McClatchy Newspapers
NEW ORLEANS — They’re tied at the hip, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and his protege quarterback, Drew Brees. They understand each other, speak the same language. And in Year Four of the Payton Era, the Saints are at the doorstep of the Super Bowl.
For the second time.
And this time, they’ll be playing in the Louisiana Superdome.
Advantage, Saints.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings are a tough customer. Brad Childress is in his fourth season in the Twin Cities, too. He’s had to endure some spotty quarterback play during his tenure with the Vikes, but in August, everything changed.
Brett Favre stepped off a private jet.
And two teams, seemingly destined for a shot at greatness, will play for a berth in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday evening in the Louisiana Superdome. It will be the Saints’ second appearance in the NFC championship game since Payton rolled into town on Jan. 18, 2006.
The atmosphere, suffice to say, will be electric. And players from both teams saw this matchup on the horizon as early as Halloween. Maybe sooner.
“In November, maybe, you start visualizing possibilities,” Saints offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod said. “You know who’s out there. The Vikings, Dallas, a couple others. I could see this one coming together, at least the possibility, a couple months ago.
“Yeah, absolutely. I thought this could happen.”
The Saints (14-3) opened the season with 13 consecutive victories, with Brees slinging the ball around the field in precision fashion and Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell doing the heavy lifting with the running game. They didn’t lose until a Saturday night game against the Cowboys, a 24-17 loss in the Superdome on Dec. 19. The Saints got back on track in last week’s divisional round, crushing Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals 45-14.
The Vikings (13-4) obliterated the Dallas Cowboys last week, winning 34-3 in Minneapolis.
“Obviously, the Saints are a good football team,” Childress said. “Explosive on the offensive side. You have to be able to match that. They can put up points … Defensively, they like to attack, and you have to be ready for a myriad of different looks.
“Obviously, it’s a great home-field advantage situation (for the Saints). Looking forward to it.”
Payton is equally effusive in his praise of Childress and the Vikings. And they share a bond as their alma mater is Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill.
“(Childress) is from a town not too far from where I’m from, in Aurora (Ill.) Both of us grew up in the Chicagoland area,” Payton said. “I followed him later on (as a player) at Eastern Illinois and have really followed his career. He’s done a great job, coming into the league (in 1999) with Andy Reid and Philadelphia and what they were able to accomplish, and now with Minnesota.
“He’s been part of a lot of winning teams. That success is something that he’s brought to Minnesota.”
Brees and Favre will share the spotlight in Sunday night’s game in the Superdome. Brees passed for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns in 15 games for the Saints this season, taking a pass in the regular-season finale at Carolina, a 23-10 defeat. Brees can get rid of the ball quickly and Favre was just efficient for the Vikings, despite coming onboard after training camp.
Favre, the favorite son of nearby Hancock County, Miss., has completed 68.4 percent of his passes, which is two percentage points and change less than Brees’ numbers this season. Favre has thrown for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just seven times, compared to Brees’ total of 11.
It will be Favre’s fifth shot at an NFC championship, and some are predicting, his final shot. Favre, of course, isn’t saying. It’s how he rolls.
“I hope the little experience I have in these games, which is more than most, will help some,” Favre said. “But that’s not to say I don’t get nervous and stressed and all those things as well … I try to keep not only myself, but the other guys on the team calm, and relaxed.”
The Superdome crowd, no doubt, will have other ideas.
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