Studs and Duds from Saints’ disappointing playoffs defeat vs. Vikings

The New Orleans Saints fell to the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs wild-card round. Star talent like Marshon Lattimore didn’t show up.

Stud: Janoris Jenkins, cornerback

While Lattimore failed to show up, “Jackrabbit” turned in exactly the sort of performance the Saints hoped to see when they acquired him off of waivers. Jenkins was dinged with an early holding penalty but otherwise helped the team all day long, forcing a fumble out of Thielen on the opening Vikings drive and traveling in coverage against Stefon Diggs. Diggs went 2-for-3 to gain just 19 yards, and was so frustrated with Jenkins’ tight coverage that he had to be restrained and calmed by teammates on the sidelines.

Dud: Andrus Peat, left guard

The highly-decorated Saints offensive line was asleep at the wheel, but the unit’s worst-graded member had to be Peat. He was nothing more than a speed bump between the Vikings defensive line and his teammates in the backfield, getting repeatedly bullied by Everson Griffen and the rest of Minnesota’s pass rushers. And the Saints weren’t able to adjust and give him some help, because the rest of the line was getting beaten, too. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer didn’t dig deep into his tool box for many exotic blitzes; his players simply outplayed their Saints opponents, and Peat was often the one left picking himself up off the ground.

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