The New Orleans Saints (1-3) look to rebound from Monday’s lopsided loss to the Atlanta Falcons when they take on the Minnesota Vikings (4-0) Sunday in Caesars Superdome. Here are our staff predictions for the game.
Jeff Duncan (Season record: 1-3)
Saints 20, Vikings 16: In the NFL, sometimes the most desperate team wins (see: Tampa Bay, Thursday night). In this game, that would be the Saints, who are reeling after back-to-back home losses. It’s still early in the season, but this feels like a gotta-have-it game for New Orleans. The defense wins this one.
Zach Ewing (Season record: 1-3)
Vikings 19, Saints 17: The NFL is a week-by-week league, meaning what happened last week often has nothing to do with this week (again see: the 0-4 Buccaneers on Thursday night). I think the Saints bounce back here from an competitive standpoint. This is also a better matchup for them. However, I had long ago circled this spot as a tricky one on a short week after an emotional game, and I’m sticking to a close Minnesota victory.
Luke Johnson (Season record: 1-3)
Vikings 16, Saints 13: Obviously, going by my personal season record, I have had a hard time figuring out who this Saints team will be on a weekly basis. At the present moment, it’s hard to be optimistic about their chances against what has been the NFL’s best defense through four weeks. It feels like the Saints defense is set for a rebound performance, but I don’t trust New Orleans’ offensive line against this creative Vikings pass rush.
Matthew Paras (Season record: 1-3)
Saints 17, Vikings 13: The Saints lose the games they’re supposed to win and win the games they’re supposed to lose. Or so it seems. And for these purposes, we’re counting the Week 1 effort against Detroit as a moral victory. But if that pattern holds, then reluctantly give me the Saints. I believe Brandon Staley when he said Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons was “very uncharacteristic” for the defense. Now the unit faces a Vikings offense that has struggled badly to start the year. If the defense bounces back and Tyler Shough and Co. can handle Minnesota’s blitzes well enough, that formula should be enough for a win. But who knows.
Rod Walker (Season record: 2-2)
Saints 17, Vikings 14: This feels almost like a make-or-break game for the Saints. They desperately need to get off the mat after being knocked out by the rival Falcons on Monday night. The Vikings’ defense is nasty, but their offense is limited. Scoring against Minnesota won’t be easy, but maybe the Saints’ defense or special teams can help out. Saints find a way to bounce back from that Monday night debacle and salvage this homestand.
