The Student of the GameGoing Beyond the Stats

As off-season stories we’ve heard too much about go (at least ones not involving hold-outs or holding cells connected to an arrest), welcome to the best possible NFL Thursday Night Season Opening Match-Up possible as the Minnesota Vikings faced off against the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome. ‘Favre Flummox 2010’ was finally over as QB Brett Favre, on essentially the same day as he did in 2009, finally decided end his yearly retirement charade to weasel out of training camp and commit to a 20th NFL season playing a second year with Minnesota. (And yes, that was a pun on the fact my podcasting co-host cheers for the Vikings as one of his teams).
With the extra time he had from skipping camp, it’s still no shock that Brett didn’t crash the media proclaimed ‘On-Going’ party thrown by the ‘Who-Dat’ nation after last year’s Saints Super Bowl victory. Of course, you won’t catch me making some silly pun about the Saints and what they mean to the city and citizens of New Orleans -- because it’s one thing to earn the ire of a city, but another to risk the wrath of my New Orleander wife.
Mix all of the above in with the prospect of a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game that was decided in overtime and you’ve got quite the spicy ‘Nordic Gumbo’. A dish best served cold, as this game would show. Not because the Vikings were able to avenge last year’s loss in the Saints 14-9 victory, but because neither offense could get hot.
Brees (27/36, 75%, 237 yards, TD) would lead his defending champion offense in exemplary form on the opening drive sailing down the field for 77 yards that was capped off by a 29 yd TD pass to WR Devery Henderson (2 catches , 38 yards, TD). The drive in question accounted for around 30% of the Saints offensive performance on the night as the Minnesota defense tightened up after that.
Favre’s (15-27 55% 171 yards, TD, INT) first interception of the season required only 1 half to take place, but he was able to redeem himself shortly after with a pair of solid passes to TE Vishante Shianko (4 catches, 76 yards, TD), one of them for a 20 yd TD strike that closed out the half with the Vikings up 9-7 after a blocked extra point. The rest of the night looked quite rough for the Purple as they didn’t manage their next completion until the 4th quarter.
Other top performers included RBs from both sides as Vikings runner Adrian Peterson had a fumble free night with 19 carries and 87 yards at 4.5 yards per carry. On his 19 carries, Saints RB Pierre Thomas clocked 71 yards at 3.7 a carry with a TD that turned out to be the game winner despite 2 missed FGs thanks to New Orleans K Garrett Hartley. WR Marques Colston led among New Orleans receivers with 62 yards on his 5 catches, second only to Shiancoe among receivers in the contest.
Neither team looked fantastic, but I’m worried if I’m a Viking fan. Offensive timing between the Immortal Favre and his receivers not named WR Sydney Rice, last year’s favorite target out with a hip injury is still off. Minnesota Head Coach Brad Childress forgot at this time last year he had had a weak schedule and was winning games on the backs of their running game and not relying so much on the pass. They better remember how to run the ball against Miami next week despite LT Bryant McKinnie leaving this game early if they wish to prevent 0-2.
The Saints really did more of what they did last year when the offense wasn’t 100%. They at least moved the ball enough to keep field position right for the defense and protected the football winning the turnover battle 1-0. While they look to face another tough ‘D’ in San Francisco next week, even a member of the 49er Faithful such as myself has to admit skepticism they’d move the ball on the New Orleans defense I watched tonight.