The Saints will get a stern test tomorrow night in the season opener against the Vikings in New Orleans.  In last year’s NFC Championship the Saints won 31-28 in OT before advancing and winning the Super Bowl.  The Vikings will have plenty of motivation in this game so the Saints need to be up for this game.

When the Saints have the football:  It’s looking like tough sledding in the running game as Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush aren’t likely going to find a lot of running room against the Vikings’ front seven.  I do think that Bush could have some success out of the backfield in the passing game though.  I see the Saints airing it out in this game which means that the O-Line needs to keep DEs Jared Allen, Ray Edwards and OLB Chad Greenway out of the backfield.  Marques Colston has a huge height advantage over the Vikings’ smallish DBs so look for him to be the main target in the passing game tomorrow night.  I also look for Brees to spread the ball around using Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore and TEs Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The first order of business for the Saints will be trying to slow down Adrian Peterson.  Obviously the Saints’ linebackers will be trying to strip the ball from him as he has had fumbling issues in the past.  The Saints will need DEs Will Smith and Alex Brown to put a lot of pressure on Brett Favre who still makes silly mistakes once in a while.  I have a feeling that the Vikings are going to attack free safety Malcolm Jenkins deep with Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian and hopefully he’ll be up to the challenge.

PREDICTION:  VIKINGS 28, SAINTS 27