What We Saw: Week 10

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Saints @ Vikings

Final Score: Vikings 27, Saints 19

Writer: Brennan Rampe (@phdinnfl on Twitter)

Both of these teams entered this game with 5-4 records. The Minnesota Vikings dominated for most of the day, but the New Orleans Saints attempted a comeback in the second half. The Saints scored two touchdowns and had two successful two-point conversions, but fell short as Jameis Winston threw two late interceptions. Their main starter, Derek Carr, got injured in the loss. The Vikings are 6-4, and the Saints are now 5-5. They still have a chance to win the weak NFC South.

Two Up

Joshua Dobbs – Was accurate as a passer and made plays with his legs. He looked much more settled in this week.
T.J. Hockenson – Had a great game. Over 100 yards and a touchdown, he was Dobbs’s go-to guy.

Three Down

Derek Carr – Didn’t play well and couldn’t finish the game with a shoulder injury as well as a concussion.
Alvin Kamara – Lacked explosiveness and couldn’t get going. He found the end zone on two different two-point conversions, but didn’t score a touchdown.
Michael Thomas – Had a minimal impact when he was on the field, and left the game due to injury. He’ll never be the guy he was from a couple of years ago.

New Orleans Saints

Quarterback

Derek Carr: 13/18, 110 yards; 1 carry, 10 yards

It was a bad day for Derek Carr. The offense didn’t score a touchdown with him, and he got hurt. I know that he suffered an AC joint sprain in Week 3, but he didn’t miss any time. It didn’t seem to be affecting him much recently, but he might’ve injured that shoulder again. He was carted off the field and suffered a shoulder injury along with a concussion on a hard hit. New Orleans has their bye week upcoming, so hopefully Carr is fine going forward.

Jameis Winston: 13/25, 122 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Jameis Winston had to enter the game after Carr got hurt, and the offense came alive with him leading the offense. He threw two passing touchdowns that got the Saints back into the game, but also threw two late interceptions that ended any hopes of tying the game. That’s Winston! He’ll have great throws, and then horrible interceptions. He’s too unreliable to be a starter in this league.

Running Back

Alvin Kamara: 9 carries, 42 yards; 7 receptions, 43 yards

It was a mediocre game for Alvin Kamara. Some runs went for a good gain, others went nowhere. He was involved in the passing game, but didn’t have any highlight-worthy plays. He didn’t score a touchdown, but did find the end zone on two different two-point conversions.

Jamaal Williams: 4 carries, 7 yards; 1 reception, 3 yards

Jamaal Williams signed a three-year deal with New Orleans in the offseason but hasn’t done anything notable this year. He certainly didn’t do anything notable today.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Chris Olave: 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD

Chris Olave is the WR1 on this team, and he was the Saints pass-catcher with the most productive game. He wasn’t targeted at all to start the game, but started catching balls when Jameis Winston entered the game. He had an impressive toe-tap touchdown. The quarterback situation will be worth monitoring, but it seems like Olave produces no matter who the quarterback is.

this throw ?

THIS CATCH – @chrisolave_ ?

?: FOX pic.twitter.com/dyYL2XmyMQ

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

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Rashid Shaheed: 5 receptions, 24 yards

Rashid Shaheed is the deep threat in this offense, but didn’t have any explosive plays.

A.T. Perry: 2 receptions, 38 yards, TD

A.T. Perry didn’t catch a single pass this year until today. He had his first two receptions today, as well as his first career touchdown. He went up and fought for the ball on a pass from Jameis Winston. I wasn’t sure if it was caught or if it was picked, but Perry came down with it. I was intrigued with what I saw, the Saints should try and feature him more.

Another insane TD throw by Jameis – and what a catch by A.T. PERRY!!#Saints | ? FOX pic.twitter.com/cTXwrRmlj5

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 12, 2023

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Michael Thomas: 1 reception, 9 yards

The stat line says it all, he’s finished.

Lynn Bowden Jr.: 1 reception, 12 yards

Juwan Johnson: 1 reception, 2 yards

Taysom Hill: 1 carry, 6 yards; 2 receptions, 17 yards

The jack-of-all-trades generally has at least one touchdown in a game but was held in check by the Vikings’ defense.

Minnesota Vikings

Quarterback

Joshua Dobbs: 23/34, 268 yards, TD; 8 carries, 44 yards, TD

Joshua Dobbs looked even better than he did last week. I expected that to be the case since he had extra time to learn the system. He was accurate, didn’t make any mistakes, and was able to extend plays with his legs. His mobility has really changed this offense. He had a rushing touchdown that was very impressive. He didn’t do much in the second half though, but the team came away with the win. This was the first game all year that Minnesota didn’t have a turnover.

Takeoff ?@josh_dobbs1

?: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/lWu5Ic3a2z

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

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Running Back

Alexander Mattison: 8 carries, 27 yards; 1 reception, 6 yards

Same story, different week. Nearly all of Alexander Mattison’s carries went nowhere. He unfortunately suffered a concussion and didn’t return. I hope he recovers, but he is not a viable fantasy option. I’ve seen enough.

Ty Chandler: 15 carries, 45 yards, TD

Ty Chandler was getting carries even before Mattison got hurt. He looked much more physical and faster. He scored his first career touchdown as well, which was nice to see. He deserves more playing time.

A little trickery.@Channdler_35 scores his first career TD.

?: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/w3LRxfx2Xx

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2023

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Missed Opportunities

Had a second touchdown called back due to a penalty.

Kene Nwangwu: 2 carries, 9 yards

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Jordan Addison: 4 receptions, 69 yards

With the injuries to Jefferson and Osborn, Jordan Addison was the WR1 for this game. He has been the top receiver ever since Jefferson was placed on IR. He didn’t do a whole lot, but the highlight was a pass thrown in double coverage on the first drive of the game, which Addison came down with. It led to a field goal.

Brandon Powell: 4 receptions, 35 yards

Jalen Nailor: 1 reception, 16 yards

T.J. Hockenson: 11 receptions, 134 yards, TD

T.J. Hockenson had, in my opinion, his best game of the year. He caught pretty much everything thrown his way and also had a touchdown. He was playing through a rib injury and took some punishment on hits. He wasn’t kept on the sideline long when he left the game. He’s a tough guy, and this is the game Vikings fans have been waiting for from him.