The greatest moment in the long Brett Favre history took place in the Superdome, where the 40-year old won his one and only Super Bowl. This postseason, he’ll have a chance to contend for another one if his Vikings can first get past top seeded New Orleans on Sunday.
Vikings on Offense
Brett. Favre. It looks like coming out of retirement is paying off for the guy, who may be having his best season (33 TDs and only 7 INTs). The possibility of another Super bowl can become a reality if the Vikings have their way with the Saints aerially like they did with Dallas. No. 4 threw for 4 TDs (3 to Sidney Rice) and 0 INTs and moved the ball at will when the run wasn’t working. Although Rice was the weapon of choice for Favre vs. Dallas, expect him to spread the field with Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin more. Visanthe Shiancoe is a big red-zone threat- he had 1 TD last week and could be problematic with his size. The biggest issue for Favre will be how he handles pressure from a rejuvenated D in such a hostile environment, the same D that may have sent Kurt Warner into retirement. Can he protect the ball from Gregg Williams’ blitz schemes and a Will Smith-led pass rush? Can he evade former teammate Darren Sharper, whose incredible reads have led to big plays for the Saints all year? New Orleans isn’t the toughest defensive team- they will give up ample yardage but they have a knack for forcing turnovers. Adrian Peterson needs to be at his best to take the heat off Favre and keep drives going. Peterson has had his share of struggles lately (inc. 7 fumbles), but I like the fact that Minnesota stuck with him for 26 carries last week. AD needs to be relentless and wear down the Saints on the ground. His presence will also be crucial for picking up blitzes and bailing out Favre in the passing game.
Saints on Offense
The Saints’ pulse starts and stops with Drew Brees. Unlike Favre, who has already won a Super bowl, Brees will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. He was 23-32 with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. A big reason why he was so effective was because he was virtually untouched by the Cardinals. This won’t be the case vs. a Vikings team that sacked Tony Romo 6 times last week (3 by Ray Edwards alone) and forced 2 fumbles and a pick. Brees will need major efforts from his O-line to thwart a rush led by Edwards and Jared Allen from both End positions. Fortunately for the Saints, Brees has a quick release and great confidence in so many receivers. He’ll look to Marques Colston (6 catches for 83 yards last week) and Devery Henderson (4 for 80 yards) for the long ball, along with Robert Meachem, who was a nonfactor against Arizona. Jeremy Shockey’s knee looked hurt last week, but if he’s ok for Sunday (Sean Payton says he will be), the Saints could exploit mismatches inside. Same goes for Reggie Bush in the passing attack, who looked like a man possessed last Sunday. Bush left his mark in so many ways, most notably with his 46-yard TD run and 83-yard punt return for a TD. If he can explode again, he’ll be tough to stop with his speed, strength, and versatility.
This game will be decided through the air, so the key for both teams is protection and ball security. Ultimately, I think the Saints will win the turnover battle and make enough big plays to win a close game and bring the first ever Super bowl appearance to the Who Dat Nation.
Prediction
New Orleans 38
Minnesota 28
