New Orleans Saints: Who Dat’s Ready For The Minnesota Vikings

Eight months ago, the Gulf was clean and the Saints had never been to a Super Bowl before.

That’s all changed now.

Just as the excitement from the Saints’ 31-17 upset victory over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts was starting to die down a little, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded, burned, and then sank, killing 11 and triggering one of the worst natural disasters in American history.

But just like after Hurricane Katrina, the Saints are back, and everyone knows that somehow, it’s all going to be all right.

Now, after eight months, the Minnesota Vikings are back in town for a much anticipated rematch and back under center for the Purple People is none other than the NFL’s only actively playing grandfather, Brett Favre who suffered a brutal beating at the hands of the Boys in Black and Gold during that not so fridgid month of January.

The city is rocking and is filling up, though not with water this time, no, the masses have come to the Big Easy to witness the opening game of the 2010 NFL season, a season which the Saints hope ends sometime in February with Drew Brees once again holds the Lombardi Trophy aloft.

Those in the ‘Dome for the game will witness the dropping of a NFL championship banner from the Superdome rafters which will be happening for the first time ever, and after the pregame coin toss, Drew Brees will make his way onto the field to lead thousands of Saints fans in a Who Dat chant which will make the already crazy ‘Dome crowd even crazier.

NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora says, ” It will be absolute bedlam. A kind of loud you feel as much as hear. Been waiting to experience it for a long time.”

This type of game sometimes sets the tone for a team’s season and La Canfora thinks that the Saints have another great season ahead of them. ” I expect the Saints to win that division again,” he says, however, ” I don’t see the Vikes getting back to the playoffs.”

Throughout the offseason, Vikings fans seemed to augment the fact that there had been late hits on Favre, a possibility since the NFC championship game was very physical. When asked if this would also be a physical game, La Canfora offered these remarks, “@Oh yes, this will be Gregg Williams football and given the Vikes offensive line issues, Brett may not make it through four.”

Saints fan Dustin Arnaud hopes to see the team come out with a lot of emotion and establish a strong running game as well as improve on special teams play.

“I think special teams plays a big part in the game, the Saints need to cover kicks and punts much better,” he says.
One thing is for sure, the Vikings are a good football team, and Brett Favre is a Hall of Famer, but as we have learned with this team before, never underestimate them in the face of adversity and come Friday morning, we could be 1-0 and well on our way to a February Sunday evening in Dallas. Two Dat!

Follow Joshua Joffrion on Twitter

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