After a long and winding season, we are left with the 2 teams that most would have guessed at the end of the first month. The two #1 seeds, and the last 2 undefeated teams during the regular season (Saints were 13-0 before falling to Dallas and Indy was 14-0 before resting their starters against the Jets). For my money, the only way this could have been better would have been if they were both 18-0 going into the Super Bowl. Then the friggin ‘72 Dolphins would have had no choice but to shut the hell up. Oh well, you can’t have everything, but what we do have, is one heck of a Super Bowl coming up. The New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Mannings (err the Colts). How did they get there? Glad you asked…

In Sunday’s first game the Mannings fell quickly behind the Jets by a second quarter score of 17-6. Of course, the Peyton Colts had them right where they wanted them and proceeded to absolutely smoke them from 2:00 remaining in the second quarter through the end of the game resulting in a final score of 30-17. Manning threw for over 370 yards and 3 TDs, and the score wouldn’t even have been that close if not for a couple of early field goals that Indy was forced to kick from close range.

After dispatching the Jets, Peyton orders McDonalds for the team.

The Jets got their early lead by going away from what got them there (paging: Jim Fregosi). Their offense had consisted mostly of running the ball, running the ball, with a few running plays mixed in. They actually started throwing the ball on first down in the first half against the Colts, which is something that the Mannings clearly did not see coming (and how could they, considering that the Jets had shown absolutely no propensity to open up their offense at all in their first couple of playoff games?). A couple of the first down plays led to big plays by the Jets, resulting in the two first half touchdowns. However, the Colts have always been great at adjustments, and Sunday was no different. The Jets rookie QB had decent numbers in the first half (5-7, 124 yds, 2 TDs, 153.3 QB Rating), but those number turned abysmal after halftime (12-23, 133 yds, 1 INT, 51.5 QB Rating). Peyton Manning made perfect throw after perfect throw, and soon enough the inevitable became all too clear for the Jets, that Indy was headed back to Miami (fun fact: the Colts have made it to 4 Super Bowls, and each one was played in Miami).

The Saints path was not as easy as Indy’s path (if you can call an 11 point, first half deficit easy); they faced the Minnesota Vikings, who had the best mix of offense and defense of any team in the playoffs (they were ranked 5th in offense and 6th in defense). The Vikings pretty much marched the ball up and down the field all day against the Saints, but the Saints were somehow able to become the first team in NFL postseason history to be out-gained by more than 200 yards (218 to be exact) and still claim victory. If you missed the NFC Championship, but you are a football fan, you are most likely saying to yourself, “The only way I could see that happening is a lot of turnovers.” Indeed, you’re totally right. (also, punch yourself for missing this game) Minnesota turned the ball over 5 TIMES to the Saints 1 turnover. Honestly, they recover 3 more of their own fumbles, so their turnover margin could have easily been 8 to 1 if the ball had bounced in a more unlucky way once or twice.

There is only one word I can think of for a team who completely dominates another team in a conference championship game, but turn the ball over five times so as to barely lose by 3 points: CHOKE. Sorry, Vikings fans, that was the ultimate choke job by the entire team, from the coaches to the star players. Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre were the chief culprits on the field, but despite their first 4 turnovers, the score was still 28-28 with around a minute left in the game and Minnesota was at the Saints’ 33 yard line with a first down. This is where Minnesota’s decision to hire Brad Childress was proven to be a terrible one. The Vikings had 2 timeouts, and were within range of a 50 yard field goal (keep in mind, this is inside the Superdome, and kickers usually can kick longer field goals indoors). That being said, a 50 yard field goal to go to the Super Bowl is far from a gimme. On first down everyone on the planet knew that Childress was going to run the safe play and run the ball. A play-action fake right there could have been the final nail in the Saints coffin. No one would have expected it, and I would have been shocked if the play wouldn’t have gotten at least 10 yards – and it could have easily resulted in a touchdown also, but Childress call 2 ultra-safe running plays which gained 0 yards, and he burned both timeouts. So now, it is 3rd down with 18 seconds left.

Then, Childress somehow sends 12 MEN IN FROM A TIMEOUT!!!!! Remind me again how this man makes millions of dollars being an NFL coach, but can’t make simple things happen like the correct amount of players go in after a timeout? This is incredible to me, and yet that is what happened. You know the rest, 5 yard penalty, pushing the Vikings from field goal range, and then Favre’s ill-advised pass that ended up being possibly the final throw that he’ll ever make (who knows, but that’s another story for another time). The Saints won the coin toss, and marched the ball right down the field in overtime, and when their own 40 yard field goal sailed right through the middle of the uprights, the Saints were marching into the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Blame Favre, blame Adrian Peterson for his 3 fumbles (only 1 of which was lost, but that was 5 yards away from an end of the first half touchdown), blame all the players if you must, but I blame Brad Childress most of all. Here is a man calling timid plays as if a 50 yard field goal with time expiring was a sure thing. Victory is achieved by the bold, not the timid! NFL coaches often times get too passive in end of the game situations, and become easy to defend, Childress fell into that same trap, and it cost him the victory, well that and the fact that he doesn’t know how many players are allowed to be on the field at the same time.

Regardless of the stupidity of most of the members of the Minnesota Vikings on this day, the game was a classic, and will be remembered for a long, long time (especially if Favre FINALLY retires). I can’t help but shake the feeling that Minnesota was the better team, despite their many mistakes, and would have given Indy more of a challenge in the Super Bowl. The Saints haven’t looked very strong since they lost to the Cowboys, with the exception of their first playoff game against the Arizona Roadkill, if that counts as a real game. However, if the Saints can recapture their early season form against the Colts, the buckle your seatbelts, cause we’re gonna be in for a heck of a ride come Super Sunday.

- Murdock