Vikings will be challenged by rookie DE Nick Bosa in Divisional Round

It will be important the Vikings can get the running game going early.

The Vikings’ offensive line held their own and protected quarterback Kirk Cousins in Sunday’s 26-20 OT win over the Saints.

That might be a little more challenging in the Divisional Round against the 49ers.

In his rookie season, Nick Bosa already looks like the real deal. The former Ohio State star finished his rookie season with nine sacks. He also finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 86.7.

In fairness, Bosa is actually behind Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan in PFF’s gradings, and the Vikings slowed him down.

The Vikings don’t have the best offensive line. But they have been one of the best teams in the NFL to utilize the play-action thanks to Gary Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski’s schmes. If Minnesota can get its running game going early with Dalvin Cook, that will change everything with trying to neutrilize Bosa and the rest of the 49ers’ pass rush.

Dalvin Cook looked plenty rested against the Saints

Cook ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns while also catching three passes for 36 yards in Sunday’s overtime win over the Saints.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook missed the final two weeks of the season with a chest/shoulder injury.

The injury didn’t appear serious, but it was an opportunity for the Vikings to let him rest and get healthy with the team already clinching a playoff spot.

It paid off. Cook ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns while also catching three passes for 36 yards in Sunday’s overtime win over the Saints. Cook is what got the Vikings’ offense rolling early.

He was just six yards away from his first 100-yard game since Oct. 20.

Cook and the Vikings will have a short week before taking on the 49ers on Saturday afternoon.

While the 49ers’ defense has been great this season against the pass (ranking first in yards allowed), there have been some opportunities to run the ball against them. San Francisco ranks 17th in rushing yards allowed and 23rd in rushing yards per attempt (4.5 yards).

If the Vikings’ offensive line comes out with the same energy and aggression it did against the Saints, the Vikings will at least give themselves a chance.

Wild-card playoffs a reminder of importance of having strong run game

The wild-card playoffs were a stark reminder that Matt Nagy needs to fix the glaring issue that is the Bears’ run game.

After a disappointing 2019 season, the Chicago Bears were forced to watch the first round of the NFL playoffs from home. And there was plenty to learn from the wild-card playoffs — especially for head coach Matt Nagy.

But there was one thing that stood apart from the others. The wild-card playoffs were a stark reminder that Nagy needs to fix the one glaring issue that has plagued him since his arrival in Chicago: The run game.

It’s no secret that having a balanced offensive attack produces results. Just look at the top running teams — Ravens, 49ers, Titans, Seahawks — they all made the postseason.

Here’s what stood out about the wild-card round concerning the running game:

Derrick Henry carried the Titans offense on his back

Perhaps the most obvious example of the power of a strong running game came with the performance of Titans running back Derrick Henry, who single-handedly carried Tennessee’s offense to victory over the Patriots.

Henry carried the ball 34 times for 182 yards and a touchdown, which helped quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who had just 72 passing yards on the night.

An effective run game is a struggling quarterback’s best friend, which was something that Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears offense lacked last season.

Dalvin Cook’s success on the ground opened up the passing game

It’s not a surprise that Vikings running back Dalvin Cook found success on the ground, as he was one of the best backs in the NFL. It’s also no coincidence that quarterback Kirk Cousins had perhaps his best season yet.

Against the Saints, Cook had 28 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns. It was Minnesota’s balanced attack that kept the Saints defense in check and allowed Cousins to open up the passing game.

Devin Singletary found success on the ground when Bills committed to the run

A consistent run game is important to a balanced offense, something Nagy has learned the hard way this season. It’s also something that doomed the Bills in a 22-19 loss to the Texans.

When Devin Singletary carried the ball, he was effective. He had 13 carries for 58 yards, which included some big runs that kept the chains moving.

The Bills had found success in the run game in the first half, which made it confusing as to why they abandoned it and put all the pressure on quarterback Josh Allen. Ultimately, their young QB couldn’t deliver under the pressure.

Mobile quarterbacks made the most of their opportunities on the ground

Something that was missing from the Bears offense this season was Mitchell Trubisky’s mobility. Trubisky has proven to be one of the better mobile quarterbacks in terms of making plays with his legs. But that aspect of his game was glaringly absent. The one time it wasn’t? The Bears pounded the Cowboys in a 31-24 victory, where Trubisky rushed 10 times for 63 yards and one touchdown — on top of his three passing touchdowns.

But the wild-card round was another reminder how utilizing a quarterback’s mobility can provide an extra spark to the run game. Look no further than the Bills-Texans game, where both Josh Allen and Deshaun Watson made plays with their legs. Allen had nine carries for 92 yards while Watson had 14 carries for 55 yards and a score.

Seattle’s Russell Wilson used his legs to make some plays, notching 45 yards on nine carries, while New Orleans’ Taysom Hill had four carries for 50 yards.

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Vikings shock Saints, advance to Divisional Round vs. 49ers

It’s the first career playoff win for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Nobody gave the Vikings a chance against the Saints in the wild card round.

The game was in New Orleans. Kirk Cousins never wins big games. The Vikings were 7.5-point underdogs. The NFL forgot to put the Vikings in their playoff commercial.

All of that seems silly now.

The Vikings upset the Saints 26-20 in overtime on Sunday afternoon to advance to the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs.

Minnesota will play the 49ers next week.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins earned his first-career playoff win, and he deserved it. He kept the Vikings in the game, and made an unbelievable 43-yard pass to Adam Thielen to set up what would be the game-winning touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph.

Cousins ended the game with 242 yards and a touchdown to go with turnovers.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was key to the team’s 20-10 third quarter lead. Cook ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns to go with three catches for 36 yards.

Defensively, the Vikings did a great job of maintaining Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brees threw for just 208 yards and a touchdown. He did throw a costly touchdown and fumbled in the fourth quarter when the Saints were ready to score.

It’s the second time in three seasons the Vikings have eliminated the Saints in the postseason.

Updated Saints-Vikings over/under still climbing, highest of wild-card round games

Updated betting odds favor the New Orleans Saints over the Minnesota Vikings, but the over/under has climbed as the injury report improved.

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We might have a barn-burner when the New Orleans Saints kick off against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, in the second leg of the NFL’s wild-card games. According to updated odds from BetMGM, the Saints are still favored to beat the Vikings by 7.5 points — but the over/under has climbed up to 49.5, the highest projected total of the week. It suggests a finish in the neighborhood of Saints 29, Vikings 21.

The over/under totals set for the three other wild-card round games range from a week-low between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans (43.5, with the Texans favored by 2.5) to a middling game with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots (44.5, Patriots by 4.5), and a next-best finale when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Philadelphia Eagles (45.5, Seahawks narrowly favored by 1.5). Expectations are that the Saints and Vikings will produce some fireworks in an otherwise quiet weekend.

And that’s probably due to the health of players returning from injury on both sides. Minnesota is welcoming starting running back Dalvin Cook and his backup, rookie Alexander Mattison, into the lineup. They’ll be playing with all-star wide receiver Adam Thielen who has dealt with his own injury issues this season; altogether, they should give a powerful shot in the arm to the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings offense.

As for the Saints: their injury report listed starting safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams as having put in a full practice on Friday, which suggests they’ll each take the field on Sunday. They’ve been good for a turnover almost every week they’ve played (Bell lead the team with 5 fumble recoveries in the regular season, while Williams did the same with 4 interceptions), with Bell chipping in the Saints’ first defensive touchdown of the year in his scoop-and-score fumble return against the Seahawks back in Week 3. They can both inject some real play-making ability at the perfect time for New Orleans.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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3 challenges the Saints will face against the wild-card Vikings

From play-action passing game to a stout run defense, the New Orleans Saints face several big challenges in the wild-card Minnesota Vikings.

A heavily favored New Orleans Saints should feel confident heading into their wild-card round game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Despite the Vikings having a surprisingly thin secondary heading into the matchup, there are still numerous challenges the team can pose to the Saints.

Minnesota all year-long has had a quietly good offense, and their rushing defense has been stout. It will take some of New Orleans best game planning and execution to defeat a very good Vikings team.

Here are three challenges the Saints may face in the Vikings:

A great Vikings rushing attack

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will be returning to action after missing Week 15 and 16 with a shoulder injury. Saints head coach Sean Payton acknowledged the threat Cook brings to the table during his weekly press conference, saying, “I think, number one, they do a great job in their running game. They get to the edge, obviously they are extremely talented at running back. The type of season (Dalvin) Cook has had it’s been real impressive.”

New Orleans has had a fantastic rush defense all year, and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 42 games. However, the Saints defense noticeably struggled against the San Francisco 49ers edge rushing attack in Week 14. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will be heavily looking at that tape as a blueprint to attack the Saints defense on the ground.

Where Saints, Vikings ranked in key stats in 2019

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings compare favorably in various key stats from the 2019 season, including point differential.

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Wild-card weekend is almost upon us, and the New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday in the playoffs’ opening round. Currently, the Saints are a 7.5-point home favorite over the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings.

Money lines won’t tell the entire story in this matchup. A deeper dive into rankings of key stats throughout the season is necessary to unpack it. We will take a look at differentials for points and turnovers, rushing yards per game, and third-down conversion percentages between the two teams.

Point differential

Saints +117; Viking +104

Point differential is often a better indicator of team performance than overall record. Teams stuck with a lower point differential, but having still maintained a solid overall record, can be considered “lucky” by winning incredibly close games that could have gone either way at the end (looking at you, Seattle Seahawks).

New Orleans unsurprisingly holds the fifth-best point differential in the NFL, and the second-best in the NFC. However, Minnesota, whose offense is regularly criticized, holds the seventh best point differential in the NFL and fourth best in the NFC.

The Saints defense will have to play one of their best games in order to stop a sneakily good Vikings offense, that will be headlined by running back Dalvin Cook who will be returning from injury.

Turnover differential

Saints +15; Vikings +11

Turnover differential calculates how well a team takes care of the ball on offense, while also taking into account how many turnovers that same team creates on defense. It is an important stat that helps determine how many opportunities each team can create (or destroy) for itself.

New Orleans’ offense set the NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season with only eight in the 2019 regular season. Meanwhile, its defense helped create 23 turnovers, which ranked 14th in the league. Minnesota was not far behind with the fifth best turnover differential in the league.

Once again, Minnesota has quietly proven it can take care of the ball on offense, while still forcing errors on opposing defenses. The Saints will have to rely on a strong running game, and quarterback Drew Brees’ accuracy in order to prolong drives and reduce mistakes that the Vikings will try to capitalize on.

Rushing yards per game

Saints 108.6 yards; Vikings 133.3 yards

We finally arrive at a stat that the Vikings clearly outrank the Saints. Cook has led the Vikings in rushing yards with 1,135 yards in only 14 games this season. Cook has led the way for the Vikings to achieve the sixth best rushing game in the NFL.

Meanwhile, New Orleans ranks 16th in the league in rushing, but their star running back Alvin Kamara has missed significant time with injury this season. Kamara has begun to look more like himself the last two weeks of the regular season, and could be a large factor in the wild-card game.

Finally, the Saints defense has not given up a 100-yard rusher in 42 straight games. If New Orleans can hold Cook to less than 100-yards, then it will limit play-action opportunities and force Cousins to make quicker decisions, which should bode well for the Saints. The Vikings defense is competent at stopping the run (108.0 rushing yards allowed per game), but they don’t have the consistency of the Saints defense (91.3 rushing yards allowed per game).

Third-down conversion rate

Saints 42.2%; Vikings 42.8%

Third down conversion rates are important when looking at how well teams are able to keep the drive alive. However, it is not the end-all, be-all since first- and second-down conversions are just as important in helping to sustain successful drives. That being said, good teams keep themselves alive on third down by dialing up the right play and converting.

For as efficient as the Saints offense has been all season, the Vikings have been even more so, on third downs at least. The two teams’ third-down conversion rate is almost identical, and this stat may be what both of their defensive game plans will focus on. Whichever sides’ defense can get off the field quickly and more often will hold the advantage.

It’s important to contrast these conversion rates on offense against what the other team is allowing on defense. While the Saints are slightly worse on third down when they have the ball (at 42.2%), they’ve got the Vikings beat on defense (34.8%). Minnesota’s third-down defense, usually a point of pride for coach Mike Zimmer, is substantially worse at getting off the field on third down (39.7%). If the Saints defense can create many third-down opportunities, they should win that matchup against Cousins and the Vikings offense, while Zimmer’s defense should struggle against Brees and the Saints.

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Vikings LB Eric Kendricks upgraded to limited in Thursday’s practice

Kendricks missed Wednesday’s practice.

The Vikings had good news for fans. After being held out of Wednesday’s practice with a thigh injury, linebacker Eric Kendricks was upgraded to limited on Thursday as the team prepares to take on the Saints in the wild card round.

Also limited was defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo (hamstring) and cornerback Mike Hughes (neck).

Players to be held out of practice include cornerback Mackensie Alexander (knee), safety Andrew Sendejo (illness) and defensive end Stephen Weatherly (illness).

Running backs Dalvin Cook (shoulder), safety Jayron Kearse (foot), running back Alexander Mattison (ankle), cornerback Xavier Rhdoes (ankle) and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen (knee) were all full participants.

We’ll get the official injury report for these players on Friday.

Cook, Mattison practice in full for Vikings; Kendricks held out

Two running backs were back in practice for Minnesota, but there were key defensive players held out.

The good news: The Vikings had their top two running backs as full participants in Wednesday’s practice as the team prepares for the Saints in the wild card round on Sunday.

Both Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were full participants.

Other players listed as full participants include cornerback Mike Hughes (neck), safety Jayron Kearse (foot), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (ankle) and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen (knee).

Defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo (hamstring) was limited.

The bad news: The Vikings were without three key defensive contributors. Most notably, linebacker Eric Kendricks was held out with a quad injury. Also out of practice was cornerback Mackensie Alexander (knee), safety Andrew Sendejo (illness) and defensive end Stephen Weatherly (illness).

We’ll see if the Vikings can get any of these players back to practice on Thursday.

Saints vs. Vikings injury report: Dalvin Cook, Vonn Bell return to practice

The New Orleans Saints welcomed SS Vonn Bell back to practice, while the Minnesota Vikings returned RB Dalvin Cook on their injury report.

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings published their initial injury reports ahead of Sunday’s game in the wild-card round. With elimination from the playoffs on the line, it’s vital for each team to rest up and take the field as close to full-strength as possible.

So there’s good and bad news for each team. For the Saints, they’ve welcomed both starting safeties back to the practice field, with Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams each participating on a limited basis during Wednesday’s practice. Bell practiced lightly last week but was ruled out for the regular season finale with the Carolina Panthers, but this opens the door for both players to return on Sunday. That’s big news considering Bell is the only Saints defender to record multiple fumble recoveries (5), while Williams can claim the same for interceptions (4).

However, Minnesota is also getting some reinforcements. Running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison both practiced fully and are expected to play this week, which could rejuvenate a Vikings offense that’s struggled without them. Star wide receiver Adam Thielen has been sidelined at times in the 2019 season with a hamstring injury (which has limited his production when playing), but he was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report. If number-two Saints cornerback Eli Apple (out with an ankle issue) can’t play, Thielen and his tag-team partner Stefon Diggs will get to work against Marshon Lattimore and whoever the Saints coaches call up out of backups P.J. Williams, Patrick Robinson, and Janoris Jenkins. That’s very much a developing situation.

Here’s everything that we learned on Wednesday’s Saints injury report:

From the Saints

  • CB Eli Apple (Ankle), Did not participate
  • FB Zach Line (Knee), Did not participate
  • SS Vonn Bell (Knee), Limited
  • FS Marcus Williams (Groin), Limited
  • WR Michael Thomas (Hand), Limited
  • RB Dwayne Washington (Knee), Limited

From the Vikings

  • LB Eric Kendricks (Quadriceps), Did not participate
  • CB Mackensie Alexander (Knee), Did not participate
  • DE Stephen Weatherly (Illness), Did not participate
  • SS Andrew Sendejo (Illness), Did not participate
  • DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (Hamstring), Limited
  • DT Shamar Stephen (Knee), Full
  • SS Jayron Kearse (Foot), Full
  • CB Mike Hughes (Neck), Full
  • CB Xavier Rhodes (Ankle), Full
  • RB Dalvin Cook (Shoulder), Full
  • RB Alexander Mattison (Ankle), Full

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