Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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4. Vikings played a cleaner game | By Craig Peters
The Saints set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a regular season by only committing eight giveaways in all of 2019. The calendar flip and postseason was less kind to a New Orleans that was plus-15 in turnover margin on the year.
In addition to the interception thrown by Brees, the Vikings also recovered a fumble that Hunter forced after the Saints had driven into the red zone with less than five minutes in regulation.
“It’s the playoffs. It’s do-or-die. We’re not trying to make mistakes,” Hunter said. “We’re trying to go out there and end up with a win because that’s the only stat that matters.”
Minnesota lost a fumble by Adam Thielen early, but the defense picked him up by holding the Saints to a short field goal.
The Vikings were flagged just four times on the day for a total of 26 yards. The Saints were flagged six times, resulting in 52 yards getting marked off.
Lastly, the Vikings won time of possession 36:56 to 27:24, which is skewed by being the only team to possess the ball in overtime. Minnesota’s ability to sustain some drives helped keep New Orleans from finding its groove for much of the day.
Fact: the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and yards can’t beat you if the Saints don’t have the ball.