Saints vs. Vikings Series History: A Tale of Two Cities

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings meet this evening in the 2017 season opener for the two groups. Minnesota is likewise the site of the last round of this NFL season, as host of Super Bowl LII. Before we bounce ahead into the future, notwithstanding, we will grasp a touch of the New Orleans Saints' past. Waterway Street Chronicles will glance back at an arrangement history of each of the Saints adversaries amid the season. We start the year as the Saints do, with a glance at the group's history against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Saints and Vikings have a genuinely broad history against each other. They have played against each other 31 times in customary season gatherings or playoffs before today around evening time, the majority of any group New Orleans has confronted that was not a one-time or ebb and flow divisional adversary. The Saints have an 11-20 general record in the arrangement, incorporating 1-2 in playoff gatherings and a 3-12 record in Minnesota.

The last meeting between the two groups was in New Orleans amid the 2014 season, a 20-9 Saints triumph. The primary amusement these two played in Minneapolis was September 27, 1970, bringing about a 26-0 triumph by the Vikings. The groups have not met in Minnesota since a 42-20 New Orleans win amid the 2011 season. They have gone head to head 3 times in season openers (1976, 1978, and 2010), each of the three diversions being played in New Orleans, with the Saints winning the last two.

The Vikings were one of the NFC's predominant establishments through the right on time to mid-1970s. They went to four super bowls in the vicinity of 1970 and 1976 with hostile stars like Fran Tarkenton, previous Saints recipient John Gilliam, running back Chuck Foreman, and a prevailing barrier nicknamed "The Purple People Eaters". New Orleans lost six straight recreations to Minnesota amid that time period, a streak that was at long last broken with a 31-28 triumph in the 1978 season opener.

The Vikings have an any longer playoff history than the Saints, have fit the bill for the postseason 28 times since their origin in 1961. The group's three playoff gatherings have positively had a far various importance to every city. The primary such meeting happened on January 3, 1988, in New Orleans. The Saints had, at last, accomplished their first winning season, and first playoff billet, following 20 years of presence. Despite the fact that they would complete second in the NFC West behind the San Francisco 49ers, they had the second best record in the whole NFL at 12-3 and were even discussed as genuine Super Bowl contenders.

The Vikings then again, had scarcely fit the bill for the playoffs at 8-7 and would enter the postseason as the most minimal seed, venturing out to New Orleans for a first round Wild Card coordinate. After an early Saints touchdown got the home jam into a furor, the Vikings calmed the boisterous to some degree by maneuvering into a 10-7 lead before the finish of the first Quarter. Two more Minnesota touchdowns in the second Quarter had Saints fans nearly freeze, yet when a field objective fixed the edge to 24-10, New Orleans reliable held to the conviction that the group would bounce back in the second half. Indeed, even the most lifelong fan was flattened on the last play of the half, when the Vikings executed a 44-yard Hail Mary touchdown breathe easy lapsed for a 31-10 lead at the break. The shell-stunned Saints never recuperated, getting resentful in their first playoff amusement, 44-10.

Minnesota added to the astringent New Orleans playoff history just about 13 years after the fact to the day, on January 6, 2001. The Saints had stunned the majority of the group amid the 2000 season, winning the NFC West and the establishment's first since forever playoff triumph by crushing the guarding champion Rams. The Saints gave little resistance against the second seeded Vikings in a divisional round coordinate at Minnesota the next week, losing 34-16. The misfortune was the fourth straight for New Orleans against Minnesota in the arrangement, amid an extent of 8 misfortunes in 9 diversions against the Vikings in the vicinity of 1994 and 2008.

The 2008 season was the last time the Saints lost to the Vikings and the main time that New Orleans has lost to Minnesota amid the Sean Payton/Drew Brees period. Payton's Saints groups have won the last four amusements against Minnesota, including one of the establishment's most noteworthy wins ever, on January 28, 2010. The Saints had begun the 2009 season with 13 back to back wins, however, had lurched down the extent, losing their last 3 amusements entering the playoffs. The Vikings had kept pace with the best-seeded Saints throughout the entire season in the NFC. Driven by amazing quarterback Brett Favre and youthful prevailing running back Adrian Peterson, the Vikings were supported by some to hand New Orleans a third disastrous playoff overcome in the two groups' history against each other. This time in the NFC title amusement.

Minnesota outgained New Orleans in the diversion, 475-265 yards, and dramatically increased their first down aggregate, 31-15. The Saints barrier remained steadfast, however, driving 5 turnovers, while the offense made auspicious plays, and got 3 touchdown goes from their own amazing quarterback, Brees. A Tracy Porter block attempt of Favre toward the finish of direction safeguarded a tie score and sent the amusement into extra time. The capture attempt was the last postseason go of Favre's Hall of Fame profession.

When extra time started, the Saints moved the ball into field objective range, with the assistance of a gutty fourth down bet by Payton changed over by a Pierre Thomas run. Kicker Garrett Hartley nailed a 40-yd. field objective to give the Saints a 31-28 triumph and their exclusive NFC Championship to date. New Orleans would go ahead to win Super Bowl XLIV two weeks after the fact with a triumph over the Indianapolis Colts.

This 32nd meeting between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings will clearly not have a portion of the postseason dramatization that the arrangement has given us more than 3 decades, yet history has unquestionably demonstrated that this story of two urban areas will bring about an eccentric result.