Saints vs. Vikings: New Orleans Comprehensive Game Plan Against Minnesota

When the New Orleans Saints invade Minneapolis and the Metrodome Sunday afternoon, they will be facing a Vikings team with a 2-11 record. The Saints can clinch the NFC South Division title with a victory. 

For most commentators, those simple factors give assurance of a Saints' victory. Add in the five-game losing streak Minnesota is in the midst of, and a Vikings upset seems nearly impossible. 

Friday I will discuss in more detail the multitude of reasons the Saints should fear the Vikings in their upcoming matchup. Here I want to discuss how Minnesota can go about making life extremely difficult on the Saints, and how Sean Payton and his coaching staff can combat that. 

Special Teams

Special Teams

Few teams are as schizophrenic in their special teams units as the Vikings. Minnesota is one of the finest return teams in the entire league. It doesn't matter if it's Percy Harvin, Marcus Sherels, or Lorenzo Booker. All three have had successful returns this season and are consistent threats to give the offense great field position. 

That points to the other 10 players doing an excellent job blocking and opening running lanes for their kick/punt returners. The Vikings are not afraid to run angle returns. This means they will intentionally try to seal off one side and have the returner take it up one sideline. 

To stop this, the Saints would be wise to kick the ball to the middle of the field, thereby forcing the Vikings into poor angles, or a straight return. Even then, the coverage team must focus on staying in their lanes and not getting sucked into the path of the returner. 

If the Saints can hold tight and not over-pursue, they have a wonderful opportunity to slow down the Vikings' return game. 

In the kick and punt coverage game, the Vikings are ultimately a unit that struggles. They do not maintain discipline in their lanes, and they are shoddy tacklers. Darren Sproles should try to return every punt and kick, hoping he can break one or two. 

In the field goal game, the Vikings possess one of the best kickers in the game—Ryan Longwell. And on the defensive side, they possess one of the finest kick blocking units. The Saints must pay close attention to every angle and detail in the kicking game, or Minnesota will win the battle of special teams. 

When Minnesota Has the Ball

Under first-year offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave (former Falcons' QB coach), the Vikings' offense is a multi-dimensional attack which combines West Coast passing concepts with zone blocking and some spread concepts to make the most of their most explosive offensive players (at least in the last four weeks) Percy Harvin and QB/WR Joe Webb. 

Whether it be rookie Christian Ponder or second-year Joe Webb, the Vikings are going to run a lot of bootlegs to take advantage of the mobility both possess. These are essentially two-way options for either player. They will run crossing routes, flat routes, and comebacks as their primary pass routes off these bootlegs. 

As I already mentioned, Percy Harvin is option No. 1 for the Vikings' offense. When all breaks down, he's getting the ball. If the Vikings need a big play, it's Percy Harvin.

If they want to get an explosive run play, they hand it to Harvin out of the backfield, or on a reverse, or via a screen. If they want a big play down the field, it's Harvin who is going to run the deep route and catch a bomb. If they need a key third down conversion, it will be Harvin on a short throw to pick up the rest with his feet. 

But it's important to note that Toby Gerhart has become a crucial part of this Vikings' offense as well. He is a tough runner who doesn't go down easy. Much like Adrian Peterson, he loves to press the hole and jumpcut to get outside and use his speed. But he's also not afraid to run people over with a straight ahead run. 

He's also a better receiver out of the backfield than Peterson. He's probably not going to make a ton of explosive plays, but he will move the football. 

Minnesota also has two dependable tight ends who catch the ball well in Visanthe Shiancoe and rookie Kyle Rudolph. Both have great hands and are excellent at catching the ball in traffic down the seam of the defense. With these two, and Harvin, the Vikings' offense is perfectly aligned to give the Saints fits by throwing the ball deep down the middle of the field by working on the New Orleans linebackers. 

Strictly from a scheme standpoint, here are some Vikings' tendencies: In one-back sets on first down, they're generally going to run the zone play or the bootleg off of it. On second or third-and-long-yardage situations the Vikings' main goal is to clear out linebackers and defensive backs and bring a receiver underneath on a slant or crossing route—the idea, of course, being to allow the receiver to pick up the first down with his feet. 

Without Peterson, this offense uses a good amount of gun, which is designed to create opportunities for Harvin to come in motion and throw off the defense. The other goal is to create space for Ponder or Webb to avoid sacks—an issue with the Vikings offensive line deteriorating in recent seasons. 

Finally, this offense uses more sideline routes, be it comebacks or deep out routes than any other in the league, including Indianapolis, believe it or not. In the four games I watched, I swear I saw a deep out or comeback route 100 times. They usually pair a seam route, and a crossing route with it. They do not throw "Go" routes often due to their overall lack of speed at the receiver spot. 

When the Vikings get into short-yardage situations, they will run a trap play, but most of their runs are of the zone variety. They mix this with their bootlegs, and that makes up their short-yardage package, save for the occasional zone read play which has miraculously made its way into pro football in abundance in 2011.

How the Saints Slow the Vikings Down

In the past four games, Percy Harvin has been the most explosive player in the entire NFL. Only Rob Gronkowski could even make a case to be in that conversation alongside Harvin.

He accounts for roughly 50 percent of the team's offense and does it in a variety of different ways. That said, the Saints' defensive game plan starts—and to some degrees ends—with knowing exactly where Percy Harvin is at ALL times.

The Saints did a wonderful job Sunday of taking an equally explosive player out of the game in CJ2K. Of course, Johnson doesn't line up in every conceivable spot on the field the way Harvin does, but the Saints should know if Harvin lines up in the backfield there's a good chance he's getting the ball on a running play.

So item No. 1 is to form a nine-man box when Harvin lines up in the backfield. Honestly, if Harvin is not lined up at receiver, there's no one else on this offense to worry about killing you. You simply man up on the tight ends with a safety, but have them first committed to making a tackle on a Harvin run.

When Harvin is lined up in the slot, it should be automatic that either Tracy Porter or Jabari Greer takes him in man-to-man coverage with help over the top from Malcolm Jenkins. Bracket him, roll coverage his way, bump him at the line as best as possible.

When Harvin comes in motion, Saints defenders must know he's probably getting the ball on a reverse. Don't have a player chase him, but switch to a zone coverage allowing the outside corner—hopefully the excellent tackling Jabari Greer—make the tackle. Most likely Minnesota will run this towards the side of Porter or Patrick Robinson though, meaning those two will have to learn how to tackle in a hurry.

Most of all, in trying to stop Harvin and whoever is the QB, the primary theme this week is to keep everything inside. Force everything back inside to Jonathan Vilma, Roman Harper and Co. Harvin, Webb and Ponder all possess excellent balance and ability to tightrope the sideline and gain an extra 20 yards they shouldn't. In short, don't allow them that opportunity.

On third down, don't get sucked into the tricks the Vikings are trying to play by clearing out the secondary. Maintain discipline and keep tight. If they beat you deep, simply tip your cap. They will eat you up by throwing short and running for the first down.

In other words, on second or third-and-long, play a cover two (not Tampa Two, where the middle linebacker floats back 20 yards down the middle) or cover four, where the corner plays quarters and can quickly come up to make a tackle on the short throw.  

This isn't a game to blitz often. Instead, the Saints should try to play seven or eight guys in coverage as much as possible and force the Vikings' QBs to be patient. Hem them in and don't let them run either. Man-to-man puts linebackers on an island, and Saints defenders won't win those matchups. 

Playing zone allows the back seven to maintain view of the QB and quickly come up to make a tackle. 

When New Orleans Has the Ball

Though Minnesota's defense ranks in the top 10 in rush defense, this is not a very good defense. They are susceptible to the quick hitting run play where the tackle blocks out on Jared Allen, the left guard—Carl Nicks—seals the filling linebacker, leaving a rather large gap for Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory, or Pierre Thomas to run through. 

This can be run from a two-back set, or from the gun. Because their rush ends almost always rush off the edge with speed, and their defensive tackles often get caught playing games, quick draws and middle screens can be very effective against this unit as well.

It should also be noted that the linebackers fill fast and hard against the run, meaning they are prime to give up play-action pass all day long. Those pop passes the Saints like to run in the red zone are perfect against this defense because of this and the secondary's tendency to allow receivers to get behind them. 

On base downs, they play a lot of man on the outside—despite playing with inferior corners. Behind them they play cover two, but their linebackers are lazy in either getting too deep or sucking up. Because of this, you can hit some easy throws over the middle to Graham, Colston or Moore. Additionally, the receivers figure to have big days due to the corners inability to effectively cover deeper routes on the outside. 

Throwing the football vertically on these guys will lead to a ton of points. Of course to do that effectively the Saints have to shut down one guy—Jared Allen. 

On most downs,Vikings' defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano lines Allen up wide on the left tackle. He overplays the remainder of the line to left of the center. This is why that off tackle run can be so effective, but also why Allen is so effective as a pass rusher. 

The Vikings are forcing you to make a key decision in pass protection. You can either allow Allen to go one-on-one with your left tackle, or double him and leave the other three lineman in one-on-one matchups. 

I expect the Saints to use a lot of that cross buck pass pro they commonly use where they line Jed Collins up to the right in a receiver stance and then have him cross the formation at the snap to chip on Allen and any blitzer who may come through the open "B gap."

Four receivers against six or seven Vikings defenders is a matchup the Saints will take every time. Of course, it won't work every time, but as a base protection should allow Brees plenty of time to scan the field and find an open man against this porous secondary. 

One other way to get some easy completions is to take advantage of the Vikings soft coverage by running stop routes, out routes, and quick hitches in nickel situations—when the Vikings most commonly blitz. 

Finally, because the Vikings corners do one thing well—that is, tackle in the open field—I would mostly stay away from crossing routes, especially in long yardage situations. Run by them, use double moves, but don't cross the field. That's what they want you to do, mainly because it's their only chance to stop you. GO VERTICAL for crying out loud!