Saints overcome Vikings for sixth straight win
The New Orleans Saints did enough to overcome the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL.
The New Orleans Saints extended their winning streak in the NFL to six thanks to a 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Behind quarterback Drew Brees – and two Vikings turnovers – New Orleans claimed victory, using two 10-point quarters to build a lead they would never relinquish.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a costly pick-six, and though wide receiver Adam Thielen tied Calvin Johnson's NFL record with his eighth straight game with 100-plus receiving yards, he also made an uncharacteristic mistake.
The Vikings know how to expose the Saints' faults, but there were few to take advantage of on Sunday.
The Saints weren't perfect but they were good enough
Put the Saints in U.S. Bank Stadium and it is like adding salt to a wound.
New Orleans are all too familiar with what Minnesota can do in front of a home crowd. The Vikings took advantage of the visiting Saints twice last season – once in the 2017 opener and again in the NFC divisional playoff game. But, this time around the Saints were not going to budge.
Brees threw an interception and the defense allowed two fourth-down conversions in the red zone for scores, but New Orleans were good enough to get the job done.
Brees finished 18-of-23 passing for only 120 yards, one touchdown and the lone interception. The last time Brees threw for less than 120 yards was December 31 2006.
Two big mistakes cost Vikings
This time around it was the Saints taking advantage of their opponents' misfortune.
First, an uncharacteristic turnover from Thielen came right after Minnesota had nabbed an interception itself. Brees threw his first pick of the season, and the Vikings were hoping to capitalise on it when Cousins looked to Thielen in the red zone. But the Vikings star wide out fumbled and two plays later New Orleans scored to take their first lead since the opening drive.
Second, a game-changing miscommunication stopped Stefon Diggs in his tracks, which led to Cousins to throwing a pick-six.
Mark Ingram II returns just in time
New Orleans' run game was not lacking, but now with the return of Mark Ingram II the Saints are better prepared to take on two of the league's top rushing defenses.
Ingram opened the season serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. In his place, second-year running back Alvin Kamara carried most of the weight. Now, with Ingram's return paired with Kamara's abilities in the backfield, the pair can face the Los Angeles Rams (number 12 rushing defense) and the Philadelphia Eagles (seven) in the coming weeks.
Ingram, a two-time Pro Bowl player, finished with 63 yards on 13 carries. Kamara, selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 draft, also carried the rock 13 times for 45 yards and a touchdown.
The pair also got work in the passing game, totalling 60 yards on 10 receptions, including a touchdown catch by Kamara.