| MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-3) | GAME #5 | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-2) | |||
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| Date: | October 6, 2008 | Location: | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Time: | 7:00 P.M. CST | Stadium: | Louisiana Superdome |
| TV: | ESPN | Know Thy Enemy: | Canal Street Chronicles |
| Gonzo's Prediction: | Saints 31, Vikings 24 | ||
| Final Score: | Vikings 30, Saints 27 | ||
What? You think "biggest game of the Childress era" is an exaggeration? Think of where this team will be with a loss tonight to drop them to 1-4, and then get back to me on that.
Obviously, the big story coming out of Minnesota today is the fact that E.J. Henderson, the NFC North's best middle linebacker and one of the best in the NFL, will miss the rest of the season due to the dislocated toes on his foot. Henderson was placed on IR today by the Vikings.
We already knew that #56 was going to be out for tonight's game, so things tonight aren't going to be terribly affected. However, being without E.J. Henderson for the rest of the season is a HUGE blow to this defense. Henderson was, to this point, arguably the Vikings' best defensive player. He was wreaking his usual amount of havoc against the run, but he looked like he had gotten better in coverage, too, and looked as though he was well on his way to a Pro Bowl season. We hope that E.J. has a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing him back in 2009.
So, the first game of the post-E.J. era is tonight in Louisiana. This is an interesting matchup, looking at both of these teams. Minnesota runs the ball better than anybody in the league, and the Saints have trouble stopping the run. Likewise, Minnesota's woes against the pass are well-documented, and nobody in the league right now is throwing the ball better than New Orleans. Drew Brees is so dialed in right now that it's ridiculous, and he's doing it without a lot of key components. No Marques Colston, no David Patten, no Jeremy Shockey, and Brees just keeps clicking along.
This one is going to be a battle to see who can hide their weakness the best. The yards (and, hopefully, touchdowns) are going to be there for Adrian Peterson tonight, I think, but this defense needs to start living up to its billing and get after Drew Brees tonight. If he has time to sit back in the pocket, it doesn't matter who he's throwing to, he'll rip Minnesota to shreds.
This game may come down to who has the ball last. Unfortunately, to this point, the Vikings haven't given me a lot of hope that they can stop Drew Brees in crunch time, if that's what it comes down to. Hence, I have New Orleans edging the Beloved Purple by a touchdown and, officially, putting our season into the toilet.
Come on, boys. . .prove me wrong.
SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!