Sunday Night Football, Week 8. Tonight the New Orleans Saints travel to Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of last year’s wild NFC Divisional Playoffs game won by the Vikings. The Saints come into the game red hot, in the midst of a five game winning streak. Led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and a dynamic backfield duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, the Saints are looking for revenge. Last year in the Divisional Playoffs the Saints seemingly had the game won, leading by a point with the Vikings down to their last play deep in their own territory. Instead, in the unlikeliest of finishes, the Vikings scored a game winning touchdown on a desperation pass as time ran out. It was a bitter blow for the Saints, and one they are no doubt eager to avenge. The Vikings also come into the game hot, winners of three straight. The Vikings are led by new signal caller Kirk Cousins and perhaps the best receiving duo in the game in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. This one is an excellent matchup between two contenders for an NFC Super Bowl berth, with recent history juicing the rivalry. It’s the Saints and the Vikings in a great Sunday Night Football game. Enjoy the game everybody.<doc-sep>The Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1) watched their three-game win streak come to an end on Sunday Night Football with the New Orleans Saints (6-1) coming into U.S. Bank Stadium and getting revenge after being swept in the two games they played there last season, the most memorable of which was the famed "Minneapolis Miracle" in the NFC Divisional Round. The Vikings came into this game down six starters and a handful of stars on defense, but it was the offense that had an off night with costly mistakes in key situations that stalled their momentum and swung things in favor of the Saints in a 30-20 defeat. Defensively, the team gave it all they had with the players that stepped in for Xavier Rhodes and Anthony Barr performing admirably and keeping Drew Brees mostly in check. The game had several positives moments, including the return of defensive end Everson Griffen to the game of football, more history made from wide receiver Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs having another big outing against the Saints defense. Here is a look at how the game went down and some of the moments to remember.<doc-sep>This week’s edition of Sunday Night Football finds a pair of NFC contenders back on the same field where one of the most dramatic plays in NFL playoff history took place just nine months ago in one of this season’s more anticipated prime time matchups. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints travel up north this week against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League’s Week 8 action. Prior to the game, the team unveiled their uniform combination for the evening, announcing that they will don their road Color Rush uniforms, one of the more popular looks in football today. While many NFL teams have introduced major changes to their uniforms over the years, often for the worse, the New Orleans Saints franchise has largely stuck with one overall look ever since entering the league back in 1967. One of the most interesting facts about the Saints’ uniform is that they almost didn’t wear it. The colors black, gold, and white have always been featured on their uniforms, on the road, at home, and for throwbacks, but interestingly they were not the first options. John Mecom, their original majority owner, wanted the Saints to don a shade of blue that he used in his other business, but the NFL stepped in before they could introduce them and stopped the move because it looked too similar to the San Diego Chargers uniforms. Instead, Mecom went with the black and gold look, which has remained through the decades. This offseason, the Saints revealed that they will wear a patch on their jerseys and a decal on their helmets for the coming season, featuring a silhouette of Benson as so many Saints fans remember him, carrying a black and gold umbrella, as he did following Saints victories at the Superdome. This offseason, the Saints uniform was ranked as the best by a fan poll.<doc-sep>The Minnesota Vikings out-gained the New Orleans Saints by 153 yards on Sunday night. They had ten more first downs. They ran 14 more plays. They won the time of possession battle. They averaged 1.2 yards per play more than the Saints. They held Drew Brees, the NFL’s all-time leading passer, to 120 yards and picked him off for the first time this season. Kirk Cousins had 359 yards, two touchdowns, and a 107.7 passer rating. Both Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen had over 100 yards and a score. And they still lost by ten points, trailing by double digits for most of the second half. Football is a funny game that way. You can put up all the impressive numbers and yet come out on the losing end if you make crucial mistakes at the wrong time. That’s just what the Vikings did en route to a home loss to the Saints in which they were their own worst enemy. With so many key players missing and such a dangerous opponent, it wasn’t all that surprising that the Vikings allowed 30 points and lost the game. I predicted just that on Thursday. How they lost was the more disheartening part of the equation. During the three-game win streak the Vikings had snapped on Sunday night, we saw glimpses of what this team has the potential to be, but the specters of inconsistency still loomed. Those apparitions came to the forefront against the Saints. Let’s take our weekly review of which plays made the biggest difference in the outcome. Play 1: Saints ball, 3rd & 2 at the New Orleans 27. First quarter, 13:34 remaining. (Shotgun) D. Brees pass deep right to M. Thomas pushed ob at NO 47 for 20 yards (T. Waynes ). Minnesota challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the field was confirmed. (Timeout #1.) While most of what we’re going to cover today will be the self-inflicted Vikings wounds, it’s important to remember that the Saints are a very good football team with some incredibly talented weapons. They showed that on the third play of the game with this toss from Brees to Michael Thomas. Trae Waynes had excellent coverage, but Thomas was still able to leap for the grab and get both heels in bounds. Instead of a three and out to start the game, the Saints kept the drive alive. Five plays later, Brees sent a quick shovel pass to Alvin Kamara and New Orleans opened the game with a touchdown instead of a punt. The Vikings did better than most defenses against Thomas and Kamara; Thomas had five grabs for 81 yards and Kamara had 76 total yards on 20 touches. Although Kamara did find the end zone twice, that’s a respectable performance against two of the most dynamic players in the NFL. But it’s hard to beat a team like the Saints when you can’t quit getting in your own way. Play 2: Vikings ball, 1st & 10 at the Minnesota 40. Second quarter, 7:06 remaining. (No Huddle) L. Murray right tackle to NO 37 for 23 yards (M. Williams ). PENALTY on MIN-P. Elflein , Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at MIN 40 - No Play. The Vikings recovered from the opening drive touchdown to score two of their own: a short pass to Stefon Diggs on fourth and goal and a 1-yard dive by Latavius Murray made the score 13-7 early in the second quarter. (Dan Bailey missed an extra point in a play that should probably go into the honorable mention section of this article.) The Saints were able to get a Wil Lutz field goal to make it 13-10 halfway through the second quarter. Minnesota answered with this huge run by Murray on the first play of the ensuing drive: However, the play was called back for holding by Pat Elflein against Taylor Stallworth. It was a legit call, but one has to wonder whether Murray would have made it through the gap anyway if Elflein didn’t add a little bit extra to his block. Instead of 1st & 10 in New Orleans territory, the Vikings did the following on their next three plays: A sack where Sheldon Rankins ran through Danny Isidora like it was a video game with clipping turned off; A run up the middle to C.J. Ham for 1 yard on 2nd & 25(???? ); and A pass to Roc Thomas well short of the sticks. Instead of being in great position to add to their lead, the Vikings had to boot the ball away. Thankfully, the Vikings defense was able to get it right back. Stephen Weatherly pressured Drew Brees into throwing his first interception of the season to Harrison Smith. The Vikings were in business again late in the half with the opportunity to score and get the ball again to start the third quarter. It was a great chance to create some space between themselves and their opponents. Instead, what happened was a 14-point swing that the Vikings never recovered from. Play 3: Vikings ball, 1st & 10 at the New Orleans 18. Second quarter, 1:11 remaining. (Shotgun) K. Cousins pass short left to A.Thielen to NO 14 for 4 yards (A.Anzalone). FUMBLES (A.Anzalone), RECOVERED by NO-M. Lattimore at NO 13. M. Lattimore to MIN 33 for 54 yards (L. Treadwell ). PENALTY on MIN-L.Treadwell, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards, enforced at MIN 33. Adam Thielen had the first hiccup of what has otherwise been an amazing season, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. P.J. Williams, who spent the majority of the night getting roasted by Thielen and Diggs, made the first of two very important plays by lodging the ball loose after the completion. Marshon Lattimore took it all the way to the Vikings 33. Laquon Treadwell took it 15 yards farther with a boneheaded unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Two plays later, Kamara was in the end zone for the second time. Instead of heading to the locker room up 16-10 or 20-10, the Vikings trailed 17-13 at the half.<doc-sep>
The Saints moved to 6-1 on the season with a 30-20 win over the Vikings, who dropped to 4-3-1 after "Sunday Night Football" in Week 8. The game was a highly anticipated rematch of last year's divisional playoff matchup that ended with Minnesota wide receiver Stefon Diggs' miracle touchdown. New Orleans came to U.S. Bank Stadium and took revenge, or at least a small serving of it. The Saints needed a win to maintain first place in the NFC South, still ahead of the Panthers, who also won in Week 8. MORE: Watch the NFL live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) SN provided live Saints vs. Vikings scoring updates and highlights during "Sunday Night Football." Here's how it went down. Saints vs. Vikings: Score, results, highlights Saints: 30 Vikings: 20 (All times ET) FINAL SCORE: SAINTS 30, VIKINGS 20 11:15 p.m.: That's a wrap. The Saints stay in first place after an impressive road win. 10:55 p.m.: Adam Thielen continues to produce at a ridiculous level. He goes over 100 yards yet again. Thielen been keeping it 💯 pic.twitter.com/JxYTLBpot1 — The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) October 29, 2018 10:25 p.m.: SAINTS TOUCHDOWN. Disaster for the VIkings as a Cousins-Diggs mixup leads to a Saints pick-six. Saints 27, Vikings 13. Halftime: Saints 17, Vikings 13 9:45 p.m.: Alvin Kamara takes care of business after an Adam Thielen fumble, and the Saints lead at the break. 9:30 p.m.: Drew Brees has been close to perfect this season. This is his first interception of 2018. 9:11 p.m.: VIKINGS TOUCHDOWN. Latavius Murray plows in from close range and the home team takes the lead. Saints 7, Vikings 13. 8:55 p.m.: VIKINGS TOUCHDOWN. Stefon Diggs drags his toes to pull the Vikings level. Saints 7, Vikings 7. 8:39 p.m.: SAINTS TOUCHDOWN. Drew Brees starts the night off for the Saints with a touchdown pass to Kamara. Saints 7, Vikings 0.