How The Vikings Can Avoid The Trap in New Orleans

Ben, as we approach the Saints game, I think going into Miami, a lot of people were hoping it would be a get-right momentum game for the offense.

It wasn't.

I think this week, everybody's hoping that again with what we've seen from the Saints defense.

But can we start simple here? Yeah.

What is it going to take – to get this team to a place where they can start winning on first down.

Because that's what I'd like to see.

I'd like to see us dictate the terms of a game by winning on first down with our offense, which it doesn't feel like we have so far this season.

Well, we have a great opportunity to do that against the Saints because their defense is last in the league on first down success.

So if there was ever a game in an ever situation where can we just start simple, guys? Can we just get the ball snapped on first down? Can we just not have a pre-snap penalty? Can we not have a holding call? Can we not give up a sack on a play action on first down that sets our whole series back? This is it.

This is the game.

You're playing the worst defense in the league on first down.

So if we can dictate that and we can, if we can go five yards of pop, obviously on average.

So you're hoping that you have some bigger plays on top of that.

But if you're second and five, dude, that's, that's really all that I really care about.

I would prefer second and four, but I, Man, just worry about getting clean snaps, being clean on the offensive line.

We talk about the smooth operation.

Just get in and out of the huddle clean.

Get the calls in.

I mean, this is all obviously still coming down to the coaches.

Like, KOC, get the call in on time.

It's going to be a loud place on the road, a lot of noise.

We don't need to be going up to the line and hurrying up and just, like, clapping, clapping, clapping, clapping, and trying to get the ball snapped.

Like...

Can we just consistently get the play call in, break the huddle, assess the defense, which we'll get into here in a bit.

But win on freaking first down, I think we'd be real happy.