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Vikings vs. Saints will provide the marquee matchup of the weekend, and the winner likely will be favored to play in the Super Bowl. Things will be much different than when the teams met in Week 1 of the season.
The No. 2 seed in the AFC will play Sunday against a Jacksonville team that managed 87 passing yards in an unwatchable victory over Buffalo, the worst team in the NFL playoffs.
The No. 2 seed in the NFC will play Sunday against one of history’s greatest quarterbacks, who will lead the league’s second-ranked and most balanced offense into U.S. Bank Stadium.
There will be many angles to explore this week in terms of possible revenge, a fascinating rematch and a clash of styles as the Vikings prepare to play the New Orleans Saints.
The most pertinent, for the moment, is that the Vikings’ 13-victory season earned them the toughest possible matchup. The other three teams that received a playoff bye will face Jacksonville, Tennessee and a Falcons team that the Vikings beat in Atlanta a month ago.
In New Orleans, the Vikings drew the short daiquiri straw. If the Vikings become the first NFL team ever to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, their path will have required machetes and steel-toe boots.
Offensively, the Saints possess everything the Vikings don’t — a quarterback with a long-term pedigree and postseason success, pure speed receivers and two backs who surpassed 1,500 yards from scrimmage (the Vikings didn’t have one reach 1,000).
That surplus of dynamic offensive talent will face a defense that is healthy and has allowed more than 10 points just once in the past five games.
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-saint...468266003/
The Saints’ 31-26 victory over Carolina on Sunday sets up a delicious revenge buffet for the Vikings.
They could win their first Super Bowl by beating the Saints (who upset them in the 2009 NFC title game), the Falcons (who upset them in the 1998 NFC title game) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who defeated them in Super Bowl IX).
Their first step will come against the team that upset them in the Superdome in January 2010 while allegedly targeting Brett Favre with a bounty, and verifiably targeted him with vicious hits.
Vikings vs. Saints will provide the marquee matchup of the weekend, and the winner likely will be favored to play in the Super Bowl, perhaps against a Patriots team whose key figures may be preparing for curtain calls.
Against the Saints, as Vikings fans know, anything from a 12th man to a missed field goal could decide the game. The most entertaining aspect of this matchup will be Brees trying to dissect the Vikings defense, which hasn’t allowed a 200-yard passer since Nov. 23 or a 300-yard passer since Nov. 12. Sunday, Brees threw for 300 yards in a playoff game for the seventh time.
They say to be the best you have to beat the best, but it is the Vikings’ misfortune that they have to face the best possible opponent so early in what they hope will be a vengeful postseason.
I have to laugh, even the home town newspaper is doing the poor me thing with having to play New Orleans. It is what it is. If I hear one more time that 'New Orleans is a different team from when they played in week 1', lol.....(eye roll)
Minnesota has had two weeks of much needed rest, are playing at home in a loud stadium and have the league's best defense: giddy up. If the Saints win, they'll have earned it. Let's do this.
It would have been nice if the Rams won, I did not want to play a Saints team that looks to be on about a roll. #1 and #2 seeds getting no respect in Vegas this week and it's because of the QB's they field.
But it is what it is...Put on the pads and let's play. If there is one team in the NFC I'd like to boot out of the playoff's it would be Peyton and Brees.
Is this year really different for the Vikings? Can we break through these dynamic duo teams of qb/coaches? The Montana's and others who have tortured Viking fans over the decades? Brees is certainly of that HOF caliber.
We'll see, I hope so. I'll be there cheering like mad at the stadium Sunday.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
I have to laugh, even the home town newspaper is doing the poor me thing with having to play New Orleans. It is what it is. If I hear one more time that 'New Orleans is a different team from when they played in week 1', lol.....(eye roll)
Minnesota has had two weeks of much needed rest, are playing at home in a loud stadium and have the league's best defense: giddy up. If the Saints win, they'll have earned it. Let's do this.
i just dont see the saints getting 31 points and over 400 plus yards against this viking def. i think the saints def is overrated. they gave upin their building 26 points and over 400 yards to the panthers and i beleive the vikings offense to be more diverse tnan the panthers offense
I wanted the draw to play out this way.
Why? The Patriots will be in the Super Bowl riding a wave of resentment about the media reports that they are coming apart at the seams internally (which Bellicheat probably planted).
I don't want to make the Super Bowl and lose bad. If Minnesota can't beat New Orleans then they certainly can't beat New England.
But if Minnesota wins against a very similar Offense in terms of uber-experienced QB, stable of RBs & WRs and an OK Defense that does just enough to win then I really think they can beat Bill and Brady.
So bring on the sterner test instead of cakewalking into an ambush!
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
It would have been nice if the Rams won, I did not want to play a Saints team that looks to be on about a roll. #1 and #2 seeds getting no respect in Vegas this week and it's because of the QB's they field.
But it is what it is...Put on the pads and let's play. If there is one team in the NFC I'd like to boot out of the playoff's it would be Peyton and Brees.
Is this year really different for the Vikings? Can we break through these dynamic duo teams of qb/coaches? The Montana's and others who have tortured Viking fans over the decades? Brees is certainly of that HOF caliber.
We'll see, I hope so. I'll be there cheering like mad at the stadium Sunday.
On a roll? By losing the last game of the year with the division crown on the line? Losing 2 of 4 to finish the season? Or losing their last three road games? (The last road game they won was the infamous "Peterman" game at Buffalo).
They are a sexy pick, but the reasoning (beyond creating stories) just doesn't add up. The media keeps saying "ooh, they are hot right now", but that's not the case... they peaked in November during a stretch against poor competition. The Vikings feasted on that same competition, but then went on the road and dominated for three straight weeks, as well.
If the Saints are "hot", the Vikings are an inferno. Or, more aptly... the Saints may be hot, but the brightest flames will be snuffed out by the icy cold of the north.
Kings of the north.
Here is another way to look at things. In week 10, the Vikings went to Washington and beat the Redskins. The Redskins fought hard, but they couldn't crack the code.
In week 11, the Redskins traveled to New Orleans where the Saints needed two miracle touchdowns in the final three minutes and a two-point conversion to send it to overtime.
So, that "different" Saints team (since everyone is saying they are not the same team as they were in Week 1... but really, who is?) stacks up as being inconsistent at best.
This is why people love the Saint right now... they play exciting games because they are not disciplined. A good team would have not been in the situation they were in.
The media is still going to pick Minnesota to win this matchup mostly. Its not like the Vikings are being discounted. They didn't play so the media is focusing on what is shiny, new and topical.
I am just not sure how a team that couldn't beat Tampa at the end of the season is hot right now.
The way I see it, they are just another step up stairs. Unless the nfl starts playing the Katrina story line again.
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