3 New Orleans Saints to blame for loss against Vikings, Josh Dobbs
By Mark Powell
Dennis Allen calls most the defensive plays, and the Saints fell short on that end
The Saints pass rush recorded just one sack on the day and failed to apply much pressure on Josh Dobbs, a veteran passer in just his second game starting with Minnesota. Yes, Dobbs is a tremendous story, but he should not be knifing through the Saints defense at this rate.
Allen and the Saints defensive line put its secondary in a tough spot, especially given the lack of Vikings game tape with Dobbs as a starter. At this point, that's still a decisive advantage for Minnesota -- very few teams have seen Kevin O'Connell's offense with Dobbs at the helm.
Dobbs and the Vikings didn't turn the ball over, while the Saints did so frequently, especially late. Minnesota also remained committed to its ground attack despite a 3.8 yards per carry average. They ran the ball for over 120 yards, mixing in just enough of a rushing threat to keep the Saints honest. It was a reliable game plan for O'Connell, but Allen surely deserves some blame here.