Vikings - Saints Notes: First Half

> The Saints don't have a flag as big as the Colts did for their game, or an eagle flying around the dome. They must not love America as much! Some American Idolbot sings a perfunctory anthem because New Orleans has no musicians since Katrina (I keed, I keed!), and the Vikings win the toss. After a final useless sound bite from both coaches (Minnesota's Brad Childress seems particularly skittish), Vikings KR Percy Harvin watches Saints K Thomas Morstead put it out of the end zone.

> The first play from scrimmage sees Vikings QB Brett Favre take a hit and miss TE Visanthe Shiancoe. On second, he checks down to backup TE Jim Kleinsasser, who rumbles for the first. A quick throw to Harvin gets five, and another to WR Bernard Berrian moves the sticks; four straight throws from the Vikes to start. On the first, Favre from the gun in an empty backfield to Berrian, who is just short of the sticks. The first run of the day is Harvin, who gets five around the left. At the Saints 40, RB Chester Taylor gets four on a screen, then RB Adrian Peterson wrestles free after a checkdown to move the sticks again. Favre's accurate so far, and I Hope You Bet The Over. Peterson is electric on a draw for six. Peterson then skips around S Darren Sharper and takes it to the house for a kitteny-soft 19 yard touchdown run, and that's just an 80-yard opening drive where the road team never even faced a third down. I hate to see what the Saint defense is going to look like when they aren't fresh. Vikings 7, Saints 0. Mr. Brees, your serve.

> A middling return starts the Saints at their own 24. QB Drew Brees starts with a simple 5 yard out to WR Lance Moore. The Saints go no huddle from play action, and Brees has all day but just misses WR Marques Colston on a cross. On third, it's Brees to WR Robert Mecham, who uses a good block from TE David Martin on a bubble screen for the first. Brees then finds Colston on a nifty quick twisting catch to move the chains. RB Pierre Thomas gets in the fun with nine easy yards on the right side. Brees induces an offsides for the first down, then just misses WR Devery Henderson on a sideline move where the CB bit on a pump fake; missed opportunity there, as the WR was open. On second, the Saints run a pretty screen to Thomas, who ducks a terrible tackle attempt from OLB Ben Leber, then cuts back to the end zone for your average 38 yard touchdown, and a three minute, length of the field, touchdown drive. The Saints hold serve, and once more, I Hope You Bet The Over. Vikings 7, Saints 7.

> Harvin takes a bouncing kickoff to his own 27. Fox shows us a canned piece from Favre complaining about crowd noise; perhaps he should retire from the fatigue of it all? Or, perhaps, work in the off-season to be in better shape? He misses Berrian on a fly on first down, then can't connect on an out to WR Sidney Rice. On the first real stress down of the day for the Viking offense, it's Favre from the gun on a free play where the QB gets buried as Joe Buck pules about crowd noise. Oh, you naughty Saint fans! Third and five from the gun sees Favre miss his man by a lot, but a defensive hold moves the sticks; borderline. Berrian takes a bubble screen for 15 yards with spins and shiftiness, as the defensive clinic continues. Harvin on an end-around for two as Buck is outraged that Favre would get hit by a defender while he's more or less a blocker. The zebras then throw a flag for a personal foul on Harvin while he's out of bounds, and that might be the cheapest 15 yards you'll see for someone touching a non-QB - and it turns out to be for Favre anyway. Sheesh.

> A give to Peterson gets three as Sharper closes well; he's going to stick out like a sore thumb in this game for actually being able to defend. Favre misses Harvin in the end zone on a rollout where the WR was open. On third and seven, Favre stands in the fire on Sharper and completes to Harvin for the first down. The Saint strategy seems to be hit Favre first and worry about everything else later, in a scheme to see Tarvaris Jackson. Might not be the worst idea. A give to Peterson goes nowhere, and a bubble screen to Harvin just gets a yard. Third and goal from the five sees Favre from the gun get it to Rice, and that's as excited as you will ever hear Joe Buck get. Not a hard throw by any stretch of the imagination, and while that drive was a little harder than the first, it really wasn't by much. Vikings 14, Saints 7, and we're just five more touchdowns from the over. In other words, the third quarter. At worst.

> Saints KR Courtney Roby brings it to the 27. A give to Thomas is destroyed by the internal line for a loss of one, and the Saints go no huddle on a gadget play by RB Reggie Bush, who runs twenty yards to lose none. Yeesh. Hitting Brees is OK when he's blocking, seemingly. On third, Brees connects with Colston a yard ahead of the sticks, and honestly, I'd think about going for it if I were New Orleans. Morstead's punt goes to the Vikings 15 after a useful roll, and that's the first quarter. Vikings 14, Saints 7.

> From his own 15, Peterson wiggles for two as the bad tackling continues. On second, the RB takes a delay for two yards, and you get the feeling that the Saints defense can only stop the first third down of a drive... and with pressure, they do, as Favre throws it out of bounds near Taylor, rather than try to run for it. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe is able to avoid past history with Bush by hitting a short and high punt, which the returner fair catches at his own 35.

> Brees just misses TE Jeremy Shockey, who gets apologies from Buck for his physical ailments. Like Shockey is ever not hurt? Bush is used as a diversion on second on a screen to second TE David Thomas, but that also fails. On third, Brees has time to find Bush on a post, and it goes for 28 yards on a pretty play; any time the Saints can get Bush on a LB, that's just money. A give to RB Thomas gets four on a good hole, then Brees finds TE Thomas to move the sticks as the Vikings DL isn't getting enough push. At the Viking 21, RB Thomas with a pretty cut in a prettier hole for 12 and the first. First and goal from the nine sees Brees with all day finding Henderson, who shows good hands on a high ball, and the game is tied. S Benny Sapp wears the clown feet on that one. Vikings 14, Saints 14, and we're on pace for a 42-42 game and overtime. Didn't I see his game already, only with Packer and Cardinal laundry?

> Morstead's hopping kick is taken by Harvin to the 20; first team to try a surprise onside kick wins this game, I think. 276 offensive yards in 20 minutes, folks. Favre takes a timeout for some reason, and if you want to start the conspiracy theories about him retiring after this game, I won't stop you; the man looks tired. Harvin on trickery for six yards. A screen to Taylor gets 11. Someone knows why Favre unbuckles his chin strap after every play, and it's probably not just for attention, but I'll go with it as a theory. Rice sacrifices on a high slant for five yards. Peterson charges to the sticks and just gets it. From their 47, Favre pumps long and takes Peterson short, who is wrapped up for three yards. The RB slides through muck for another three, and on third and four outside of field goal range, Favre from the gun misses Berrian, despite having time against a blitz. Today, that's an outstanding defensive series. Kluwe's punt is out of bounds at the 18, and in a tangential aside, there really is no reason to measure punts out of bounds inside the 20, when inside the 10 is really the much greater accomplishment. In any event, the Saints will have the ball with their first chance today to take a lead, with 6:12 left in the half.

> A screen to Henderson had promise, but the WR drops a low throw. Offsides on the defense makes life easier on the home team, and on second and five, TE Thomas makes a great catch on a low checkdown from Brees as the rush moves in, setting up third and one. From a power formation, short yardage specialist Lynell Hamilton is demolished. Wow, acutal defense! The three and out ends with a Morstead punt to the Vikings 24 for a fair catch, as Fox goes for more Favre Haggery.

> From the Vikings 24, Taylor for three with some jiggity. On second from the gun, LB Jonathan Vilma has a better shot at the ball than Shiancoe, as Favre is worn down by crowd noise and his childhood love for the Saints and a million other things that is making half of America nauseous. Third and five sees pressure on the QB and an incomplete to Harvin, and my oh my, Defense Is Ruling The Moment. Kluwe's punt is fair caught by Bush at his own 33 with 3:42 left.

> Brees, with time, telegraphs a ball to Colston that Leber nearly picks. On second, he finds the shambling mound that is Shockey (he limps off! what are the odds?) for nine. On third and one, the Saints continue to emulate the Andy Reid Eagles with short yardage ineptitude, trying a toss to Bush that doesn't get there. The Saints fake going for it at their own 43, but the Vikings are able to stay in their shoes and force a delay penalty, as somehow the refs miss Breeds calling time. Odd. The punt is nearly muffed at the 18, and the Saints get a cheap 15 yard flag for hitting the returner on what looked like a fumble. That really should be overturned, but no dice.

> Favre and Rice misfire on first. Vilma takes Peterson out of bounds for a yard on second, also stopping the clock; could be a big play. On third and nine from the gun, Favre finds Berrian in the teeth of a blitz for the first, as Sharper is a yard away from stopping the play. .Big play in a lot of respects; it maintains possession, keeps the ball from Brees with time on the clock, and might prevent going into the locker room while behind. Favre to Rice misses on first, and Peterson is stopped for a yard on second as the clock stops on the Saints first timeout. With 1:30 left, it's 3rd and 9 from the Vikings 43, and from the gun, Favre misses Berrian high and away as the Viking offense just doesn't seem terribly crisp right now... but Bush muffs the Kluwe punt at his own 10, and that's one of those Game Changing Turnovers That Lose Playoff Games. Great coverage by gunner Reggie Frampton, but also a terrible play by Bush.

> First and goal from the 10 sees Peterson run through arm tackles for six yards, and the Saints call their second timeout to try to get their defense ungassed.... and Favre and Peterson fail to connect on a rush attempt, and the Saints recover the gift. Wow. That's another one of those Game Changing Turnovers That Lose Playoff Games! The fumble goes to Favre, though it looks like both men were at fault.

> A give to Bush for four yards to show that they still love him, then another one for two, and that's the half. One of these teams has to go to Miami, though to be honest, neither looks all that worthy of it. Tie game at 14 at the half. I hope you bet the... well, um, maybe not.