There is not a lot of confidence in the New Orleans Saints as they get set to square off with the Minnesota Vikings in London, England. According to surveying done by NFL Pickwatch, 83% of pro football experts, media outlets, and fan blogs are picking the Vikings to steamroll the Saints across the pond. The 66% deficit is the sixth-largest across all Week 4 NFL games.
It’s understandable why the Saints are being undervalued in this matchup, though. Starting quarterback Jameis Winston is out while dealing with several injuries and backup signal caller Andy Dalton will make his first start for New Orleans. Dalton will be the team’s seventh starting quarterback since the 2019 season.
One of the largest factors when the team has had a backup quarterback in the mix has been wide receiver Michael Thomas. The all-pro wideout caught over 80% of his passes in 2019 with Teddy Bridgewater at signal caller and again in 2020 when Taysom Hill filled in for an injured Drew Brees. Thomas will not be available for Dalton today, and that could pose problems for the Saints offense which has struggled to tie together long drives.
On top of Thomas being out, star running back Alvin Kamara will also be missing from the Saints offense. That means New Orleans will be looking to veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry and 12-year NFL running back Mark Ingram to lead their passing and rushing attacks respectively.
The good news for the Saints? They are 2-0 in regular season matchups here in the United Kingdom and are on a much more restful schedule than Minnesota who did not arrive in London until Thursday. It will be up to a calculated and meticulous offensive approach paired with a dominant defensive showing for the Saints to pull off the upset at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.