The Vikings' Eric Kendricks spent the regular season disrupting great offensive teams. The third-year linebacker recorded 113 tackles — 33 more than the team's No. 2 tackler, safety Andrew Sendejo — good for the 15th-highest mark in the NFL.
But he knows the Vikings are in for a great challenge Sunday when the New Orleans Saints, with the league's No. 2 offense (391.2 yards per game), come to U.S. Bank Stadium for an NFC divisional playoff game. The last time the Vikings faced an offense with this kind of talent was in Week 11, when they beat the Rams 24-7.
The Saints' rushing game averaged 129.4 yards per game this season, the fifth-highest total in the league.
Kendricks was asked about stopping Saints running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.
"Screen game, run game, they're both exceptional," he said. "They've had a lot of yards apiece. But it's about minimizing that. A great quarterback [in Drew Brees]. We have a challenge ahead of us. We have to study.
"Coming out of the backfield you can hand off, you have a quarterback that can go downfield and keeps his eyes downfield, stays in the pocket. It's a challenge. That's why they're in the position they're in."
Kendricks was asked if he has to try and calm himself to get ready for such a big game.
"I always get excited for the games," he said. "I'm going to get juiced for this one. I always do. It's how I am, personally. But you just treat it like every other game, I feel like. It's high stakes, but at the same time you have to trust your preparation, trust what got you in the situation you're in, and fall back on that."