Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints: Full Report Card Grades for Minnesota
How much adversity can you expect one football team to overcome?
The Minnesota Vikings lost 20-9 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon, falling to 1-2 on the year, but they might have begun a new chapter in their history in the process.
While it's tough to say that any one play ever decides a football game, the Vikings can point to a personal foul penalty called on Captain Munnerlyn on the last play of the third quarter as a killer on Sunday afternoon.
Munnerlyn and Robert Blanton combined for a huge sack on Brees that would have forced the Saints to punt from deep in their own end, but Munnerlyn was flagged after throwing Brees to the turf.
A bad call? It depends on who you were rooting for. The Star Tribune's Jim Souhan pointed out the irony in today's call being the difference in the game.
Bad or not, it was called and bad calls are a part of the game.
Playing without star running back Adrian Peterson, who might never play another down for the Vikings, Minnesota overcame a first quarter that made it look like they were going to lose by 40 points, and played pretty good football for the last three quarters.
Life without Peterson couldn't have gotten off to a worse start for Minnesota, who fell behind the Saints 13-0 in the first quarter and looked completely shell-shocked.
The Vikings looked like a boxer who'd been floored in the first round and struggled to get their feet back underneath them. They did though, and gamely traded punches with the Saints the rest of the way, only to fall short.
Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took over for Minnesota early in the second quarter after Matt Cassel left the game with a toe injury.
"Cassel toe injury. Questionable to ever be seen again.
— Jim Souhan (@SouhanStrib) September 21, 2014"
While it's too early to speculate how the Vikings will move forward at quarterback, Bridgewater played very well and it wouldn't be surprising if he took over the starting job from here on out.
Sunday will certainly go down as a frustrating loss for the Vikings, but they showed a fight that's been missing for the last couple of seasons. They got kicked in the gut early, but hung in there and made a football game out of it.
Once again, the Vikings defense was much better than the offense. That was probably to be expected as Minnesota began life without their superstar running back, and they had a to stick a rookie quarterback into the fire in the middle of a game.
In the end, a loss is a loss, but one can certainly point to some bright spots after this loss for the Vikings.
Quarterback
1 of 10
"Teddy Bridgewater will be the guy going forward. Cassel has broken bones in his foot.
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingESPN) September 21, 2014"
Adrian Peterson is gone? Next man up.
Matt Cassel is gone? Next man up.
Vikings starting quarterback Matt Cassel broke bones in his foot early in the second quarter on Sunday, thus beginning the Teddy Bridgewater era in Minnesota.
It was a horrific spot for Bridgewater to be thrown into; his team was being dump-trucked and the offense was without its best player in Peterson.
The environment wasn't ideal either. The Saints had won 17 straight games in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with Sean Payton on the sidelines.
With all of that going against him, Bridgewater's performance has to be graded on far more than just his numbers. He was thrown to the wolves and played admirably considering all the negative circumstances.
Bridgewater was poised under pressure, he bought himself extra time when he needed to, taking off for nice gains with his legs when the play dictated that he do so.
In the end, Bridgewater was 12-of-20 for 150 yards in three quarters of action. He overcame the loss of his starting left guard and his staring tight end in the process.
Bridgewater's best plays were when he was flushed from the pocket, but calmly bought himself some extra time with his legs and found receivers open downfield.
In the end it wasn't enough to get a victory, but it looks like the future is bright for the Vikings at quarterback.
Grade: B-
Running Back
2 of 10
If this is what the running game is going to be like without Adrian Peterson, well let's just pass a whole lot more.
We've said it several times here and we'll say it again: We like Matt Asiata. He's a high-character guy who gives you everything he has, but he's just not good enough to be a featured NFL running back.
Asiata once again averaged under three yards per carry, gaining just 35 yards on 12 carries.
If, as it certainly appears, the Vikings are beginning life without Adrian Peterson, they have to find a featured back in either rookie Jerick McKinnon or Joe Banyard.
Asiata is three yards and a cloud of field-turf at best. He's not the answer. He's a very good No. 2 back and has shown a nice ability to catch passes, as evidenced by today's 41-yard gain on a screen.
The Peterson story is obviously a gut-shot that the Vikings never could have seen coming, but the truth is many expected them to try to get out from underneath Peterson's contract after this year anyway.
Early in the fourth quarter the Vikings had the ball deep in their own end and after Cordarrelle Patterson picked up 17 yards on a catch and run, the Vikings faced a 2nd-and-2 on their own 26-yard line.
They handed the ball off to Asiata in hopes of getting a fresh set of downs. Instead, Asiata couldn't get by the first guy in his way and only gained a yard. Suddenly it was third down and the Vikings burned a timeout. It's plays like that where you need a running back who can get you the first down.
Asiata can't.
That leaves McKinnon and Banyard. The Vikings are high on McKinnon, but he certainly hasn't shown much in his limited chances so far. Obviously he hasn't had much time to get first team reps, but he should, beginning this week.
You can't win football games rushing for 59 yards on 22 carries.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
"#vikings TE Kyle Rudolph will have MRI on right groin Monday: "Something popped. I've been battling it for a while."
— Brian Murphy (@murphPPress) September 21, 2014"
Part of being a great football player is being able to stay on the field. So far, Kyle Rudolph, who the Vikings signed to a six-year, $37.5 million extension in July, isn't a great football player.
Sunday's game once again saw Rudolph watching from the sidelines after popping something in his groin. He finished another disappointing game with just three catches for 27 yards.
Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson both had decent games, but not spectacular. There was obviously a lack of flow for the Minnesota offense, first having to deal with a brutal running game and then losing the starting quarterback to an injury.
Jennings and Patterson combined for nine catches and 131 yards. Patterson continues to illustrate that the Vikings have to figure out as many ways as possible to get the ball in his hands. They'd be far better off running bubble screens to Patterson than handing it to Asiata.
The Vikings receiving corps will now obviously get a lot more time to work with Bridgewater in practice. Bridgewater will afford them a little bit more time to get open, as he's far more able to extend plays by rolling out of the pocket than Cassel is.
The Vikings offense just never got on track Sunday. They had plenty of excuses to point to, but we all know how far those go.
Grade: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Another pretty sloppy game for the Vikings offensive line.
Minnesota only ran 15 running plays against the Saints and gained a measly 29 yards on them. That's not great running, but it certainly isn't great blocking either.
They gave up five tackles for loss and once again committed too many penalties.
Right guard Brandon Fusco, who might have been playing the best of any Vikings offensive linemen, left the game with an injury. His replacement, Vlad Ducasse committed a holding penalty and jumped offsides in his limited time.
"Matt Kalil has been a disaster. A trip sack of Bridgewater is icing on the cake.
— Football Perspective (@fbgchase) September 21, 2014"
"#Vikings' protection scheme is aimed at helping Kalil...a top-5 draft pick.
— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) September 21, 2014"
"Do you replace Kalil? I know it sounds crazy, but...
— Brian Hall (@MNBrianHall) September 21, 2014"
That string of tweets makes it pretty clear that Matt Kalil struggled once again for the Vikings. Kalil had a brutal first half against the Saints, but seemed to play at least a little better in the second half.
Left guard Charlie Johnson got whipped by Cameron Jordan to give up one of the two Saints sacks.
It hasn't been a great start to the season for the Vikings offensive line. Kalil and Johnson have been bad on the left side. Fusco and Phil Loadholt have been better on the right side, but we'll have to wait and see the extent of Fusco's injury.
The Vikings couldn't score a touchdown against the league's 29th ranked defense. They only gained 247 yards against a unit that gave up 324 yards to the Browns and 568 yards to the Falcons.
The Vikings offensive line has to play better.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
5 of 10
If you were told that you held Drew Brees to under 300 yards passing and the Saints to just 20 points at home, you'd have jumped at those numbers, right?
It was the Saints lowest point total at home since the last game of the 2010 season.
It certainly looked it was going to be a different story when the Saints ripped through the Vikings for touchdowns on their first two possessions. It looked like New Orleans might put up 50 at that point.
The Vikings adjusted on the fly and did a great job pressuring Brees and keeping the Saints vaunted offense in check for the rest of the day. Yes, you'd like to see more than one sack, which the Vikings have now done two weeks in a row, but for the most part, they got the job done.
Minnesota' front did a nice job of stuffing the run, too, limiting the Saints to just 3.4 yards per carry on 32 attempts.
Linval Joseph led the way with four tackles, with Sharrif Floyd, Everson Griffen, Brian Robison and Tom Johnson all chipping in with two tackles. The front combined with the linebackers to keep pretty good pressure on Brees after those first two series as well.
In the end, nobody on the Vikings made enough plays to win, but it would be a stretch to pin this loss on the defensive front.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
Gerald Hodges was second on the Vikings defense with seven tackles and had two tackles for loss. Jasper Brinkley was tough against the run once again, registering five tackles.
Rookie first-round pick Anthony Barr registered his first NFL sack, had two quarterback hits and five tackles.
Chad Greenway had his second consecutive subpar game, but he was playing with a bum hand and suffered a rib injury during the game.
Overall the Vikings got 21 tackles out of their linebackers and took the Saints running backs completely out of the passing game.
The Vikings linebackers are more a part of their pass rush under Zimmer than they ever were under Frazier, and they helped to put pressure on Brees for much of the day. The problem was that there were just enough plays where Brees had time to look around, and when he can do that, he's going to pick you apart.
The Vikings can only hope that Greenway's injuries aren't serious, but they have to be thrilled at how well Gerald Hodges is playing as the fourth linebacker. Things could get even better for Minnesota at linebacker as rookie Brandon Watts is now finally healthy enough to contribute and brings more speed to the unit.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
Two defensive series into this game and it looked like it was going to be a complete disaster for the Vikings secondary.
Brees started out the game 8-of-8 for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns during the Saints' first two drives. You wondered if he might put up 500 yards on the day.
He only threw for 185 yards for the rest of the day.
"Defensive MVP thus far has to be Harrison Smith. The guy plays with heart and was a step away from a pick 6 today
— PeteBercich (@PeteBercich) September 21, 2014"
"Won't get any argument from me on that RT @MasterStrib: With no Peterson, is Harrison Smith the best player on this team?
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingESPN) September 21, 2014"
"Good talker. I say yes. RT @MasterStrib: With no Peterson, is Harrison Smith the best player on this team?
— Brian Hall (@MNBrianHall) September 21, 2014"
It's not very hard to see what several of those who cover the Vikings think of the play of safety Harrison Smith. Sure, he could have had a couple interceptions today, and he usually makes those plays, but his three passes broken up once again led the team.
Smith is the heart and soul of a defense that is getting better every time they step on the field. Smith is everything you'd want in a safety: tough as nails against the run, able to rush the passer and very good as a pass defender. He's on course to be an All Pro this season.
Robert Blanton led the team with 11 tackles, and although he looked silly trying to tackle Jimmy Graham a couple of times, everyone looks silly trying to tackle Jimmy Graham. The guy's a beast.
As for the corners, they all had pretty solid games. Captain Munnerlyn and Josh Robinson both had six tackles and Xavier Rhodes pitched in with four.
Munnerlyn and Blanton combined for the sack on Brees that was negated by Munnerlyn's personal foul that turned the tide of the game.
"Captain Munnerlyn on penalty, via @markcraignfl "I feel like I let my teammates down because it changed the game." #Vikings
— Master Tesfatsion (@MasterStrib) September 21, 2014"
"Mike Zimmer has no objections about the Captain Munnerlyn penalty, at least publicly.
— Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) September 21, 2014"
If it's a penalty to slam the quarterback to the turf, then what Munnerlyn did was certainly a penalty. The problem many Vikings fans had with the call is that it was a late flag after Brees got up indignantly, and it was certainly a late whistle when Brees was clearly in the grasp.
The bottom line is, it was called a penalty, so you move on. Bad calls are a part of every football game.
After a couple of brutal drives, the Vikings secondary settled in and played a very good game.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
Kicker Blair Walsh accounted for all of the Vikings' points, going 3-of-3 on his field-goal attempts. He booted every kickoff out of the end zone.
Punter Jeff Locke turned in another good performance, averaging 45.3 yards per kick on four attempts, with a high of 57 yards.
Cordarrelle Patterson got four kick returns and piled up 120 yards, averaging 30 yards a return, which is, crazily enough, 2.5 yards less than he averaged in 2013. Patterson had a high return of 43 yards, where he was close to breaking it.
The Vikings coverage units didn't have much to do, what with Walsh getting touchbacks on every kick and Locke only having one punt returnedwhich the Vikings stuffed for a minus-3 yards.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
The in-game adjustments by the defense were fantastic. The offense? Not so much, but they had a lot more to overcome considering they lost three starters on top of being without Adrian Peterson in the backfield.
Minnesota's defense, after getting shell-shocked by the Saints during the first two drives, mixed things up enough with their pass rush. Brees never really got settled in again for the rest of the afternoon.
Minnesota's offense only generated 247 yards, and you aren't going to win many games in the NFL with that number. Now is it a pretty good excuse when you say that the team has lost its starting quarterback, its star running back, its starting tight end, its third best receiver and also its starting left guard?
Yes, but this is football and those things happen. Minnesota has boasted about its better depth throughout the roster, and that is now going to be tested. It is every year, for every team in the league.
The Vikings now officially have issues at running back. Asiata can't seem to average as many as three yards per carry, and McKinnon and Banyard are untested. The Vikings knew they were going to be without Peterson this week and seemed to think that Asiata was good enough. He's not.
The Vikings coaches certainly won't have to deal with many weeks as tumultuous as the one they just had, so they can be forgiven if they weren't at their best on Sunday.
In the end, they got floored early by the Saints, but hung in there and made a game of it, and a lot of that is due to good coaching.
They will certainly be tested moving forward with a rookie quarterback and no running game to speak of.
Grade: B-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Final Grade |
| QB | B- |
| RB | D |
| WR and TE | C- |
| Offensive Line | D |
| Defensive Line | B |
| Linebacker | B |
| Secondary | B |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | B- |
Overall Grade: C
The New Orleans Saints have now won 18 home games in a row with Sean Payton on the sidelines. Nobody goes into New Orleans and beats the Saints.
With that task daunting enough, the Vikings game preparation came amid one of the most tumultuous weeks in team history.
Their best player has been banned from team activities and may never play for them again.
They lost their starting quarterback, tight end, right guard and best linebacker during the game.
Having said all of that, nobody cares about your problems, especially in the NFL. Your best guy's out? Put in somebody else. You have to put a rookie quarterback's feet to the fire? Tough.
Nobody realistically looked at this game on the schedule and assumed the Vikings could get a win. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a house of horrors for opponents.
The good news is that the Vikings defense has done a pretty good job against both Tom Brady and Drew Brees in back-to-back weeks. The Viking didn't win either game, though, so you could argue that that's irrelevant.
It's not, though, because this Vikings team is clearly better than the ones the Vikings have trotted out over the last three seasons.
There are certainly problem spots on the roster, most notably now at running back. Teddy Bridgewater is now the starting quarterback moving forward. He was the quarterback of the future until the future showed up today. Adrian Peterson was the Vikings best player, but that's changed too.
It's the NFL, things change fast. Buckle up for the Teddy B era.
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