Vikings vs. Saints: Saints Take the Breesy Route on Defense for Easy Win

It's easy to look the stat sheet for the Saints' Week 15 victory and think it was all Drew Brees. But even following the game on XM Radio on the way home from church told a different story. 

When I saw the score was 3-0 Minnesota in the first quarter, I simply assumed the Vikings had taken their first drive down the field and come up a bit short. That would be the typical Saints defensive effort. 

Had that been the case, not much would have been wrong. The Saints, after all, are one of the most explosive offenses in the league—which the offense exhibited all day Sunday. 

But after listening to the Vikings broadcast for a couple minutes, it was revealed that the initial scoring drive for the Vikings came off a Saints turnover. The next Vikings field goal also came off an errant snap by Brian de la Puente. 

Both times the Saints defense did more than put up a stone wall. They pushed back with a penetrating defense that left no stone unturned. Gregg Williams and his defense executed against a talented, but very young, offense. 

Causing the Vikings offense to lose yards on consecutive drives after turnovers is the kind of thing championship defenses do. It's the kind of thing New Orleans fans have come to expect from other defenses, but not their own. 

That's what a Pittsburgh, Baltimore or San Francisco defense does. It's not what a Saints defense does—until Sunday. 

Four sacks, an interception and 207 net yards for the Minnesota offense—that's one heck of a defensive effort. Considering the effort Minnesota's offense had the prior two games—averaging 30 points per game against defenses considered better than the New Orleans defense—the Saints defense pretty much stopped the Vikings.

It all came down to those two turnovers in the beginning of the game, and the way the New Orleans defense handled them. Lesser defenses would have given up touchdowns, even against a 2-11 Minnesota squad. 

This Saints defense has done one thing all year—they've stepped up when it's mattered most. 

Remember the Atlanta game on 4th-and-1 in overtime. Remember last week, the goal-to-go situation the Saints faced as time elapsed? And when this season is over, it's possible you're going to want to remember this game and the two turnover defensive stops from this Saints defense. 

Championship squads make this sort of thing work. The Packers were a decent defense last season, much like this Saints squad. 

But let's not forget the Saints also have a great offense—led by Drew Brees. An 80 percent completion percentage, five touchdowns and over 400 yards is exactly the thing the New Orleans Saints can count on week in and week out from Brees when the going gets tough. 

He plays his best football when the team needs it most. 

If the defense can continue doing its thing, this just might be another super season for the New Orleans Saints.