Good game Saints.

[Big Bubba]

The score does not describe how badly the Saints offense had their way with the Vikings defense. It looked like their secondary had a strike before the game and all agreed not to cover a single WR or TE. Having an extremely porous secondary is normally okay if you can at least stop the run, but toward the end, they couldn't even do that.

That team looked horrible.

[SaintRay]

08NFCSChamps,

I agree with what you said, but I didn't really feel the Saints had their way with the Vikings, outside of the 2 opening possessions of each half, until late in the game. It almost seemed like conditioning played a part in the 4th Quarter and the Saints controlled the Vikings when it counted most and closed them out. The defense played well considering AP is a strong back.

The Vikings are a heck of defensive team and it showed last night. The Saints beat an above average team but I'm not sure how deep Minny can go this year.

SR

[Big Bubba]

08NFCSChamps,

I agree with what you said, but I didn't really feel the Saints had their way with the Vikings, outside of the 2 opening possessions of each half, until late in the game. It almost seemed like conditioning played a part in the 4th Quarter and the Saints controlled the Vikings when it counted most and closed them out. The defense played well considering AP is a strong back.

The Vikings are a heck of defensive team and it showed last night. The Saints beat an above average team but I'm not sure how deep Minny can go this year.

SR

Brees had a 100+ qb rating. When he went to throw the ball, I swear it seemed like the Vikings secondary always had a huge hole somewhere on the field. The Vikings were above average in '09, they were well below average last night.

Their offense aside from that one TD looked worse than even the Panthers offense did in the preseason. Except I have peace of mind knowing the Panthers strayed from their formula and turned into a pass first offense in preseason in order to get the young WRs some reps. The Vikings offense, seriously......ouch. I never knew that Rice was that important to them.

[Big Bubba]

I'm not sold on the Saints kicker though. Didn't he miss two FGs? I don't know much about him, you guys think last night was just a fluke for him or will he be possibly replaced?

[nolafan33]

The Saints left a lot of points on the field. I can count atleast 3 passes that the reciever dropped where if he didn't he may have scored.

Henderson right after his first TD, overthrow.

Colston on that deep pass that the corner made a play on, but you still gotta come up with that.

Meachem in the endzone, NO reason to drop that pass. Led to a missed field goal.

So we're talking a 20-9 game if Hartley makes both kicks, or even better a possible 35-9 game. Saints left a lot of points on the field.

[nolafan33]

I'm not sold on the Saints kicker though. Didn't he miss two FGs? I don't know much about him, you guys think last night was just a fluke for him or will he be possibly replaced?

I think it was a fluke. He was 7-7 in the preseason and 22-24 for his career before last night. He'll be ok.

[Big Bubba]

The Saints left a lot of points on the field. I can count atleast 3 passes that the reciever dropped where if he didn't he may have scored.

Henderson right after his first TD, overthrow.

Colston on that deep pass that the corner made a play on, but you still gotta come up with that.

Meachem in the endzone, NO reason to drop that pass. Led to a missed field goal.

So we're talking a 20-9 game if Hartley makes both kicks, or even better a possible 35-9 game. Saints left a lot of points on the field.

I saw that also. Fluke drops. The hits they took at the catches didn't look to be that hard. Like I said, I knew the Vikings secondary was bad, just not "that" bad. You know? If they don't get their defense fixed, their team will be behind the Lions.

[SaintRay]

Fans who sat behind the uprights said Hartley was struggling in pregame warmups last night.

He was at fault on his first miss last night. The holder didn't get the ball on the second kick, so he gets some of that blame.

I wouldn't be surprised to see another kicker in New Orleans next week to compete with Hartley if he faulters again in SF.

But as Nola points out, Hartley has been money for New Orleans. Plus he can punt the ball too if asked. He did it during the preseason and launched a few very impressive punts.

[Magic Man]

I think it was a fluke. He was 7-7 in the preseason and 22-24 for his career before last night. He'll be ok.

I know Elam was older, but we as Falcons fans thought he would "be ok" and he ended up having to be replaced. Sometimes the light comes back on, but more often than not if the slide has started for a kicker, he can get in his own head and be in for a long season.

As far as the OP goes, I would say that the Vikings defense held one of the NFL's best offense to 14 points. While that was great, a lot of the miscues by the Taint receivers were flagrant, and had the refs got the call on the pass to Kleinsasser (i think that was Kleinsasser) right, this could have may been a different game. Looks like Payton needs to take his receivers to task after this one.

[st. diehard]

Alright jnola, you're starting your crazy talk now. The was what it was. It looked like two very rusty team out there where either offense could've done more but they looked like they were in preseason. Enjoy the win but don't get carried away talking like that.

I'm just relieved Sean balanced out the O with alot more running in the 2nd half. I understood wanting to expose the Vike secondary, but that pass/run ratio in the 1st had me uncomfortable.

Only 1 takeaway and no defensive score, yet a W all the same. All the pundits said that wasn't doable.

[falconsfan84]

Injuries to the Vikings secondary probably played a small part in their weakness. No discredit to the Saints though.

[Aquietguy]

Alright jnola, you're starting your crazy talk now. The was what it was. It looked like two very rusty team out there where either offense could've done more but they looked like they were in preseason. Enjoy the win but don't get carried away talking like that.

It was more of our D than rust.

[falconsd56]

It was more of our D than rust.

you must not have watched the same game.

there were times Farve had LOTS of time but just made bad throws.

there were also atleast 2 occasions where if Harvin kept running his route instead of just stopping they would have completed 3rd downs.

Yeah the Saints defense played pretty well but its not like they totally dominated the vikes or anything like that.

The in the second quarter the vikes pushed the saints around on both sides of the ball.