Vikes vs Saints

[zepman]

The Vikings are a better team than the Saints...them, playing at home, evens the odds...I think it'll be a close game either way. This time...Vikes win by 3!!

[LMITOUT]

Troy Williamson is available.

[zepman]

Isn't it funny how Williamson and TJack are about the same type of player...almost exactly. Both probably PRACTICE and work-out really well but when the lights come on and the seats are full....they fail miserably!

At least we had the sense to get rid of one of them....

[Rick]

Actually, Williamson couldn't catch balls well in practice either. So bad comparison and faulty logic.

T-Jack did not have a good pre-season. I'll give you that.

[FISHINGURU]

Williamson lol, wow what a horrible draft pick from one of the worse trades in NFL history. It was pathetic when we traded Moss away for basically nothing and then waste a high draft pic on that clown to replace him.

I remember we passed on DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman for that fast blind reciever, what a waste. Then we took Erasmus James later in the 1st round while we let Aaron Rodgers slide to the packers at pick 24 lol.

[zepman]

Maybe the worst 2 combined draft picks in the 1st round when a team has two of them to pick from. Those two draft picks (different players of course) should be on this team and in their prime...instead, we have nothing to show for either one of them.

[Rick]

That's the one thing the Childress era has changed for the better....

Spielman, Studwell and Childress do an outstanding job with player personnel. I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements. Chili does know how to pick good coaching staff, he just has a tough go being a head coach.

I'm a bit worried he's losing the team and that would be a disaster for our playoff picture this year. He hasn't looked comfortable on camera since Favre came back.

[LMITOUT]

Maybe the worst 2 combined draft picks in the 1st round when a team has two of them to pick from. Those two draft picks (different players of course) should be on this team and in their prime...instead, we have nothing to show for either one of them.

As I said in the other thread, just another horrible personnel move in a long line of many by the Vikings, striving for mediocrity.

[FISHINGURU]

I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements.

Tomlinson? Why would you want LT to be our coach lol?

I'd rather see what Leslie Frazier could do as a head coach instead of Chilly, unless he's a Junkson fan. I'll take any coach that send that kid packing, he's the only player in the NFL that has a secure job even though he plays like dung.

[SkunkedAgain]

Fanning the flames!

Quote:

METAIRIE, La. — The disrespect card has become such a cliché in professional sports that players and teams routinely deal it to manufacture motivation instead of just shutting up and performing.

To be sure, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are not martyring themselves this week as they prepare for their NFC championship game rematch with the Vikings, who did everything last January to punch their ticket to Miami and a showdown with the Colts — except hold on to the football.

Nor are the Saints deaf to the chatter emanating from Minnesota for seven months that the Vikings, who dominated every statistical category, lost that game more than New Orleans won it.

They simply do not care.

"If they think anything because they had more yards and they were able to run the ball, throw the ball, if they could just take away the turnovers ... no, that's part of the game," defensive end Alex Brown said.

Added coach Sean Payton: "Part of winning the game is scoring more points. Certainly turnovers win and lose games, and I would say the turnovers were the difference in that game."

Minnesota's generosity — five turnovers, including quarterback Brett Favre's interception during a potential game-winning drive in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter — was uncharacteristic for a team that had only 18 turnovers all season.

The giveaways led directly to only seven New Orleans points. But the scoring opportunities the Vikings

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lost with the football cost them dearly and still has players and fans gnashing their teeth.

Besides Favre's second interception, Minnesota was poised to take a seven-point lead into halftime when Favre and running back Adrian Peterson botched a handoff with 56 seconds remaining that snuffed that drive.

In the fourth quarter, wide receiver Bernard Berrian fumbled at the Saints' 11-yard line. Peterson scored with 4:58 remaining to tie the score 28-28.

But Favre's notorious pick on third and 15 from the Saints' 37 — one play after the Vikings lost 5 yards because they were penalized for having 12 men in the huddle — robbed kicker Ryan Longwell of a 55-yard field-goal attempt to send them to Super Bowl.

The Vikings never touched the ball again after the Saints won the overtime coin toss and Garrett Hartley booted his 40-yard winner.

"They are the Super Bowl champs and they deserve that respect, but we beat ourselves in that game," Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "We have a lot stuff to work on. We've got that bad taste in our mouth, and we need to brush our teeth."

New Orleans defensive tackle Remi Ayodele begs to differ.

"People can say that, but I don't think they lost it. They're not turnovers, they're takeaways," he said. "There was one time when Adrian fumbled, it was an actual fumble. Every other time, it was forced. That's our game plan every game. That's the main reason we had so many turnovers. That's what we're coached to do."

The Saints certainly were an opportunistic team in 2009. Their plus-11 turnover ratio was the third-best in the NFL. They also scored eight touchdowns off fumbles and interceptions, and their 141 points off turnovers tied them with Green Bay for tops in the league.

Winning the takeaway battle is a coaching axiom as old as the forward pass because turnovers shift momentum, shorten field position and stagnate offenses.

"When you finish five takeaways to one giveaway you're going to win 95 percent of those games," Payton said. "You steal a possession. When you're losing one and giving one, that's tough to overcome."

Debating whether the Vikings lost or the Saints won makes interesting conversation, but it will not pry the Lombardi Trophy away from New Orleans or grant Minnesota a do-over.

Because take away Thursday's pregame parade in the French Quarter, the Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band concert and the banner-raising ceremony at the Superdome, and what you have simply is a Week 1 matchup that has zero effect on what happened here in January.

"They're looking at us as the Super Bowl champs, and that's the position they wanted to be in," said Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, who intercepted Favre at the pivotal moment. "They didn't win that game, so they think they've got something to prove to us, and by us winning the championship, we've got something to prove to the world."

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP REWIND

Vikings vs. Saints — a tale of the tape

Minnesota New Orleans

Points 28 31

Total yards 475 257

Passing 310 189

Rushing 165 68

First downs 31 15

3rd-down convers.7-12 3-12

Plays 82 55

Time of poss. 36:49 27:56

Turnovers 5 1

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Vikes will smoke them this year. No turnovers and we'll get them by 14+ points!!! Stupid Saints!

[LMITOUT]

Saints by 6 in a causual win, while the Vikes struggle to stay in the game.

[zepman]

That's the one thing the Childress era has changed for the better....

Spielman, Studwell and Childress do an outstanding job with player personnel. I would prefer to see Tomlinson as our head coach with Childress and Spielman working together on player personnel and coaching staff improvements. Chili does know how to pick good coaching staff, he just has a tough go being a head coach.

I'm a bit worried he's losing the team and that would be a disaster for our playoff picture this year. He hasn't looked comfortable on camera since Favre came back.

Chilly may be losing the team a little...he should know better than to play mind-games with a veteran squad...it doesn't fly. The Sage trade sends the wrong message to those trying to "earn" and keep a spot on the Vikes roster. Trust is lost.

Same goes with the media...his aloof and arrogant "style" gains him no points with them and average Joe who takes it all in. Chilly is the ultimate control freak and is finding out he can't manipulate every circumstance in his favor.

[SkunkedAgain]

Ouch! Scathing, but accurate Zepman. Trying to control everything is pointless and energy wasting. Setting a course and adjusting to the inevitable changes is better.

[Dark Cloud]

Vikes will smoke them this year. No turnovers and we'll get them by 14+ points!!! Stupid Saints!

Wow! I dont even know what to say besides wow....

[Rick]

Wow! I dont even know what to say besides wow....

DC, you sure do sound like a Pittsburgh fan, just thinking about what BIG BEN did!!!

score 18-17 MN wins. DBs and WRs are an issue.

[Born2Fish]

Vikes by 7. Vikings 30 Saints 23.

[harvey lee]

No turnovers and the Vikes should win.

[RiverFish]

Saints 30 vikes 23.

[walleyes12]

Vikes 31-23, AP 156 and 3 TDS

[JP Z]

Will be close for sure........maybe Vikes by a FG in OT?

[MNice]

Saints 28, vikes 17. Our offensive line is the weak link. Hope I'm wrong.

[Cooter]

Purple tears will be trickling downriver towards New Orleans starting later tonight.

[solbes]

Vikes 24, Aint's 17.

I'm starting to get pretty pumped. It's been a long time since we've had an opening matchup as good as this one.

[james_walleye]

Here is the old metrodome vikings intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-1tfsDa4UE

cant wait for kickoff

[Shack]

I hate to say it, but I am prepping for a loss tonight. Even though the Saints D is some what diffrrnent than last we saw them, the hurt'in they thru down on Favre is still fresh. Favre needs to throw the ball to score, but that leaves him open for getting smashed. They are going to run the ball 80% of the time I feel and that could lead into slow scoring. Our D has to be the figure of the game tonight. They will make or break this game as a win or loss.

Either way, we need to just get though this game, win or loss, and start thinking of next week. Go Vikes, even if they do loose.

[FISHINGURU]

Everyones worried about Favre but I think Brees is goin down hard!!!!

[gr8icefishinmind]

One thing to look for tonight is if the vikes have the fire that they did last year to win!! Last year was WAYYYYY different than this season, last year everyone on the team was amped up to have favre on the team and it was new to all of them!! win or lose tonight, I want to see the vikes play their hearts out and show everyone that they are coming into this season with the same mentallity as last season!!

SKOL VIKES!!!

[creepworm]

One thing everyone is leaving out is brees will play 5 plays at most before having a season ending injury due to being on the cover of madden and the madden curse.

I hope the vikings win because I am extremely sick of hearing about the saints. Just from watching espn I could swear the vikings weren't even suiting up for this one.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Definetly sick of hearing about POOR NEW ORLEANS and the WHO DAT nation............GAG ME!! I hope we put a serious azz whooping on poor new orleans!!