Saints rally from huge deficit falls short in 27-19 loss at Vikings

The rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings has produced some memorable games.

One memory is one of the two best in franchise history for the Saints, as New Orleans defeated the Vikings 31-28 in overtime in the NFC championship game in the 2009 season.

The others are mostly nightmares for the Saints, including the first-ever playoff game for the Saints, a 44-10 loss to the Vikings in the 1987 season in New Orleans.

That also includes the 2017 postseason’s Minneapolis Miracle, where the Vikings scored an improbable 29-24 win in the NFC Divisional round on the play Marcus Williams and all Saints fans want to forget.

Then, there was the 2019 season playoff game where the Vikings ended the season in New Orleans with a 26-20 overtime playoff win.

Minnesota was without Justin Jefferson and without Kirk Cousins, among others. New Orleans was a 3-point favorite.

It did not matter.

By game’s end, it was chalking up another nightmare for New Orleans (5-5) in this matchup.

Here are my Quick Takes from the 27-19 loss to Minnesota (6-4):

**A year ago, the Saints had a total of 14 takeaways. Heading into Sunday’s game at Minnesota, New Orleans had 18 takeaways. For the first time this year, the Saints did not come with a turnover and it was a factor.

**Inactives for the Saints were Isaiah Foskey, Jimmy Graham, Jake Haener, Jake Haener and Nick Saldiveri

**New Orleans won the toss and deferred, giving the Vikings the game first.

**Justin Jefferson was inactive with his hamstring injury but tight end T.J. Hockenson, who leads all NFL tight ends, was active.

**On the opening drive, Paulson Adebo had a Josh Dobbs throw go through his hands and into the hands of Jordan Addison for 27 yards to the New Orleans 28-yard line.

**That led to a 40-yard field goal by Greg Joseph to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead with 10:47 to play in the opening quarter. The drive covered 53 yards in eight plays. The drive stalled when Adebo broke up a pass on third down to force the field goal attempt.

**Dobbs was 4-of-5 for 52 yards on the drive.

**On the first play from scrimmage for the Saints, Derek Carr tried to get the ball to Michael Thomas, who had no catches last week. Thomas dropped it when hit hard.

**On the second play, Carr ran the quick slant to Thomas for nine yards but Thomas was then injured, a knee injury. He would not return.

**On the opening drive for the Saints, they reached the Minnesota 44 but on second-and-two, rather than run the ball, elected to throw a naked screed to Rashid Shaheed, who was hit immediately and lost three yards and that killed the drive.

**New Orleans has faltered badly on opening possessions this season, scoring just six points in 10 games. Perhaps Pete Carmichael needs to re-examine his scripted plays.

**On the second possession for Minnesota, Alontae Taylor made a great play on the ball on a pass attempt for Hockenson.

**On the second New Orleans possession, Carr hit rookie A.T. Perry on a perfect throw for a 23-yard gain to the Minnesota 24-yard line, his first catch in the NFL.

A.T. Perry's first NFL catch goes for 23 yards 🙌

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/P7ysZk3Sph

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

**Foster Moreau killed the second drive with a holding penalty, negating a 13-yard gain by Alvin Kamara.

**Blake Grupe tied the game with a 48-yard field goal to make it 3-3 with 1:19 to play in the opening quarter. That completed a 46-yard drive in 10 plays.

**On the final play of the first quarter, Dobbs, realizing he had a free play, threw deep and Adebo intercepted it but Carl Granderson jumped offside, another costly penalty.

**Minnesota took advantage, driving 75 yards in 10 plays to take a 10-3 lead with 10:14 to play in the first half on a 2-yard run by Ty Chandler, his first NFL touchdown.

A little trickery.@Channdler_35 scores his first career TD.

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/w3LRxfx2Xx

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

**On the next possession, Carr was sacked by D.J. Wonnum as Andrus Peat got whipped, forcing a punt.

**Hockenson re-injured his ribs with under six minutes to play in the half. Unfortunately for the Saints, he was able to return and had his way with the New Orleans defense.

**Pete Werner then incurred a brutal illegal contact penalty, negating a sack by Cam Jordan.

**Dobbs continued to shred the Saints, driving Minnesota 82 yards in nine plays, completing the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 17-3 with 3:30 to play in the half.

Takeoff 🚀@josh_dobbs1

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/lWu5Ic3a2z

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

**Rashid Shaheed committed a false start to help kill the next New Orleans possession.

**Minnesota blew the game open right before the end of the first half, driving 76 yards in seven plays with Dobbs hitting Hockenson on a 28-yard touchdown pass to blow it open at 24-3 at halftime.

.@josh_dobbs1 finds @TheeHOCK8 for another #Vikings score

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/ZzBW51cf2i

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

**Hockenson finished the half with 10 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown.

**Dobbs was 18-of-22 for 220 yards and a touchdown and he ran six times for 40 yards and a touchdown.

**Minnesota finished the half with 297 yards to just 110 for the Saints.

**The Vikings had the ball for 17:55 to just 12:05 for the Saints in the half.

**The 24 points were the most in the first half this season for Minnesota.

**On the first possession of the second half, the Saints failed to convert on third-and-one and lined up to go for it on fourth-and-one at their own 29-yard line. Both Trevor Penning, who has been a tremendous disappointment, and Peat jumped, forcing a punt. Of course, on the punt, Zach Wood was flagged for holding, giving Minnesota better field position to start their drive.

**Granderson then committed his second critical penalty, committing an obvious roughing the passer penalty on Dobbs to sustain Minnesota’s next drive.

**That led to a 33-yard field goal by Joseph to extend the lead to 27-3 with 10:09 to play in the third quarter.

**On the next possession, Carr stepped up under pressure, delivered a strike to Chris Olave but was crushed by Danielle Hunter and Carr was injured.

**Jameis Winston came in and immediately had an impact, completing three straight passes, including a perfect throw to Chris Olave for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 27-9. Olave elevated over Byron Murphy Jr. to make a brilliant catch and got both feet inbounds in the right-back corner of the end zone.

this throw 🎯

THIS CATCH – @chrisolave_ 🤯

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/dyYL2XmyMQ

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

**Kamara ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 27-11 with 5:26 to play in the third quarter. The drive, started by Carr and finished by Winston, covered 75 yards in 10 plays.

**Winston was 3-of-3 for 34 yards on the drive with the touchdown pass as Carr was carted off to the locker room with a right shoulder injury and in concussion protocol.

**The Saints then got a rare stop but the offense went 3-and-out on three straight incomplete passes.

**Taylor went down injured late in the third quarter.

**Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter with 14:55 to play in the game.

**That gave New Orleans the ball in good field position at its own 44-yard line, the best starting field position of the day for the Saints.

**Hunter committed a hands to the face to sustain the next possession for the Saints. Hunter was blocked by Peat and Hunter lost his helmet on the play.

**Hunter then collected his league-leading 11th sack on the next play, whipping Ryan Ramczyk.

**On fourth-and-three, Winston hit Olave with a 27-yard completion to the Minnesota 17-yard line for a first down.

**Winston then threw across the field and Perry went up over Murphy and caught it, a terrific catch, for a 15-yard touchdown and Kamara again ran in the 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to 27-19 with 11:40 to play in the game. The drive covered 56 yards in nine plays.

Another insane TD throw by Jameis – and what a catch by A.T. PERRY!!#Saints | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/cTXwrRmlj5

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

**Both Marshon Lattimore and Malcolm Roach went down on the same play with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. Lattimore was carted off but Roach returned.

**Chandler ran 29 yards for a touchdown but Brian O’Neill was flagged for holding.

**On the next play, Demario Davis sacked Dobbs to knock the Vikings out of field goal range.

DEMARIO!!!!!#Saints | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/sT2vfRcj4s

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

**Shaheed wiped out a 30-yard completion from Winston to Olave, lining up offside, a totally inexcusable penalty and his second penalty of the game.

**On the next play, Winston went deep for Shaheed, slightly overthrew him and Shaheed was injured on the play.

**Lynn Bowden Jr. made his first catch of the season, a 12-yard catch, on the next play.

**Facing a blitz, Winston just threw it up deep and it went right to Mekhi Blackmon for an interception. The pass was intended for Olave.

What a moment to nab your 1st career INT@MekhiBlackmon

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/C41YPNOtmn

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

**New Orleans got a stop and got it back at midfield with 2:07 to play.

**It did not matter. Winston reverted to his career-long ways, making a terrible decision, throwing it into three defenders for a second interception, intended for Perry, and it went right to Murphy for an easy interception, the second bad decision and bad throw by Winston in as many possessions.

What a moment to nab your 1st career INT@MekhiBlackmon

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/C41YPNOtmn

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

**The Saints got a stop and got the ball back with one play left at the Minnesota 48-yard line. Winston launched a pass to the end zone on the final play which was batted down to seal the deal.

Winston finished 13-of-25 for 122 yards with two touchdowns but two interceptions.

Carr was 13-of-18 for 110 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

You have one quarterback who takes chances and can make big plays but will make mistakes.

You have another who does not take many chances, is not making mistakes, but is not making enough big plays.

Neither is good enough to win with any degree of consistency.

After giving up 297 yards and 24 points in the first half, the Saints defense allowed just 90 yards and three points in the second half, similar to the defensive effort against the Bears.

After just 110 yards and three points in the first half, the Saints offense had 170 yards and 16 points in the second half.

You have to play complete games to beat good teams.

After just one penalty a week ago, the Saints were undisciplined, making many inexcusable mistakes, incurring nine penalties for 74 yards.

The Bears are a bad team.

The Vikings are not outstanding but are pretty good, now 6-4.

The Vikings lose their quarterback, trade for a journeyman, and win two games and have now won five straight games.

Dobbs was acquired by Arizona just prior to the season. He was acquired by Minnesota for a sixth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick from the Cardinals.

The Saints have a $150 million quarterback in his 30’s who is simply average and a former No. 1 overall pick who can make throws but is a turnover-prone backup, not in demand by anyone else, and the Saints are stuck in neutral at 5-5.

The optimism of winning two straight games with Carr playing solidly dissipated into despair quickly. The optimism of Winston rallying his team for a pair of scores dissipated into despair quickly with two very bad interceptions.

It was a decidedly disappointing, dismal performance for the most part.

Yes, the defense again made second half adjustments, just as they did against the Bears, and played better in the final two quarters.

Yes, the offense finally found something and scored twice with Winston.

No, it was not good enough.

The Saints are 5-5 against a soft schedule as the bye arrives. That is who they are.

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