Vikings vs. Saints: Quick Hits

The Vikings-Saints rematch didn't exactly live up to the hype. In the NFL's season opener Thursday night, the two teams that so epically battled in the NFC title game last season -- won in overtime by the Saints, en route to a Super Bowl crown -- looked out of sorts in their Week 1 showdown.

New Orleans used a second-quarter Pierre Thomas TD run to erase a 9-7 halftime deficit and secure a 14-9 win -- far from the explosive, high-scoring shootout that most people expected. But it was enough to move the defending champs to 1-0 on the season and drop Minnesota to 0-1.

Some thoughts following New Orleans' win:

• Let's chalk most of it up to opening-game jitters, as well as the distraction of the Super Bowl banner-raising pomp and circumstance, but this was a pretty rough showing for both teams. Luckily, there are 16 weeks left for Minnesota and New Orleans, but they'll both have to play better going forward.

• The Saints ripped Minnesota on their first drive of the game, then barely did anything the rest of the way. It's hard to say what exactly happened in there, but there are a couple of possible culprits: Drew Brees couldn't extend the defense with the pass because the Vikings managed to pressure decently well with just a four-man rush; and New Orleans wasn't particularly willing or able to run the ball, and it's hard to be great when that balance isn't there -- even when you can put up numbers through the air like the Saints can.

• Brett Favre's clearly got some rust to shake off, but the bigger issue for Minnesota's QB is that he doesn't appear to have a lot of guys to throw to. Sidney Rice's injury stole one of Favre's favorite targets, Chester Taylor's absence in the backfield is a bigger loss than most would have thought, and Favre and Percy Harvin seemed to be on a different page all night. A late contender for catches may have emerged in Greg Camarillo, a good-hands guy who made a great catch in the fourth quarter.

• Remember when Garrett Hartley was a hero in New Orleans? It seemed like ages ago Thursday night, as the Saints' NFC title-winning kicker yanked a pair of field goals wide to the left, including a 32-yard chip shot late in the fourth quarter.

• Minnesota needs Toby Gerhart to get healthy and acclimated to the team's offense ASAP. Adrian Peterson is already going to need to carry it 25-plus times a game for Minnesota to be successful. The Vikings need someone to help ease his load, and Albert Young is not that guy.

• You might be able to chalk it up to poor offense or shoddy playcalling, but both teams will leave Thursday night feeling better about their defenses. The Saints limited Peterson's production and kept Favre uncomfortable all night, while the Vikings stymied the Saints' potent passing attack.