MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-8)
AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-4)
WEEK 16 // FRIDAY, DEC. 25, 2020 // 4:30 PM ET // MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME // REFEREE: ADRIAN HILL
ON THE AIRWAVES:
TV: FOX/NFLN/Amazon (4:30 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink (field reporter)
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One: Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker
SIRIUS: 82 (Min), 83 (NO) | XM: 226 (Min), 225 (NO), 88 (National)
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER: Vikings lead all-time series, 19-11
STREAKS: Saints have won 4 of past 5
LAST GAME: 10/28/18: Saints 30 at Vikings 20
LAST GAME AT SITE: 9/21/14: Saints 20, Vikings 9
MINNESOTA VIKINGS LEADERS
L 33-27 vs. Chicago LAST WEEK
Mike Zimmer: 2-1 COACH VS. OPP.
25.7/27.7 PTS. FOR/AGAINST
387.1 OFFENSE
Kirk Cousins: 294-435-3569-29-13-102.4 PASSING
Dalvin Cook: 297-1484-5.0-15 (T1L) RUSHING
Justin Jefferson (R): 73-1182-16.2-7 RECEIVING
378.0 DEFENSE
Ifeadi Odenigbo: 3.5 SACKS
Harrison Smith: 4 INTs
-5 (18/23) TAKE/GIVE
Britton Colquitt: 44.9 (36.1) PUNTING (NET)
Dan Bailey: 72 (30/34 PAT; 14/20 FG) KICKING
VIKINGS NOTES
• QB KIRK COUSINS passed for 271 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT for 98.6
rating last week. Is 1 of 3 QBs (PATRICK MAHOMES & AARON
RODGERS) with 90+ rating in 13 games this season. Has 1,005
pass yards (335 per game) & 9 TDs vs. INT for 133.2 rating in 3
career reg. season games vs. NO. Aims for his 4th in row vs. NO
in reg. season with 300+ pass yards, 2+ pass TDs & 105+ rating.
• RB DALVIN COOK leads NFL with career-high 1,833 scrimmage
yards & ranks 2nd with career-high 16 total TDs. Had 159
scrimmage yards (132 rush, 27 rec.) & rush TD last week. Has
6 games with 150+ scrimmage yards in 2020, most in NFL. Aims
for his 3rd in row with rush TD & 4th in row with 110+ scrimmage
yards. Had 130 scrimmage yards (94 rush, 36 rec.) & 2 rush TDs
in only career game at NO (1/5/20 – NFC-WC). Aims for his 3rd in
row vs. NO, incl. postseason, with 130+ scrimmage yards.
• WR ADAM THIELEN had rec. TD last week. Ranks 3rd in NFL
with career-high 13 rec. TDs this season. Had 129 rec. yards
in his last game at NO (1/5/20 – NFC-WC). Has 100+ rec. yards
in 3 of his past 4 vs. NO, incl. postseason. Rookie WR JUSTIN
JEFFERSON had team-high 104 rec. yards & became 5th in NFL
history with 6 100+ rec. yard games. Leads all rookies with 73
receptions & surpassed HOFer RANDY MOSS (69) for most by
rookie in Min. franchise history.
• LB ERIC KENDRICKS has 100+ tackles in each of past 5 seasons.
LB ERIC WILSON led team with 11 tackles last week & has careerhigh 105 tackles this season. Is only player with 3+ sacks (3)
& 3+ INTs (3) this season. Rookie CB CAMERON DANTZLER had
2nd-career INT last week. Aims for his 5th in row with PD.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LEADERS
LAST WEEK L 32-29 vs. Kansas City
COACH VS. OPP. Sean Payton: 4-2
PTS. FOR/AGAINST 28.4/21.2
OFFENSE 363.8
PASSING Drew Brees: 234-332-2430-21-4-107.4
RUSHING Alvin Kamara: 165-777-4.7-10
RECEIVING Alvin Kamara (RB): 80-739-9.2-5
DEFENSE 306.4
SACKS Trey Hendrickson: 12.5
INTs Janoris Jenkins, Marcus Williams: 3
TAKE/GIVE +6 (21/15)
PUNTING (NET) Thomas Morstead: 43.2 (41.9)
KICKING Wil Lutz: 107 (47/47 PAT; 20/25 FG)
SAINTS NOTES
• QB DREW BREES passed for 3 TDs vs. INT last week. Has 2+ TD
passes & 105+ rating in 5 of his past 6 starts on road. Has 21 TD
passes this season & has 17 seasons with 20+ TD passes, 2ndmost in NFL history. Has 18 TDs vs. 6 INTs for 102.3 rating in 9
career games vs. Min., incl. postseason. Needs 154 pass yards
to become 1st QB in NFL history with 80,000 pass yards.
• RB ALVIN KAMARA ranks 3rd in NFL in scrimmage yards (1,516)
& tied-3rd in total TDs (15). Leads all RBs with 80 receptions &
joined HOFer MARSHALL FAULK (1998-2002) as only RBs with
4 consecutive seasons of 80+ receptions. Aims for his 4th in
row with TD. Has 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 rec.) in 4 career games vs.
Min., incl. postseason. RB LATAVIUS MURRAY had rec. TD last
week. Is 1 of 2 RBs (TODD GURLEY) with 5+ TDs in each of past 6
seasons. Had 1,664 scrimmage yards & 14 rush TDs in 2 seasons
(2017-18) with Min.
• WR EMMANUEL SANDERS led team with 76 rec. yards last week.
Is 1 of 3 WRs (T.Y. HILTON & JULIO JONES) with 500+ rec. yards
in each of past 9 seasons. TE JARED COOK has rec. TD in 2 of
his past 3. Is only TE with 6+ rec. TDs in each of past 3 seasons.
• DE CAMERON JORDAN has 6 TFL in his past 5 at home. Has 3
sacks & 5 TFL in 6 career games vs. Min., incl. postseason. DE
TREY HENDRICKSON had 2 sacks & FF last week. Aims for his
3rd in row at home with 2+ sacks. Ties for 2nd in NFL with 12.5
sacks. Had sack in 2019 NFC-WC vs. Min. LB DEMARIO DAVIS had
career-high 15 tackles last week. Is 1 of 5 LBs with 100+ tackles
(106) & 10+ TFL (10) this season. CB MARSHON LATTIMORE is only
player with 50+ PD (52) & 5+ FFs (5) since 2017.
COURTESY NFLmedia.com
