Mister B's 2010 NFC Championship Game Preview

Minnesota Vikings (13-4) @ New Orleans Saints (14-3) (Sunday, January 24, 2010, 6:30pm ET, FOX): If you're a fan of offensive football, then this is your game. Coming into this game, the Vikings (29.4) and Saints (31.9) are two of the highest scoring teams in the league.This game features two teams that are mirror images of each other. Both teams are very balanced on offense. Both teams have explosive playmakers capable of taking it to the house at any moment. Even on special teams both teams have players who can return kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns in Percy Harvin and Reggie Bush.

Minnesota's keys to victory:

1. Protect the football and win the turnover battle.

2. Score early to keep the crowd out of the game.

3. The Vikings defensive line must duplicate their performance against the Cowboys against the Saints.

4. Tackle well.

5. Establish early Adrian Peterson early in the game to quiet the Saints crowd. He needs twenty or more carries in this game because New Orleans' has a tendency to weak in the middle of their defensive line.

6. Protect Favre.

New Orleans' keys to victory:

1. Protect Drew Brees.

2. Get pressure on Brett Favre, he has a tendency to press in big games.

3. Get the ball to Reggie Bush out on the perimeter and let him make a move on Viking defenders.

4. Darren Sharper will need to keep an eye on Favre so he can limit the Vikings over the top plays.

5. Limit Sidney Rice's big play ability.

6. Don't let Favre scramble outside of the pocket or else he will find Visanthe Shiancoe over the middle.

I see this game as a chest match between Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Saints coach/offensive mastermind Sean Payton. If Brees gets time to throw, he will pick apart the Vikings weak secondary. Even though the Vikings are the number two run defense, giving up 87.1 yards, the Saints must not abandon the run. If the Vikings are able to create the same type of pressure on Drew Brees that they created on Tony Romo, Minnesota will punch their ticket to Super Bowl. If this is a close game in the fourth quarter, this will favor the Saints because Vikings head coach Brad Childress has a tendency to make boneheaded decisions in critical moments. The Saints are extremely tough at home, so the Vikings may have to go to silent count at the line of scrimmage. The Vikings were only 4-4 on the road and tend to not play as well on the road as they do at home.

In the end, I see the Saints home field advantage and Drew Brees hitting his playmakers in stride as the difference in this game. The Saints defense tends to play to the crowd and if this happens, it could be a long day for Favre and company.

The Winner: I like the Saints to reach their first Super Bowl in franchise history by defeating the Vikings 37-20.