Them's The Breaks

Saints 30
Vikings 20

This SNF affair was hyped up as the rematch of last year's playoff game...but it would up being a sort of spiritual sequel to the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Once again we saw a Vikings team play an even game against an arguably superior Saints team, only to lose by repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot with devastating mistakes.

I thought this would be a loss, given how shorthanded the Vikings were. But it was a win if you flip just two plays.

The Adam Thielen fumble was one of the most abrupt, violent momentum swings I can recall. We are driving right down the field again, about to go up 20-10, and would get the ball to start the 3rd quarter. And Adam puts the ball on the ground. It just cannot happen. That mistake, coupled with the long return and the Laquon helmet toss, giftwrapped a Saints TD from which the Vikings never really recovered. Just like everyone in purple kept fumbling in that title game

And then Stefon Diggs inexplicably just stops running on a crossing route, giftwrapping a pick six that pretty much ended the game. Just like Sidney Rice just stood there and let Tracy Porter.pick off that Favre throw in that title game.

That's 21 points right there. You just cannot make mistakes of that magnitude against that kind of team and expect to win.

The defense hung in there. It had to be expected that the Saints would score, but their offense only got 23 and a couple of those scores came on short fields. I honestly have no real gripe about the defense tonight.

The offense mostly moved the ball, but those 2 crippling turnovers nixed the positives. Laquon had a big 4th down drop too, but that was at least 50% a very good pass breakup. Cousins was fine. His worst play didn't even count, that weird sack and fumble that got overturned. Those 2 big mistakes just completely dwarfed everything else.

This loss is softened some since the Packers and Lions both lost. The division really.needs to be the sole focus of Vikings fans now. Assume the Rams and Saints are taking the 2 byes. I guess we are now behind the Bears again, but the Vikings have 5 of their last 8 games in the division. The Lions are here next week, then we get the bye. We control our own destiny. I'd be shocked if 10 wins isn't enough to win the division. I know it feels like a letdown, but weirdly this team plays better on the road anyway, so maybe a road January game.is preferable.

This team can play with anybody. They've proven it. But they can't do what they did tonight. Clean things up.