Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints: Key information and first quarter discussion

We are just about ready for kickoff from New Orleans, with the festivities between the New Orleans Saints and your Minnesota Vikings set to get underway in about an hour or so. Let’s get you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s contest.

Date and Time: Friday, 25 December 2020, 3:30 PM Central time

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Television Coverage: KSTP-9 in the Twin Cities, FOX affiliates around the country

Radio Coverage: Vikings Radio Network, Sirius Channel 82, XM Channel 226, National broadcast on Sirius & XM Channel 88, SiriusXM App Channel 820

Line: Vikings +7, Over/Under 50.5

Chris’ Prediction: Saints 38, Vikings 20

Three Keys

1) Do anything to get an actual pass rush - Honestly, the pass rush for this team has been awful for most of the year, and if this team doesn’t get at least a little bit of pressure on Drew Brees, he’s going to shred them. With that in mind, I fully expect that Drew Bress is going to shred them. I don’t know what the Vikings have to do to get pressure in this one, but they’d better figure it out.

2) Balance the offense - Yes, this team wants to ride Dalvin Cook until they grind him into dust. I get that. But the Vikings also have what might be the best wide receiver tandem in the game in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and they need to take advantage of that. You’ve got nothing to lose at this point, so you could just as well open things up.

3) Please don’t come out flat - If the Vikings want to have any hope of winning this one, they can’t pull their usual “let’s sleepwalk through the first quarter and a half or so and then decide to get serious” routine. They need to know that if they want to give themselves any chance of playing in January, they need a win today and that’s going to take four quarters of effort.

Know the Foe: Canal Street Chronicles

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As usual, we’ll fire up a new discussion thread at the start of each quarter, so keep an eye out for those and keep the discussion moving accordingly.

I’ve got to be honest, kids. . .this one’s likely gonna get ugly. And it’s gonna get ugly fast. Maybe the Vikings have a last-minute Christmas gift for all of us, but whether they do or not, we’ll be here to talk about it when it’s over.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!