Rapid reaction: Saints lose preseason opener against Vikings

NEW ORLEANS -- For starters, this wasn’t what the New Orleans Saints wanted. Their replacements didn’t fare much better either. Fortunately for them, losing to

NEW ORLEANS -- For starters, this wasn’t what the New Orleans Saints wanted. Their replacements didn’t fare much better either.

Fortunately for them, losing to the Minnesota Vikings 34-25 in the preseason opener Friday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will have no bearing on the regular season.

The Saints began the game with Drew Brees and Cameron Jordan on the sideline, and Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas joined them after one possession on offense.

Teddy Bridgewater, who came to the Saints in a late-August trade last year, made his first preseason start for the Saints. New Orleans scored on three of his four possessions in the first half. Wil Lutz made two field goals before Bridgewater’s 18-yard pass to tight end Dan Arnold with 44 seconds left. A failed two-point pass that slipped through Jacquizz Rodgers’ hands let Minnesota take a 14-12 lead into halftime.

Taysom Hill began the second half at quarterback. His first possession ended with an interception returned for a touchdown when Arnold let a pass bounce off his hands for Nate Meadors to run it back 30 yards for a score.

Hill led the Saints in rushing with six carries for 45 yards. His 33-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey drew New Orleans within 27-25 with 8:44 left.

The game included Sean Payton’s first challenge of a pass interference call. The coach threw his red challenge flag late in the third quarter, when officials flagged Kayvon Webster on a pass that put the Vikings on the New Orleans 3. Officials upheld the call, and Minnesota scored on the next play.

At the start, a third-down scramble by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins kept alive an opening drive that ended with his 1-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison. The touchdown came one play after a replay reversal of what would have been a 35-yard scoring pass to Adam Thielen before being ruled down at the 1.

On the next Minnesota possession, the Saints forced a three-and-out when backup quarterback Sean Mannion replaced Cousins at the start of the drive.

Some starting Saints defenders played through the first three Minnesota possessions, giving up a 34-yard gain on a screen to tight end Tyler Conklin in a drive that ended with a circus touchdown catch by wideout Olabisi Johnson for a 14-6 lead. Mannion released the 17-yard touchdown pass on third down just as Trey Hendrickson knocked him to the turf. Johnson tumbled into the end zone as he caught the touchdown pass with 6:07 left in the half.

A 42-yard run by Ameer Abdullah late in the half again put Minnesota inside the New Orleans 20. His fumble moments later set the Saints up for their only touchdown of the half.

The final Minnesota touchdown came on a 64-yard run down the left sideline by Mike Boone in the fourth quarter. At this point, the Vikings averaged 9.3 yards per pay and out-gained the Saints by nearly 100 yards despite running 15 fewer plays.

On offense, Kamara stayed busy in his only possession on the field. The two-time Pro Bowl running back touched the ball on six of the first 10 plays. He would have rushed for a touchdown on first-and-goal from the 3 were it not for Zach Line’s holding penalty that took points off the board. Kamara’s night ended with four rushes for 11 yards and two receptions for 15.

Thomas also played one series. He caught one pass for 7 yards. Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes broke up another pass intended for Thomas in the end zone on third down, before Lutz made a 27-yard field goal. Lutz ended the second Saints possession with another field goal from 52 yards out. He made two field goals in the second half, from 26 and 40 yards.