To win 20-9 at home against an opponent this weak confirmed our fears more than it put them to rest, but a win is a win and the Saints now have something to build on. Without Adrian Peterson the Vikings rushed for 59 yards at 2.7 yards per carry, so his absence obviously made an immense difference. Offensively the Saints struggled to get much going after jumping to a quick two touchdown lead (which was 13-0 due to a blocked extra point). The big momentum shift was an unnecessary roughness play on Brees that gave the Saints an automatic first down and would set up the final touchdown. Below are my notes on the game:
- The Saints did a pretty good job on defense. Yes, the Vikings had no firepower, but at least the defense kept an inept offense from scoring a single touchdown. So that’s something to build on.
- Matt Cassel fractured his foot and Teddy Bridgewater came in. The rookie was slippery and tough to sack, give him credit, but both passers lacked the accuracy to be a consistent threat.
- Corey White replaced Patrick Robinson at corner and played a decent game overall.
- Marques Colston was again a ghost until a late touchdown from 18 yards out to salvage his afternoon. No idea what’s going on with him right now.
- Brandin Cooks still has a ways to go. The rookie looked more like mediocre Reggie Bush than anything else. He has great hands, though.
- Jimmy Graham wasn’t as dominant as usual, but he came up with some huge plays.
- Khiry Robinson ran yard in place of Ingram, but was much better in the first half. He finished with 69 yards rushing.
- Jonathan Goodwin left the game with what looked like a bad foot injury and Tim Lelito immediately came in and caused a fumble on the next snap. Hopefully it’s not serious.
- Shayne Graham had an extra point blocked and his kicks in general looked very low.
A win is a win, we’re now 1-2!
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