The Big Easy proved much too hard for the Vikings to forge a Christmas miracle and salvage one more week of relevance in 2020.
Too many devastating injuries, blown opportunities and missed tackles added up to an inevitable 52-33 loss Friday to the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome that was humiliating for a team which started this unprecedented season with Super Bowl aspirations more deluded than a Rudy Giuliani brief.
The pratfall was a microcosm for 16 weeks of head-snapping streaks and haughty beliefs that a playoff team could be underpinned by a patchwork offensive line and junior varsity defense.