As the Vikings prepare for their NFC divisional round game vs. the 49ers, spare a thought for some national broadcasters.
Actually, don’t spare a thought for them, laugh at them scornfully, after their pre-game predictions of a massive Saints win in Sunday’s wild-card matchup left them with egg on their faces.
Nick Olson, who writes for Vikings Territory and Zone Coverage Minnesota and is a regular contributor to the Daily Norseman podcast, pulled together the below compilation of national pundits heavily favoring the Saints.
The likes of Michael Strahan and Terry Bradshaw predicted the Saints would win by as much as 17 points. Now even the hardiest of Vikings fans will have been somewhat pessimistic before Sunday’s game, but losing by 17? Come on.
What happened next is history, as a Mike Zimmer defensive masterclass held the Saints to just 20 points, while Dalvin Cook and Kirk Cousins eventually got the Vikings offense motoring to
Over on NFL Gameday, Steve Mariucci predicted that Drew Brees would finish with 88 percent completions. Sorry Steve, but he finished with a (still respectable) 78 percent, but threw for just 208 yards, including a TD and an interception, and also fumbled at a crucial moment while being sacked by Everson Griffen in the fourth.
Saints by 17 pic.twitter.com/JBjz3Tu7BX
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) January 6, 2020
