New Orleans Saints: 3 Key players to beating Vikings in Divisional Round

Michael Thomas

An Ohio State alum, Michael Thomas has put together two impressive seasons during his time in the Big Easy. In 2016, his rookie year, Thomas snagged 92 passes for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. From that point on, it was clear he had big-play capability and was not some average receiver. Any fears about a sophomore slump were quickly put to bed. He performed even better in the 2017 campaign and began to open eyes across the league. He is an explosive playmaker who should be a household name in the coming years, especially with Drew Brees as his quarterback.

In the 2017 season, Thomas caught 104 passes for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. His best game of the season was last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. He caught nine passes for 131 yards, shredding the Panther defense. He was a major reason why the Saints are now set to face the Vikings on Sunday.

He is going to have to be a factor if New Orleans wants to beat the Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings give up an average of 235 yards per contest and are very stingy in the passing game. When you have cornerbacks like Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes, that can be made possible. Thomas will have to use all of his 6-3, 212- pound frame to exploit defensive mismatches. We have seen him do it before and although this may be one of his tougher matchups of the season, he certainly has the skillset to make it happen.