Skip to main content
New Orleans Saints
Advertising

Saints News | New Orleans Saints | NewOrleansSaints.com

Postgame notes from New Orleans Saints' 52-33 win over Minnesota Vikings

Saints clinch fourth consecutive NFC South title

-With the 52-33 win over the Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints improve to 11-4 and have won at least 11 games in four consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Saints are the only team in the NFL to win at least 11 games in each season since 2017. New Orleans returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 3 when it takes on the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Kickoff is tentatively set for noon CT on Fox (WVUE-Fox 8 locally).

-With the win, the Saints clinch the NFC South title for the fourth consecutive season. New Orleans becomes the third NFC franchise to win four consecutive division titles since the 2002 NFL divisional realignment, joining the Green Bay Packers (2011-14) and Seattle Seahawks (2004-07).

-With the win, the Saints close out their 2020 regular season home slate with a 6-2 record, having won at least six home games in four consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.

-New Orleans set a franchise record with seven rushing touchdowns and amassed a season-high 583 total yards. New Orleans scored 52 points, its most since scoring 52 in Week 6 of the 2017 season in a 52-38 victory over Detroit.

-New Orleans amassed season-highs in both rushing and passing yards, totaling 264 yards rushing and 319 yards passing. The Saints set a franchise record with 21 first downs rushing and earned 36 total first downs, matching the second-highest single-game total in franchise history (club record is 40 vs. Dallas on Nov. 10, 2013).

-New Orleans scored a touchdown on the game's opening drive on a 40-yard rushing score by running back Alvin Kamara, and improved its record to 22-3 in games when scoring first since 2018, the best in the NFL.

-New Orleans held Minnesota to 364 total yards, including 274 yards passing and 90 yards rushing, its 10th game this season holding their opponent to less than 100 rushing yards. With two sacks of Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, New Orleans improves its season total to 42 sacks, marking the first time New Orleans has had 42 sacks in four consecutive seasons since the team did from 1995-2001.

-New Orleans' defense extends its streak to 18 straight games without allowing 300 yards passing to an individual player, second to Pittsburgh's 24 among active streaks.

-For New Orleans Coach Sean Payton, the win improves his all-time record against Minnesota to 6-4 and 4-2 in home games against the Vikings. The victory against Minnesota Coach Mike Zimmer improves his career record to 3-3 against Zimmer, giving Payton a .500 or better record against 64 of the 83 coaches he has faced in his career.

-The victory is the 150th win of Payton's career, including regular and postseason games. Payton becomes the 25th coach in NFL history to amass 150 career wins.

-Quarterback Drew Brees became the first player in NFL history to surpass 80,000 passing yards, doing so on a nine-yard completion to running back Latavius Murray with 8:40 remaining in the third quarter. Brees finished the game 19-of-26 for 311 yards, surpassing 300 passing yards for the 123rd time in his career and third time this season. Appearing in his 286th career game, Brees moves into a tie with punter Shane Lechler for 16th all-time on the NFL's games played list.

-Running back Alvin Kamaratied an NFL single-game record with six rushing touchdowns, done once before by the Chicago Cardinals' Ernie Nevers on Nov. 28, 1929. Kamara set a new Saints record with his six scores in a game. Kamara rushed for a career-high 155 yards on 22 carries, including a season-long 40-yard run that resulted in the Saints' first score. Kamara added three receptions for 17 yards. With those receptions, Kamara has 83 for the season, setting a career-high and extending his lead for most receptions by a running back in the NFL this season.

-With six touchdowns, Kamara sets a club record for touchdowns in a season with 21. Kamara also moves into second in club record books with 59 total touchdowns in his career, surpassing Mark Ingram and Deuce McAllister's 55. Kamara needs 14 more touchdowns to surpass Marques Colston's 72.

-Kamara's first 100-yard rushing game of the season moves his season total to 932 rushing yards, setting a career high. Kamara also surpasses running back Dalton Hilliard for second all-time in club record books, now with 43 career rushing touchdowns.

-Running back Latavius Murray rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries, his second highest rushing output of the season. Murray surpasses 600 yards on the season for the fifth time in his career, including both of his seasons with New Orleans. Now standing at 4,991 career rushing yards, Murray needs nine more yards on the ground in the regular season finale at Carolina to reach 5,000 for his career. Murray added three receptions for 24 yards in the game.

-Tight end Jared Cook recorded his 500th career reception, coming on a 19-yard catch from Brees with 1:30 to play in the first half. Cook becomes only the 19th tight end in NFL history with 500 career receptions and surpasses Ben Coates and Todd Heap for sole possession of 19th for career receptions by a tight end. Cook finished with three receptions for 82 yards.

-Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders led New Orleans in receiving yards for the fourth time this season, finishing with 83 yards on four receptions, his third highest receiving total of the season.

-Quarterback Taysom Hill rushed for 18 yards on five carries with one touchdown, passed for eight yards on 2-for-2 passing, and caught one pass for 19 receiving yards, marking the third game this season he's recorded positive yardage in all three categories. Hill's 18 rushing yards moves his season total to 416 yards, surpassing New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones for fifth amongst all quarterbacks' in rushing yards this season.

-Hill (416) joins Kamara (932) and Murray (656) with over 400 rushing yards, marking the first time since 2011 the Saints have had three players with at least 400 yards rushing in the same season. That season, Darren Sproles (603), Pierre Thomas (562), and Mark Ingram (474) all surpassed the 400-yard mark.

-Defensive end Cameron Jordan recorded the 100th sack of his career, including regular and postseason games. Jordan joins Rickey Jackson as only the second Saint to reach that mark and finished with three tackles and one forced fumble.

-Safety Malcolm Jenkins finished with seven total tackles, two quarterback hits, and one forced fumble. Entering the game with 1,194 total stops, Jenkins recorded the 1,200th tackle of his career with 13:48 to play in the third quarter, taking down Minnesota tight end Tyler Conklin after a five-yard gain. Jenkins also split a sack with defensive tackle David Onyemata.

-Cornerback Marshon Lattimore recorded six tackles and two passes defensed, his second game this season and 15th game of his career with multiple pass breakups.

-Rookie tight end Adam Trautman recorded his highest receiving yardage of the season, finishing with 45 yards on two receptions, including a season-long 41-yard reception from Brees coming with 2:05 to play.

-Wide receiver Marquez Callaway finished with three receptions for 26 yards, marking his first game with a reception since recording two in a Week 9 victory at Tampa Bay.

-Playing in his 143rd consecutive game, linebacker Demario Davis led New Orleans with eight tackles, and now has a team-leading 114 stops this season, his highest single-season total as a member of New Orleans. Davis needs five more tackles to reach 1,000 for his career.

-Appearing in his 189th career regular season game, punter Thomas Morstead moved into a tie for fourth on the club's all-time games played list with defensive lineman Frank Warren, holding for field goal and extra-point attempts. Morstead did not record a punt in the game.

-The Saints extend their streak to 303 regular season games without being shut out, the longest such running streak in the NFL and fourth longest all-time. The streak dates to Sept. 6, 2002 when New Orleans defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-20 at Raymond James Stadium.

Related Content

Advertising