had thus far that CharVike mentioned. Against some defenses, the change of pace at QB by the Saints is very effective. Against others, not so much. As to which category of defense the Vikings will fall into against the Saints, it is hard to tell. The Vikings defense has been generally better defending the run this season than the pass, but also hasn't really faced a gadget QB like Hill yet under Flores. It will be interesting to see how Flores game plans to contain Hill and how much success the Saints have with their offensive approach.

Defensively, the Saints are pretty good against both the pass and the run. They don't have an overpowering pass rush but can be disruptive and put pressure on opposing QBs. Dobbs is a huge wildcard in this game. Can he absorb enough of the offense to get in a nice rhythm early and keep the chains moving? Will his ability to scramble and extend plays with his feet translate as well as it did against the Falcons, or will the Saints be able to contain that better and force him into making more mistakes like he made early against the Falcons? Will the offense continue to improve in terms of execution and avoid the mistakes that cost them during the early part of the season?

This should be a tight game that might come down to a late drive to win for either side and could end up being fairly high scoring as well as I don't think either defense can shut down the opposing offense.

I want Dobbs to do well and part of me believes he will, but he's still got a lot to prove and is in a very challenging situation. Because of that, I'm going to give the edge to New Orleans in this one, but just barely:

Vikings - 27
Saints - 30

VL I very much appreciate you continuing to take one for the team every week.

[VikingsVictorious]

I admired the Saints possibly going for it on 4th and 1 at their own 34. What did they have to lose? However, they were probably trying to get the Vikings to jump and instead jumped themselves.

[VikingsVictorious]

4th and 3. Go for it.

[VikingsVictorious]

4th and 3. Go for it.

Of course he didn't go for it. Saint's ball at 44 yard line.