NEW ORLEANS – Who Dat in the Super Bowl? It’s Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints but it took overtime to get there.

After being frustrated by a swarming Vikings defense most of the game, Drew Brees lead his offense down the field on his team’s first possession in overtime to set up a 40-yard game-winning kick by New Orleans kicker Garrett Hartley and claim the NFC Championship.

The 31-28 victory didn’t come easy for the Saints. Brees and the Saints offense lead the NFL with over 500 yards per game in the regular season but were swarmed by the Vikings defense from the start, struggling to finish with just 257 yards for the game, including overtime.

Some will say the game was won by a Saints’ blitz-heavy defense who pressured Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre from the start. Favre wasn’t officially sacked in the game but found himself flat on the turf on several occasions, taking several shots throughout the game including a few vicious hits early in the game.

Favre is a warrior and there’s a reason the 40-year-old slinger has a current record starting streak of over 300 games. Battered, he got back on his feet and lead the Vikings to touchdown drives on their first two possessions for a 14-7 lead.

Minnesota finished with 475 total yards but their demise was the turnovers. In all the Vikings fumbled the ball 6 times, losing 3 of them and Favre was intercepted twice including on a drive-ending play with 12 seconds left in regulation that took away an opportunity for Ryan Longwell to ice the win in regulation.

In what was expected to be a battle of the slingers, Favre finished the game 28-of-46 for 310 yards, 1 TD and 2INT while Brees was 17-of-31 for 197 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT. Favre who took a relentless physical beating compliments of  the aggressive Saints defense had to be helped off the field later in the game but returned with a limp after the Vikings’ medical staff evaluated the injury and wrapped his ankle.

Adrian Peterson who has taken the back seat to Favre’s passing game much of the season had a solid game with 25 carries for 122 yards and 3TD’s. He was responsible for 2 of the Vikings fumbles but both of those were recovered by purple jerseys.

The Saints will be making their first trip to the Super Bowl where they will face the Indianapolis Colts in Miami on February 7th.

Can the journey continue for Brees and his Saints? We’ll have to wait and see if the country will be saying “Who Dat with the Super Bowl crown!”

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MINNESOTA – After a lackluster December that included a conflict with coach Brad Childress that was caught on national television, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre appears primed and ready for the playoffs.

After leading his Vikings to a 1-3 record in December, with the lone win coming against The Cincinatti Bengals in Week 14, the New Year started on a high note for the 40-year-old slinger when Favre led the Vikings to a lopsided 44-7 win against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Favre was 25-of-31 for 316 yards and threw 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Favre’s performance on Sunday as well as that of his supporting cast secured the Vikings a second seed in the playoffs and a well-deserved first round bye.

The extra week of rest should be favorable for Favre and earning that second seed also assured no outdoor games for the Vikings. After hosting their first game at the indoor Metrodome, the Vikings only road game would be against the New Orleans Saints if they both won their match-ups.

Favre has been outstanding this season, leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record while completing 363-of-531 passes for 4,202 yards. Known for a high career TD/interception ratio, Favre corrected that tossing 33 TD passes and throwing only 7 to the wrong colored jersey all year. Last year with the New York Jets he led the NFL with 22 INTs. His passer rating this year is also one of the highest of his career at 107.2.

Expect Favre and the Vikings to be well rested and come out with a vengeance for their opening round game on January 17, and while their opponent has yet to be determined, you have to like their chances.

Favre proved many of his critics wrong, coming out of retirement and showing there is a lot of life left in his arm. With the slinger in sync with receivers Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian and potential rookie-of-the-year Percy Harvin and the Vikings running game back on track with Adrian Peterson, expect them to go deep into the playoffs and possibly to the Super Bowl on February 7th.

Last year it took Fox Sports showing Visanthe Shiancoe in the buff during a live telecast to turn heads and give the Vikings an onslaught of media attention. This year the Vikings are doing it by putting Brett Favre behind center.

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