🏈 NFL Christmas Game Preview: Vikings at Saints 🏈

               

  

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Minnesota (6-8) at New Orleans (10-4)

Last year, just after New Year's, the Vikings went down to the Superdome in New Orleans and stunned the 13-3 Saints in the Wildcard game, eliminating them from the playoffs. What had once seemed a promising season with a real possibility of a Super Bowl berth, and even a chance at winning a second title in franchise history, instead ended in disappointment. On the heels of a similar disappointment the year before, when the Saints that they had been cheated out of a Super Bowl because of an illegal hit that literally every official missed, this was a bitter pill to swallow.

Now, the Saints are facing a similar dilemma. They entered this season as one of the favorites in the NFC, and many people expected them to reach the Super Bowl, and give veteran quarterback Drew Brees at least one last shot at a Super Bowl. Then, they had a disappointing 1-2 start, only to suddenly catch fire and pull off nine straight wins. At 10-2, they had the inside track on receiving the number one seed in the NFC playoffs, and along with it, both a bye and home field advantage throughout.

Then suddenly, they lost unexpectedly to the Eagles, who had been on a losing streak. They followed that up with another loss at home to the Chiefs last weekend, and just like that, the Saints not only are no longer the number one seed, but they cannot afford to lose another game, lest they sink to the number three seed. It is not even impossible that the Buccaneers could catch the Saints, and possibly win the division title, if New Orleans is not careful and fails to snap out of it's current funk. Memories of the disappointment of losing out on the number one seed last season are still fresh, and the disastrous, rather shocking early exit in overtime to the Vikings likely has haunted them ever since.

So, the Saints have every incentive to win this game. They have surely wanted revenge on Minnesota all season, and they also have a sense of urgency, because they simply cannot afford to lose this game. It is at home, and New Orleans wants to at least celebrate a division title. A victory on Christmas would achieve that much, as the Saints hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Bucs, having swept the season series. It also would snap them out of their current funk, and get them back on track, and with a very real chance for at least clinching the number two seed. They likely will not catch the Packers, who currently are the number one seed in the NFC, and who also have a relatively easy schedule to close out their season, but you never know. Upsets happen.

However, the Saints need to remember that for this game, too. They will be favored. They are the home team, and the Vikings have suffered some serious setbacks recently that very likely have eliminated them from playoff contention. But that could also make them more dangerous, because they still have an outside chance at the playoffs themselves, but everything has to be just so for them to actually reach the postseason. First and foremost, however, it starts with them winning, and so they very well may take some chances to try and make that happen. 

Still, the Saints should be the better team. With Brees, this is an elite team. They may have lost to the Chiefs last week, but there is no shame in that, as KC might be the best team in the league. After all, they are the defending champions. Minnesota is a far weaker team, and with home field advantage, there is no reason why the Saints cannot win and finally officially lock up the division title that seemed to be comfortably in their pocket until just recently.

My pick: New Orleans