The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.
Throughout the game, join us as we update you throughout the game with our live blog.
Vikings first drive
8 plays, 53 yards, 4:13 TOP
Key plays:
Jordan Addison 27 yard reception after the ball went through Paulsen Adebo’s hands.
How did Jordan Addison catch this?#SKOL | #RatedRookie pic.twitter.com/Lh8y2L0Anq
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) November 12, 2023
10 yard holding penalty on Brandon Powell stalled the drive.
40 yard field goal by Greg Joseph makes the score 3-0.
Saints first drive
Key plays:
Rasheed Shaheid had a three yard loss on a screen pass. Jordan Hicks was injured on the tackle.
Saints ended up punting after a blitz stopped the Saints on third and five.
Vikings second drive
The Vikings went three and out on their second drive.
Josh Dobbs almost hit T.J Hockenson on a fade route down the field, but a pass interference would have wiped it out.
Saints second drive
10 plays, 46 yards, 4:58 TOP
The Saints nickeled and dimed their way down the field with the run and pass, but a holding penalty on tight end Foster Moreau stalled the drive.
Rookie kicker Blake Groupe hit a 46 yard field goal to tie the game at three.
Vikings third drive
11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05 TOP
Key plays:
Ty Chandler gets his first touch of the game and takes the ball 11 yards on a power run. Showed great burst through the hole.
The Vikings found a way to march down the field before Josh Dobbs escaped the pocket and floated a pass to T.J. Hockenson for 24 yards.
JOSH DOBBS MAGIC TO TJ HOCKENSON FIRST DOWN #skol pic.twitter.com/i9UdFzUJW8
— Jack (@PrimeLewis23) November 12, 2023
Chandler takes a wildcat sweep after Dobbs motioned out into the slot for a touchdown.
Saints third drive
The Vikings forced another three and out powered by D.J. Wonnum. He sacked Derek Carr on third down and tackled him in the open field to force a punt
Vikings fourth drive
9 plays, 82 yards, 4:41 TOP
Key plays:
Josh Dobbs hit Jordan Addison on a corner route for 29 yards on a designed rollout.
He then found T.J. Hockenson on back-to-back plays for 13 and 21 yards. Hockenson then had a hard time getting up. He is playing with rib and oblique injuries.
Hockenson did return a few plays later, right after a near touchdown catch by Jordan Addison at the pylon. The Vikings challenged it but were denied.
Two plays later, Dobbs escaped the pocket and scrambled in for a touchdown to make it 17-3 Vikings.
Saints fourth drive
The Vikings forced the Saints into another three and out. The defense was suffocating and Danielle Hunter got immediate pressure on Carr.
Vikings fifth drive
7 plays, 76 yards, 1:31 TOP
Chandler started off the drive with a 12 yard dive play and Hockenson caught two-straight passes to get the Vikings past the 50 yard line.
Dobbs continues to try and win from the pocket, but will use his legs when needed.
Hockenson had a phenomenal drive, including the 28 yard touchdown to put the Vikings up 24-3.
DOBBS TO HOCKENSON. @Vikings having a day!
📺: #NOvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGbyLL pic.twitter.com/jBE1i5Ymqt— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
Saints fifth drive
The Saints run just two plays before the half ends. The Vikings lead 24-3 and the Saints get the ball to start the second half.
Saints sixth drive
The Vikings forced a three-and-out on the first drive of the second half. They were about to run the ball on fourth and one but a false start by the left side of the offensive line forced a punt.
Vikings sixth drive
The Vikings started off on the ground with six and nine yard runs from Mattison. A roughing the passer call moved them forward 15 yards and Dobbs found Jalen Nailor for the first catch of his season.
The Vikings drive stalled after they got inside the 30 yard line, setting up Joseph for a 33 yard field goal, which he hit right down the middle.
The Vikings are up 27-3 with 10:09 left in the game.
Saints seventh drive
10 plays, 75 yards, 4:43 TOP
Right before the drive, news broke that wide receiver Michael Thomas would not be returning to the game.
#Saints WR Michael Thomas is downgraded to OUT with his knee injury.
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) November 12, 2023
The Saints were starting to get some rhythm going on offense until Derek Carr got smacked on consecutive plays. He went down with an injury and Jameis Winston entered the game.
Once Winston came in, the offense started humming. He threw an incredible touchdown to Chris Olave in the corner of the end zone.
Jameis to Olave! What a grab
📺: #NOvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGbyLL pic.twitter.com/cV27iOQ3bG— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
The Saints go for two and make it with an Alvin Kamara run, bring the Saints within 16 points down 27-11.
Vikings seventh drive
After two rushes from Chandler, Dobbs dropped back on third and five but couldn’t quite make it.
Now, it was close to making it across the line to gain and it should have been challenged. Because of the lost ill-advised challenge at the end of the first half, O’Connell probably decided against the challenge.
The Vikings punted on fourth and inches.
Saints eighth drive
A three-and-out with three consecutive incomplete passes forced a Saints punt. The Vikings defense has been stout all game long.
Vikings eighth drive
The Vikings got the ball at their own 47-yard line and had a fourth and three to start the fourth quarter. O’Connell chose to play it conservative with a 54-yard field goal, which Joseph pulled slightly to the left.
Saints ninth drive
9 plays, 56 yards, 3:15 TOP
Key plays:
Winston nearly threw an interception to Cam Bynum on second down, which was ruled an interception initially. He threw the ball to his wife Lalaine, who was in the stands for the first time to watch him play. it was ruled incomplete.
Hunter was called for illegal use of hands to the face and got a sack the very next play. That sack triggered a $1 million bonus on his contract.
On fourth down, Winston found Olave on a dig route to get the Saints inside the red zone. They finished the drive with a touchdown in the corner of the end zone to A.T. Perry and Kamara converted his second two point conversion of the game to bring the Saints to a 27-19 deficit.
Vikings ninth drive
The Vikings looked to be stalling out on the drive, but Dobbs found Brandon Powell on a dig route to convert a third and long.
Kene Nwangwu got his first offensive snaps of the season and took his first touch around left tackle for nine yards. The Saints were also flagged for a facemask that put the Vikings in Saints territory.
Chandler took a toss play for a touchdown on third and one, but right tackle Brian O’Neill was called for a holding penalty. That knocked the Vikings out of field goal range. The Saints ran a zero blitz and the Vikings didn’t have a hot route which resulted in a sack of Dobbs.
The Saints are pinned inside the 10-yard line down just eight.
Saints 10th drive
Pinned inside the 10-yard line, the Vikings needed to get a stop on defense and the unit delivered. Facing a third and five, the Saints ran a flat route to Kamara with blockers out front and Josh Metellus got an open field tackle to force another three and out.
The Vikings get the ball back at their own 47 yard line.
Vikings 10th drive
This was brutal from the Vikings. Two runs got them a third and 12 after Alontae Taylor ended up coming off of a motioning Powell and blew up the run to Chandler. A skipped throw to Hockenson led to a three-and-out.
Saints 11th drive
The first two plays were throws in the flat to Alvin Kamara. The second one was bobbled, caught and then fumbled but his butt was down. With the pass being called incomplete, the Vikings challenged and won, but they didn’t get possession. Winston hit Olave on a dig route for a first down.
After a few plays, the Vikings brought a blitz on Winston and Mekhi Blackmon took advantage with the first interception of his career, preventing a double move from Chris Olave.
Vikings 11th drive
Brutal sequence for the Vikings. Three straight running plays and negative yardage. They punted the ball to the Saints who got it at their own 49-yard line.
Saints 12th drive
Winston gonna Winston. He chucked the ball downfield and it was intercepted by Byron Murphy Jr. The Saints have just one timeout left with 1:49 remaining.
Vikings 12th drive
Chandler ran the ball twice to get a third and two. O’Connell called a read-option play with Dobbs and he tripped turning the corner. He had the path to get a first down to end it and couldn’t make it work. The Vikings have to punt it away.
Saints 13th drive
Winston had a chance to throw a Hail Mary and the ball was knocked down to secure the Vikings fifth-straight win. It wasn’t easy, but they got it done.
