Minnesota Vikings (10-6) vs. New Orleans Saints (13-3)

The Purple People Eaters RB Dalvin Cook has a major matchup in this game with one of the best LB’s in the NFL. Cook was on a tear at the beginning of the season as he had 100 rushing yards in four of the first five games. Cook is ranked right outside the top-5 at the RB position with a 81.4 player grade on the season, according to PFF. This would be Dalvin Cook’s first playoff game. When the Vikings last made the playoffs in 2017, Cook was out for the season with a torn ACL. Considering the 2019 Pro Bowler missed the last two games, Minnesota might not feed him early and often like they did in most of their victories.

On the opposite side of the ball, Demario Davis has proved himself to become the QB of this Saints defense week in and week out. Davis played in his first two career playoff games last year after seven seasons in the NFL (w/ NYJ & CLE). Davis made his presence felt in those two games with 22 total tackles and one INT.

Davis is ranked as PFF’s No.2 LB in the NFL, and will be the pinnacle of New Orleans’ game plan to contain one of the most electric runners in the game. The Vikings have to remember that they are playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium which is one of the loudest stadiums in the entire NFL; They can not let the crowd effect them. If the crowd gets to the Vikings top players like Cook, they have already lost the battle.