A win is a win. The game was a lot closer than it maybe should have been, but the Minnesota Vikings walk away from their game against the New Orleans Saints with a win 27-19. The win pushes Minnesota’s win streak to five games, and gives them a win over a Saints team they’re competing for a playoff spot against.
The Vikings started the game firing on all cylinders. The rushing attack showed life for one of the first times this season with the addition of Ty Chandler to the mix. Josh Dobbs, with a full week of practice, looked comfortable in the offense.
He was throwing the ball all over the field and the connection with tight end T.J. Hockenson was particularly strong. Hockenson had 10 receptions in the first half, and the Vikings went into halftime with a three-touchdown lead.
As good as the Vikings looked in the first half, they looked about as bad in the second half. All of the good work they did in the first half was nearly completely wiped away in the second.
The Vikings defense allowed Jameis Winston — who came in after starting quarterback Derek Carr suffered a concussion — to come roaring back with two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. The offense got away from everything they were doing well in the first half, barely targeting Hockenson at all, and sputtering to a measly three points all half.
The only saving grace for the Vikings in the second half was Winston’s tendency to turn the ball over. Pressing to get the Saints all the way back, Winston made some mistakes and gave the Vikings defense two crucial turnovers towards the end of the fourth quarter to seal the game.
What should have been a blowout turned into a nail-biter at the end, but Minnesota ultimately moves to 6-4 on the season. It was an exciting — maybe a bit too exciting for some — with a lot of good, bad and ugly.