Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints: Complete Week 3 Preview for New Orleans

After opening the season with two straight losses on the road, the New Orleans Saints will square off with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in the Saints’ 2014 home opener.

For New Orleans (0-2), the start to the season has been a far cry from preseason expectations. The Saints dropped their opening-week contest to the rival Atlanta Falcons, and they were upset by the upstart Cleveland Browns a week ago.

Following consecutive poor showings, the New Orleans defense has been the subject of widespread criticism, as second-year coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit has yielded nearly 900 yards through two games. After entering the season with lofty goals, the group hasn’t so much as resembled the unit that finished fourth in the league in total defense just a year ago.

While coach Sean Payton’s offense experienced its share of problems in Cleveland last week, it has put up impressive numbers and ranks third in the league with an average of 434 yards per game. Quarterback Drew Brees and Co. will undoubtedly be looking to light up the scoreboard for the home crowd on Sunday against Minnesota.

As for the Vikings, first-year coach Mike Zimmer’s squad brings a 1-1 mark into the contest after receiving a spanking from the New England Patriots a week ago. Minnesota wasn’t competitive in the 30-7 home loss, as the Vikings attempted to weather the ongoing situation involving running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson won't play Sunday, and his absence opens the door for other Minnesota ball-carriers to get opportunities. Matt Asiata rushed for just 36 yards against New England last week, and the Vikings could look to rookie Jerick McKinnon against New Orleans on Sunday.

Following is a full preview of this weekend’s matchup, complete with a score prediction on the final slide.

Week 2 Recap

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Last week’s trip to Cleveland was quite the forgettable outing for the Saints, as Payton’s club fell to the Browns, 26-24.

The game was defined by a number of shaky performances on the New Orleans side, but the most noteworthy of these was the unsatisfactory play of cornerback Patrick Robinson.

For the second straight week, the fifth-year NFL veteran was torched by the opposing passing attack. The rest of the Saints defense was subpar, as well, however, as New Orleans’ vaunted pass-rushing tandem of Cam Jordan and Junior Galette failed to make an impact.

The New Orleans defensive front seven was also vulnerable against the run, as Joe Thomas and the Cleveland offensive front controlled the line of scrimmage for the better part of the contest.

Offensively, the Saints moved the ball in spurts, but they weren't the well-oiled machine fans have grown accustomed to seeing under Payton. Brees tossed an interception that was returned 62 yards for a touchdown, and he was affected by heavy pressure from the Cleveland pass rush at various points throughout the game.

There was also the peculiar usage of running back Mark Ingram, who averaged 7.5 yards per rush but only received 11 carries. Unfortunately for the fourth-year back out of Alabama, a hand injury suffered in the Cleveland game will sideline him for the next month.

The loss to the Browns definitely placed New Orleans in a hole, but the Saints’ veteran leaders should be able to put the defeat behind them as they try to break into the “win” column Sunday against the Vikings.

News and Notes

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Home Sweet Dome

To suggest that the Saints are tough to beat at home would be a huge understatement.

With one of football’s loudest home-field crowds at their backs, the Saints finished last season with a perfect 8-0 mark in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. A win against Minnesota this Sunday would set a franchise record with nine consecutive victories at home. 

Perhaps more than any other Saints player, Brees is particularly benefited by playing in the Superdome, where he posted an average of 354.4 passing yards per game last season.

If the Saints can make some big plays early and ignite the crowd on Sunday, Minnesota may be faced with an overwhelming uphill battle that’s simply too steep to overcome.

Replacing Ingram

With Ingram out, Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson will be called upon to shoulder much of the load in the ground game. The duo should make for a formidable 1-2 punch, but the play of the Saints offensive line will tell the full tale on Sunday.

If New Orleans is able to get a consistent push at the line of scrimmage, it really shouldn’t matter who the ball-carrier is, as both backs have proved their worth as dependable runners.

Despite some difficulties in the pass-blocking area, the Saints offensive front was able to generate running room for Ingram throughout the game against Cleveland.

There’s no doubt that Ingram was cementing his status as the Saints’ primary between-the-tackles runner, and losing him is certainly a setback for New Orleans. The Saints can still field a potent ground game, however, as both Thomas and Robinson should be able to enjoy some success running behind the likes of Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs and Zach Strief.

Of course, if Brees and the Saints’ high-flying passing attack start heating up on Sunday, New Orleans will be able to run the football with even greater ease.

Injury Report

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The Saints have a rather fat injury report this week, as they endured some key losses against Cleveland.

In addition to the loss of Ingram, starting linebacker David Hawthorne has also been ruled out with an ankle injury, according to NewOrleansSaints.com.

Hawthorne’s fellow starter on the inside, linebacker Curtis Lofton, suffered a shoulder injury last week, but he practiced on Friday and is probable for Sunday against the Vikings.

Despite an injured elbow, starting center Jonathan Goodwin is also probable, as are reserve linebacker Kyle Knox (ankle) and backup wideout Joseph Morgan (knee).

Backup center Tim Lelito, meanwhile, missed Friday’s practice with a back injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday.

Fullback Erik Lorig (ankle) and safety Marcus Ball (hamstring) are both out again for this week’s game, and neither has practiced since the early stages of training camp.

All injury reports obtained via NewOrleansSaints.com.

Matchups to Watch

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Patrick Robinson vs. Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings

The poor play of Robinson on the outside has been nearly beaten to death, but it will nonetheless play a major factor in Sunday’s game.

Zimmer and the Vikings have seen the same game tape as everyone else, and it shouldn’t come as a shock if they elect to target Robinson in the passing game.

Patterson is one of the game’s exciting young receivers, and the thought of him matching up with Robinson on the outside should make Saints fans restless.

Jennings, meanwhile, doesn’t have the explosiveness in his step he once had, but the former Green Bay standout is still a tough assignment for most NFL cover men.

Robinson’s ability to hold his own in single coverage against Patterson and Jennings will go a long way toward determining how the Saints will be able to utilize safeties Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro. If constant help is required on the back end to compensate for poor coverage on the corners, New Orleans will be hard-pressed to play the numbers game when defending the run.

Cameron Jordan vs. Matt Kalil

After posting a team-high 12.5 sacks a year ago, Cameron Jordan entered the season with the taste of NFL stardom on the tip of his tongue.

The fourth-year defensive end has gotten off to a very slow start, however, and has just three tackles and no sacks to his credit in two games thus far.

On Sunday, Jordan should often find himself lined up across from Minnesota’s Matt Kalil, who went to the 2013 Pro bowl following an impressive rookie season. Kalil regressed last year, however, and he turned in an abysmal performance against New England a week ago.

The struggling Kalil could be just the medicine Jordan needs to get rolling.

If he and fellow pass-rush specialist Junior Galette are able to get consistent pressure on Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel, the chances of Minnesota emerging victorious are quite slim.

Jimmy Graham vs. Vikings defensive backs

The Saints have dropped their first two contests, but there hasn’t been a player on an opposing defense who has been able to contend with Jimmy Graham in the passing game.

Graham has 18 catches and 200 receiving yards on the season to go with a pair of touchdowns, and the Minnesota defensive backfield doesn’t appear to have a counter for him.

Vikings cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Captain Munnerlyn could both see time facing the All-Pro tight end, but don’t expect Minnesota to leave them without safety help.

This could prove to be the game’s biggest mismatch in favor of the Saints, and Brees will likely try to exploit it as often as possible.  

Prediction

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If the New Orleans Saints are to make their mark this year in the NFL, they simply can’t afford to start the season in an 0-3 hole.

This weekend’s game is a prime opportunity for the Saints to deliver a solid performance on both sides of the ball, and it’s tough to find a reason to not pick Payton’s club to prevail in this one.

New Orleans boasts one of the league’s top offenses, and to see Brees and Co. torch an opposing secondary following a tough loss will be nothing new.

Defensively, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that the Saints have played poorly this season, but the group should finally get a steady pass rush going against a struggling offense that will be without its star player.  

With the deafening roar of the Superdome crowd behind them, look for the Saints to deliver their best performance of the season.

Prediction: Saints 34, Vikings 17.