The Associated Press
Dave Campbell
MINNEAPOLIS–No miraculous play was needed for New Orleans to win this game in Minnesota, no where-were-you moment that instantly went viral.
Drew Brees and the Saints simply scored some revenge for their last-second loss in the playoffs last season by taking advantage of two key turnovers, including a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by P.J. Williams, in a 30-20 victory over the Vikings last night.
“This one had a little extra special meaning,” Brees said, flashing a slight smile after he went 18-for-23 to maintain his league-leading 77.4 completion percentage.
Alvin Kamara scored twice, Wil Lutz made three field goals, and Sheldon Rankins had two of the four sacks by the Saints (6-1), who needed only 120 passing yards by Brees to beat the Vikings (4-3-1) this time with far less tension down the final stretch and stay undefeated in four road games this season.
“It’s everything we wanted it to be,” Rankins said.
Stefon Diggs had 119 receiving yards and a score in his curtain call after the “Minneapolis Miracle” catch in the NFC divisional round here back in January, but he stopped his drag route in a miscommunication with quarterback Kirk Cousins right before Williams picked the ball off for the pivotal third-quarter touchdown.
Adam Thielen had another record-setting performance for the Vikings with 103 yards and a score, but he lost a fumble that was returned 54 yards by Marshon Lattimore to set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Saints.
“We’re a really good football team but you can’t make mistakes in this league and win, especially on critical situations when you have the ball in the red zone,” Thielen said.
“Obviously, I’m going to think about that one for a while and I’m definitely disappointed in myself.”
The Vikings had the edge on both sides of the ball during the first half. Harrison Smith handed Brees his first interception of the season after 231 attempts without one, putting the Vikings in position to stretch a 13-10 lead late in the second quarter.
But Thielen drove forward for extra yards after a short completion and had the ball pried loose by Williams and Alex Anzalone at the 14.
Lattimore scooped it up and raced the other way before Laquon Treadwell took him down.
Treadwell then slammed his helmet on the turf in frustration, drawing a devastating 15-yard penalty to give the Saints the ball at the 18 with 57 seconds left before halftime.
Kamara soared into the end zone two plays later.
“I was giving up a few plays but a turnover always turns the game around,” Williams said.
The Vikings started the second half with the ball and went for it on fourth-and-one at their own 45.
With an empty backfield, Cousins had Treadwell open over the middle but Lattimore broke up the pass to change possession and set up Lutz’s second field goal.
“I told the team I was going to be aggressive,” coach Mike Zimmer said.
“Every fourth down that was close, we were going to go for it.”
Thielen tied Calvin Johnson’s all-time NFL record of eight-straight 100-yard receiving games, set in 2012 with Detroit.
He also matched Patrick Jeffers with a fifth-consecutive game with 100-plus yards and at least one touchdown–a mark set in 1999 for Carolina.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the L.A. Rams topped Green Bay 29-27, Chicago beat the N.Y. Jets 24-10, Seattle dumped Detroit 28-14, Philadelphia downed Jacksonville 24-18 (in London), Pittsburgh pounded Cleveland 33-18, and Carolina upended Baltimore 36-21.
Kansas City beat Denver 30-23, Washington downed the N.Y. Giants 20-13, Cincinnati shaded Tampa Bay 37-34, Indianapolis topped Oakland 42-28, and Arizona edged San Francisco 18-15.
New England visits Buffalo tonight.
