8 Reactions to the Vikings’ Nail-Biter Win over the Saints
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings came into Week 10 riding on a four-game winning streak with a game against the New Orleans Saints looming.
Early on, it seemed like Minnesota would be able to just cruise to a win as they entered halftime with a 24-3 lead, but per usual, nothing can be quite normal when these two teams meet.
The Saints came roaring back in the second half by scoring 16 of the next 19 points, but some strong defense from the Vikings down the stretch gave them a 27-19 win over New Orleans. Here are 8 reactions to this latest win by the Vikings as they improve to 6-4.
1. Another Strong Game from Josh Dobbs
One of the big questions for Minnesota coming into this game was whether or not Josh Dobbs would be able to put together another strong game to lead this Vikings offense. Without K.J. Osborn or Justin Jefferson, he would need to find ways to get other receivers involved. Throughout much of this game, Dobbs did exactly that, torching the Saints defense throughout the first half and giving Minnesota their comfortable cushion that allowed them to win this game.
2. Ty Chandler Can Handle the RB2 Role
The Minnesota Vikings have needed more consistent big-time plays from their backfield this season, and Ty Chandler proved he can do just that in Week 10. The second-year RB had not gotten much of an opportunity to do so throughout his young NFL career. Without Cam Akers in the lineup, Chandler finished the day with 15 carries for 44 yards and his first TD of the season.
3. Second Half Offensive Woes
The offense was clicking on all cylinders throughout the first half for Minnesota, but things quickly derailed over the final 30 minutes. The Vikings mustered just three points during the second half, and Dobbs threw for just 48 yards. It seemed like the Vikings got a bit timid with the lead, and without a truly stable running game yet, they simply could not move the ball efficiently as they tried to drain clock.
4. Saints Secondary As Advertised
Jordan Addison and the rest of what was left of Minnesota’s wide receiver group made a few nice plays on Sunday, but the Saints secondary made it tough throughout the entire way. Even with Marshon Lattimore going down with an injury, Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor consistently were in the grills of Vikings pass-catchers, which was a big reason why New Orleans was able to get back in this game.
5. T.J. Hockenson’s Masterpiece
T.J. Hockenson is a tough you-know-what. The Vikings tight end struggled through a rib injury during last week’s win over Atlanta, and he was limited throughout this past week of practice heading into Week 10. Even still, Hockenson came out and delivered for Minnesota, putting together 11 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. 10 of those catches came during the first half to give the Vikings their initial big lead.
6. More Backup QB Magic…for a While
We saw some backup QB magic work in favor of the Vikings last week when Dobbs stepped in to lead them against the Falcons. This week, it almost worked against them when Jameis Winston took control of the Saints offense after Derek Carr got injured. Winston came in and immediately led a pair of TD drives for New Orleans, but then, the turnover bug got to him, throwing a couple interceptions during the fourth quarter.
7. Mekhi Blackmon’s Big Moment
Speaking of interceptions, one of those Winston interceptions came courtesy of rookie CB Mekhi Blackmon. On a third down pass to Chris Olave, Blackmon stepped in and picked off the pass to help prevent New Orleans from coming all the way back in this game. The rookie has made a few strong plays over the past few weeks, and hopefully, this is a sign of more good things to come.
8. Third Down Efficiency
The Vikings went up against one of the more renowned defenses in the NFL. Again, the second half wasn’t very pretty, but Minnesota still converted a very respectable number of third downs to help control the time of possession battle. They went 6-of-15 against a defense that was holding opponents to just a 34.1% conversion rate coming into the weekend. We’ll take that every time.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.