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.
DPOY pic.twitter.com/NLo3JQVbP7
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 5, 2020
It’s the second time in three seasons the Vikings have eliminated the Saints in the postseason.