The New Orleans Saints finally got back on track on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Vikings. After dropping the last two games, one to the Philadelphia Eagles and the other to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Saints needed to put a “W” in the win column. Yet, defeating the Vikings meant so much more than just reaching an 11-4 record, there was a level of vindication involved.
New Orleans had seen its playoff exit two out of the last three seasons at the hands of Minnesota. By beating them on Christmas Day, and subsequently eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs, they seemed to exorcise some kind of football or playoff demons.