Saints and Vikings set to kick off the 2010 regular season
The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints will open the 2010 NFL regular season at the Superdome on Thursday night.
The last time these two teams met was in the NFC championship game last season, a game which the Saints won 31-28 in overtime. Now the stakes may not be as high, but the Vikings have retribution on their minds after New Orleans’ defence manhandled Minnesota’s quarterback Brett Favre, to steal the victory and eventually go on to win the Super Bowl.
Favre, who turns 41 next month, took tremendous punishment in that game and had to have surgery to repair his ankle in the off-season. He is still not 100 percent and has shown effects of that injury this pre-season. Favre confirmed that he received an injection into his left ankle during a pre-season game to relieve pressure on the injured ankle.
“My ankle just seems to get easier to sprain,” said Favre. “I know everyone thinks the New Orleans game (the NFC Championship Game) killed me, but it was bad before then. Now we'll see if I can make it. My mind's telling me one thing, but my body's telling me something else.''
As the Saints open their 2009 title defence, they won’t exactly be facing the same Vikings team that they defeated last year. Favre threw only 27 passes in the pre-season and doesn’t seem to be walking around with much pep in his step. If his pre-season performance is any indication of things to come, don’t expect the veteran QB to come near last season’s magical numbers, as the Vikings might abandon the passing game and stick to the run much like they did during the exhibitions.
Minnesota will be without the services of star receiver Sidney Rice, sidelined indefinitely with a hip injury. Head coach Brad Childress signed former Miami Dolphins’ wideout Greg Camarillo to be a temporary replacement.
Receiver Javon Walker was also acquired during the same time as Camarillo, but was released by the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday.
The defending Super Bowl champion Saints will also be without a few key players. It is still uncertain if starting middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma will be ready to return from a right groin injury he suffered in the third pre-season game. Vilma did not play in the finale and will be a game-time decision.
All-Pro safety Darren Sharper was placed on the physically unable to perform list and will miss the first six games of the season. Sharper, who spent eight seasons with Favre in Green Bay, will try to help his defence from the sideline and provide them with any information he feels might help them get an edge on Favre.
"I will give them the information that I have, any extra tidbits, tendencies, anything that I know. I always want to help any of our guys out on defence, offence and special teams,” said Sharper.
Malcolm Jenkins will replace Sharper in the lineup and understands that this will be a battle. "I'll just have to hold my own," he said when asked if he feels that Favre and the Vikings offence might view him as the weak link.
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