Not even a Christmas miracle could help the Minnesota Vikings keep their playoff hopes alive against the New Orleans Saints on Friday.
In a 52-33 loss that knocked the Vikings out of playoff contention, the defense allowed the franchise's most points since 1963.
“Really disappointed defensively,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “You’ve got to work really hard to give up 52.”
With as many injuries as Minnesota had across the board, especially on defense, it had no shot against a Saints team primed for a deep postseason run. For a fifth straight week, the Vikings fell behind by 10 points and were unable to recover.