Vikings, Saints familiar foes in NFC
Meeting is fifth in four years between teams
NEW ORLEANS — Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is getting accustomed to playing high-stakes, high-intensity games against the New Orleans Saints.
Here comes another one on Christmas Day.
“Yeah, it’s kind of crazy preparing for them. It almost feels like a divisional opponent,” Thielen said. “It’s always a difficult game. It’s always a tough defense, and we always have our work cut out for us. I’m assuming it’ll be similar again on Friday.”
This will be the fifth meeting in four years, including two playoff games that saw Minnesota score the winning touchdown on the final play of each contest.
A victory would allow the Vikings (6-8) to celebrate the holiday by keeping alive thin hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. For the Saints (104), a victory would clinch the NFC South for a fourth straight season and keep alive hopes of winning the top seed in the conference — if Green Bay losses its last two games.
The loser will head into the new year on a threegame skid, but the Saints have the benefit of knowing they’ll be in the playoffs regardless.
New Orleans has double-digit wins in each of the past four regular-seasons meetings, only to see their last three playoff runs end short of the Super Bowl, with two losses in overtime and the first coming on a 62yard Minnesota TD as time expired in regulation.
The Saints’ recent wobbles beg the question whether a similar playoff disappointment is again in store. But coach Sean Payton prefers to focus on why this team should be ready to take the next step.
“I love the grit, the toughness of this team. They’ve come back, played their tails off the next year, got on a roll again this year,” Payton said, referring to New Orleans’ nine-game winning streak earlier this year. “Will it need to be the Super Bowl (for the season to be considered successful). Probably so. But you know what? That is a good measuring stick. And
that gives you an indication of how organizationally the culture’s changed, and we embrace that.”
Justin Jefferson, the third rookie wide receiver in Vikings history to be picked for the
Pro Bowl, returns to his home state after a decorated career at Louisiana State. He leads all NFL rookies with 1,182 receiving yards and has 21 receptions of 20-plus yards, tied for the most in the league.
Jefferson has several ticket requests to fulfill from family and friends, but not as many that would be possible in a normal year given the pandemic-limited attendance at the Superdome.
“For us it’s good not going to an environment that’s loud where you can’t hear,” Jefferson said. “The circumstances this year with COVID, it is what it is. We have to bring our own energy, bring our own excitement, and come prepared.”
Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. also grew up in the New Orleans area.