SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
Monday Night Football returns tonight with a double header. Let's take a look at the first game of the night, the New Orleans Saints at the Minnesota Vikings.
The game is being played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The game can be seen on National Television on ESPN. Kickoff is at 7:10pm Eastern Standard Time. The Minnesota Vikings are favored by 3 points and the over/under is at 48 points.
The Vikings started off last season by going 5-0. There was plenty of Super Bowl talk and high hopes. But unfortunately for the Vikings, they went 3-8 for the rest of the season and missed the playoffs. Sam Bradford had a great statical year by setting an NFL record by completing 71.6 % of his passes. He threw 20 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. But that was not enough.
This year's Vikings again have high hopes. They have one of the best defenses in the NFC and have playoff and Divisional Championship aspirations. If they are going to accomplish this, they will have to do it without future Hall of Famer, Adrian Peterson. After 10 years and over 11,000 yards, Peterson became a free agent. The Vikings never really attempted to sign him and he is now, ironically, a New Orleans Saint. His replacement is rookie Dalvin Cook out of Florida State. He is an extremely talented running Back that will share the load with veteran Latavius Murray.
The New Orleans Saints had their 3rd straight 7-9 season in 2016. The team showed flashes of brilliance on offense but could not consistently stop anyone from scoring. Quarterback Drew Brees had another monster year as he threw for 5,208 yards. He has shown no signs of slowing down, even though he is entering his 17 year in the league.
This year, Drew Brees and his teammates have been very vocal about their desire to get back into the postseason. They have lost talented wide receiver, Brandin Cooks, but have plenty of weapons back. It will be interesting to see how Adrian Peterson fits into the offense as he shares the backfield with Mark Ingram.
Tonight's game should be very entertaining. How will the crowd react when Adrian Peterson is announced? Will this turn into a shootout between Bradford and Brees? It is very possible. Let us know who you think will win and why.