Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints: Complete Week 3 Preview for Minnesota
If you hadn't already heard, the Minnesota Vikings are trying to get it right.
It would be silly of us to try to pretend that Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints has been front and center this week, it hasn't. That's simply the nature of the business when your team's best player gets indicted.
The Vikings will be without running back Adrian Peterson for this week's game and for the foreseeable future after he was placed on the exempt list early Wednesday morning. More on Peterson's troubles later on.
Wednesday afternoon saw the Vikings hold their latest in a series of brutally awkward pressers, where the team's owners, the Wilf brothers, general manager Rick Spielman and team counsel Kevin Warren stated over and over and over again how they wanted to "get it right."
The team was backtracking from Monday's decision to reinstate Peterson, where they clearly hadn't gotten it right.
Wednesday's apology presser was on the heels of an avalanche of bad press and sponsor bailouts and recriminations. The Vikings brass must have been told by some media consultant to stress that they were "trying to get it right."
It almost played out like a skit on Saturday Night Live.
And while there's certainly nothing funny about the Peterson situation and how the Vikings and the NFL have botched any non-football item that has come their way, Sunday will bring another slate of games that will be a breath of fresh air after all of the ugliness that's occurred off the field.
The Vikings will take to the road and try to forget their debacle against the New England Patriots when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
The Vikings will begin life without Peterson against a Saints team that is smarting after an 0-2 start. New Orleans surrendered late leads to both the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns.
As ever, the Saints offense hasn't been the problem, racking up 869 yards and 58 points in the two games, only to see their defense surrender 892 yards and 63 points.
While everything seemed to go right for the Vikings in their season-opening win over the St. Louis Rams, it was the complete opposite last week against the Patriots.
While the Vikings defense probably played well enough to win, the offense was completely inept. Quarterback Matt Cassel showed why he's never been a consistently good starter in the NFL, throwing four interceptions and struggling for the entire game.
Cassel and the offensive line will both have to show marked improvement against the Saints for the Vikings to come away with a victory. If the New England game was any indication of how the Minnesota offense will perform without Peterson, it's going to be a long season.
Sunday's game will be the second in a five-game stretch where the Vikings defense has to face some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. After facing Tom Brady last week, they now have to deal with Drew Brees and he'll be followed by Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer surely knew that things wouldn't always be perfect in his tenure as an NFL coach. But after a perfect preseason and a convincing victory in week 1, he could never have predicted all the adversity that's come his teams way since then.
Nothing will get things back on course as quickly as a victory against the Saints.
Vikings Week 2 Recap
1 of 5
Four interceptions against and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
You can go over all the other numbers if you want to, but when any football team surrenders everything in that first sentence, nothing else really matters; you're going to lose.
The Minnesota Vikings fell back to earth after a perfect preseason and a convincing opening-week win over the St. Louis Rams, losing 30-7 to the New England Patriots last Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Vikings played pretty well for the first seven minutes against the Patriots. Leading 7-0, Matt Cassel, facing 2nd-and-16 from his own 15-yard line, tried to go deep to Jarius Wright.
It was a poor decision and a worse throw. It was picked off by Devin McCourty, who returned it 60 yards to the Vikings 1-yard line. The Patriots tied the game two plays later.
After 10 unanswered points by New England in the second quarter, the Vikings lined up late in the half for a 47-yard field goal that ostensibly would have made the score 17-10 at halftime. Instead Matt Kalil whiffed on a block of Chandler Jones, who blocked the field goal and scooped it up and ran 58-yards for a touchdown.
Suddenly the score was 24-7 at the half. Thanks for coming and we'll see you next time.
When it was all said and done, some of the statistical numbers were pretty mystifying. The Vikings defense held Tom Brady to under 150 yards passing and New England committed a Bill Belichick-era high 15 penalties for a whopping 163 yards.
None of that mattered though when held up against four interceptions and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
It wasn't a terrible game for the Minnesota defense. They held the Patriots to just 292 yards of total offense, a number that will normally keep you close in a ball game. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes had a rough afternoon, collecting a pair of pass interference penalties and one for defensive holding.
The Vikings offense, on the other hand, was miserable.
Minnesota was without Adrian Peterson, who was deactivated on Friday after being indicted in Texas on a charge of reckless or negligent injury to a child after disciplining his 4-year-old son with a "switch."
Cassel threw the four interceptions and was off-target for most of the day, and his receivers didn't help him out much, either, with several drops. The offensive line struggled mightily, most notably Kalil, who gave up two sacks, four quarterback hurries and the missed block on the botched field-goal attempt, according to Pro Football Focus.
Most troubling for the offense was the second half. Down by 17 points, you would have expected Minnesota to come out going for broke in the second half, but the offense looked stuck in neutral for the remainder of the day. Minnesota looked like a boxer who'd been knocked down early in a fight and just could never get their feet underneath them again.
Mike Zimmer quickly announced that Cassel would remain the starter this week against the Saints, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. One would certainly think, however, that Cassel has probably cut his margin for error in half moving forward.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Adrian Peterson on Indefinite Leave
The Vikings announced on Wednesday morning that they had asked for and received permission from Commissioner Roger Goodell to put running back Adrian Peterson on the exempt list, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Peterson is barred from all team activities while on the exempt list, where he will remain until his legal issues are resolved. Peterson was charged last week on a felony count of reckless or negligent injury to a child.
Minnesota had originally said on Monday that Peterson would be activated and play against the Saints this weekend, but had a change of heart after public outcry and several huge corporate sponsors either pulled their backing or rendered harsh criticism against the idea of putting Peterson back on the field so quickly.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton was one of many who admonished the Vikings for reinstating Peterson on Monday, according to the Associated Press:
"It is an awful situation. Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be "innocent until proven guilty." However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the State of Minnesota. Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system.
"
Peterson's next scheduled court date is October 8, and a trial could be as long as nine months to a year away. The expediency in which the case hits court is up to the judge's discretion.
Filling the Void at Running Back
The loss of Peterson obviously leaves a big hole in the Vikings offense. Matt Asiata is now listed as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart with rookie Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard following.
Asiata got most of the workload against the Patriots, and he was serviceable at best, rushing for 36 yards on 12 carries, an average of 2.8 yards per attempt. He's only averaging 3.6 yards per rush on his career, and really isn't lead back material.
McKinnon is the team's third-round choice out of Georgia Southern who got limited carries in the preseason, but looked pretty good when given the opportunity. McKinnon rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries and showed a nice burst with some ability to make people miss.
Banyard, who was activated from the practice squad last week when Peterson was scratched, made his mark in the last preseason game against the Titans, rushing for 111 yards in the first half. He also has a nice combination of moves and quickness.
Obviously the Vikings don't have anything remotely close to Peterson to take his place, and they might take a "hot hand" approach when figuring out who's going to get carries in Peterson's absence.
Jerome Simpson Cut After More Police Trouble
The Vikings cut troubled wide receiver Jerome Simpson on Thursday after learning that he was cited for marijuana possession and an open bottle during a traffic stop on July 7, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Simpson has a November arraignment hearing in Hennepin County on November 3. He was cited, but not arrested in July.
Simpson was in the midst of serving a three-game suspension for a DUI arrest last November.
Simpson played two seasons for the Vikings, catching 48 passes for a career-high 726 yards in 2013. He spent his first three seasons in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals.
His release means the Vikings will keep Rodney Smith on the active roster.
Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer is Back
Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer returned to Winter Park on Monday after serving a two-game suspension for anti-gay comments made during the 2012 season.
Priefer's return was a pretty quiet affair considering all the turmoil surrounding the Peterson story. His return probably couldn't come fast enough for the Vikings after watching Matt Kalil whiff on a block of Chandler Jones that led to a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown Sunday against the Patriots.
Punt returner Marcus Sherels was forced into a fair catch in the second half.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer sounded happy to have Priefer back, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune:
"I’m proud that Mike did the things that he had to do. I’m proud that we didn’t ruin a guy’s career because he made a mistake. I’m glad that we were able to stand by him. I appreciate all of his hard work and the things that he’s done during these two weeks.
"
Interim special teams coach Joe Marciano had filled in for Priefer in his absence. Priefer's return is good news during a week in which the Vikings have had more than their fair share of bad news.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Sharrif Floyd | DT | Probable |
| Chad Greenway | LB | Questionable |
| Phil Loadholt | OT | Probable |
| Michael Mauti | LB | Probable |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | WR | Probable |
| Xavier Rhodes | CB | Probable |
| Kyle Rudolph | TE | Probable |
| Rodney Smith | WR | Questionable |
| Brandon Watts | LB | Questionable |
All injury information courtesy of Vikings.com.
The Vikings head to New Orleans in relatively good shape injury-wise. Chad Greenway, who broke a bone in his hand against the Patriots, was the only player who didn't practice either Wednesday or Thursday.
Greenway is listed as questionable, but the Vikings fully expect him to play on Sunday.
Rookie linebacker Brandon Watts, who's been out for a month with a left knee injury, was back on the field for practice this week in a limited basis. Watts probably won't be activated this week, but the Vikings like his future because he's very fast for a linebacker and has good coverage skills.
Sharrif Floyd and Phil Loadholt were both limited in practice this week, but are also expected to play on Sunday.
Cordarrelle Patterson was new to the injury list on Thursday with a chest injury. He had a limited practice, but is expected to be ready to play against the Saints.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Xavier Rhodes vs. Jimmy Graham
While the Vikings pass defense did a pretty solid job in shutting down Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski on Sunday, limiting him to just four catches for 32 yards, they'll have to step it up even more this week when they take on the best tight end in all of football in the Saints Jimmy Graham.
Graham has been nearly unstoppable so far in 2014. Last week against the Browns, he caught 10 passes for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had two big catches with Browns' All Pro cornerback Joe Haden draped all over him, as detailed by Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
Graham had eight catches for 82 yards in the Saints opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
So how do you defend a tight end with wide receiver skills?
The Vikings will probably counter with Xavier Rhodes, who, at 6'1", 220 pounds is no match for the 6'7", 260 pound Graham. But, he is a physical corner who is Minnesota's best option for containing Graham.
Rhodes is coming off of a tough game against the Patriots, and while nobody is expecting him to contain Graham one-on-one, he's going to have to be one of several Vikings defenders to keep a close watch on him.
Josh Robinson vs. Brandin Cooks
Like Drew Brees really needed another weapon.
Jimmy Graham is still Brees' favorite target, but the Saints now have an explosive deep threat in rookie Brandin Cooks out of Oregon State.
In two games, Cooks has caught 10 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. He's also had three rushing attempts on the year and he's ripped off 18- and 28-yard gains on two of those runs.
Robinson is the only player on the Vikings back end who can hope to keep up with the speedy Cooks. Both players clocked 4.33 time in the 40-yard dash at the combine.
Robinson had a very good opening game against the Rams, getting an interception and having two passes defended, but he was nowhere to be found against the Patriots.
Cooks is clearly a player the Saints love and they will be trying to come up with new ways to get the explosive rookie the football. The Vikings would be wise to have Robinson closely watching every move Cooks makes come Sunday afternoon.
Matt Kalil vs. Cameron Jordan
Vikings fans are starting to worry about their left tackle.
Matt Kalil, taken with the fourth pick in the 2012 draft, was expected to be the Vikings franchise left tackle for years to come, especially after his superb rookie season.
Kalil took a big step backwards in 2013, and so far, he's off to a bad start again in 2014. After a decent game against the Rams and their stalwart defensive end Robert Quinn, Kalil was dominated by the Patriots Chandler Jones last Sunday.
Kalil gave up two sacks to Jones and was guilty of letting Jones tear through the line on his blocked field goal that he returned for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus graded Kalil out at minus-5.0 for the game.
Week 3 sees Kalil going up against the Saints Cameron Jordan, who's struggled in his first two games as well. In his fourth season in the league, Jordan has no sacks and just three tackles in two games a year after recording 12.5 sacks and appearing in the Pro Bowl in 2013.
Jordan did knock down two passes against the Browns.
For Kalil it's an opportunity to right the ship at a time when his offense certainly needs him to. The Saints defense ranks 29th overall in the NFL after two games. With Adrian Peterson out of the lineup, it's going to be especially important for Kalil and his fellow linemen to open holes for the backs and to protect their quarterback.
Kalil's performance against the Patriots was almost baffling. Granted, Jones is one of the better defensive ends in the league, but any high-end offensive tackle simply can't have afternoons like that.
The Minnesota offense is going to have to score points to keep up with the high-octane Saints and the battle up front will go a long way toward helping achieve that.
Minnesota needs a bounce-back performance from Kalil.
Vikings X-Factor of the Week: Jerick McKinnon
You just never know when your opportunity is going to come in professional sports.
For Vikings rookie running back Jerick McKinnon, that time might be coming a lot quicker than he or anyone else had anticipated.
With Adrian Peterson suddenly in NFL exile, the Vikings are left with a running back depth chart that is headed by Matt Asiata and behind him are McKinnon and Joe Banyard.
As we've said in this space before, we like Asiata. He's a dependable, high-character guy who gives you everything he's got. He's just not a lead running back for an NFL team.
Asiata did have a three-touchdown game last year against the Philadelphia Eagles filling in for Peterson, but he only rushed for 51 yards on 30 carries. His best career game saw him get 115 yards on 14 attempts against the Lions in the last game of the 2013 season.
Asiata will start against the Saints because McKinnon and Banyard are just too inexperienced. But that doesn't mean that they won't get opportunities, especially if Asiata struggles to get going.
The Vikings used a third-round draft pick on McKinnon, so you'd certainly think they'd like to give him an opportunity to work his way into the offense. This may be quicker than they had planned, but the Peterson situation is forcing Minnesota to adjust their running back plans on the fly.
McKinnon told Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press that he's prepared for the challenge:
"It's really tough just because a guy that I idolized is not here no more. It's cut short. I know I've got to be prepared at all times, and I think he got me ready for that. Now all I can do is wait for the opportunity, and once it comes, just capture it.
...I learned more than I can ask for really.
"
McKinnon is fast and strong, two attributes that the Vikings loved when they saw him work out at the combine. He doesn't have a ton of experience at running back, but he showed enough in the preseason and training camp that the Vikings won't be afraid to give him the ball.
As we said earlier, expect the Vikings to go with the hot hand at running back. Don't be surprised if McKinnon is that guy.
Prediction
5 of 5
The New Orleans Saints have won 17 straight games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with Sean Payton on the sidelines.
Seattle might enjoy the best home-field advantage in the NFL right now, but nobody has been more dominant at home than the Payton-Drew Brees Saints.
The Saints were a perfect 8-0 at home last year, and the games weren't even close. They won by an average of 18 points per game.
If those numbers aren't ominous enough, the Saints are stinging after dropping their first two games of 2014 on the road after giving up late leads.
So do the Vikings have a chance on Sunday?
Tumultuous weeks can do strange things to football teams, and nobody would argue that this past week hasn't been among the most tumultuous in Vikings history.
Football-wise they need much better performances from their quarterback and offensive line. Another poor performance from Matt Cassel will have the Teddy Bridgewater brigade out in full force, according to Derek Wetmore of 1500espn.com.
Minnesota's defense has been very good so far, but they'll be facing their stiffest test of the season against the Saints.
Although Tom Brady obviously had no trouble making quick work of the Vikings last Sunday, it really wasn't the defense that was to blame.
In fact, the Vikings defense ranks seventh in the NFL after two weeks and has given up very few meaningful passing yards to date.
The Rams were awful and Brady didn't need to go to the air to beat them, so the truth is, the Vikings pass defense really hasn't been tested yet.
That's about to change in a big way.
"Most TD passes 2012-present Peyton Manning 95 Drew Brees 85 Matt Ryan 62 Andy Dalton 62 Tom Brady 61 Tony Romo 61 (via @CraigSagerJr)
— Sports Update (@MySportsUpdate) September 15, 2014"
While Matt Ryan added three more touchdown passes to his total on Thursday night, that still leaves him 20 behind Drew Brees. And those happen to be the two quarterbacks the Vikings face over the next eight days.
The Saints offense ranks third in the league, putting up 434.5 yards per game. Brees moved past John Elway into fourth place all-time in NFL passing yards last week against the Browns.
Heading into this season, most prognosticators said that it was crucial that the Vikings beat the Rams because their schedule was so brutal for the next four weeks after that. Minnesota got that win against the Rams, and then everything changed with Adrian Peterson being deactivated.
The hard part of the schedule only got harder. No Peterson, an angry Saints team that knows their better than their 0-2 start, the high-flying Falcons and then the Green Bay Packers.
We'll know a lot more about this Minnesota Vikings team a month from now.
It's tough to like their chances in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when their own Mercedes is on the exempt list.
Saints 30 Vikings 24
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
