#1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

Saints have the best offense bar none. Pass and run great. But they are facing the Vikings D that's darn good ranked #6. Great rushing D to force teams to become one dimensional. One of the best pass rushes to pressure QBs. There won't be 6 seconds and 4 yard pockets like the Cards gave Brees.

Whereas, the Saints D is ranked #25, not good at much except INT's. Most of those INT's came against inexperienced QB's Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman, Henne, and Ryan. Favre has protected the ball all year, so I don't think he's going to collapse against the Saints. I imagine the Saints will stick 8 in the box, like all other teams, so they can stop Peterson. So Rice or Berrian will be singled, which the Cowboys learned was stupid. Vikes live by "damn if you do... damn if you don't"... play the pass the run burns you... play the run and the pass burns you.

As I see it the Vikes Offense is not that far behind the Saints, whereas the Saints D is seriously lacking.

Please bring the excuses...

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

No excuses. It will be a good game. Maybe you can explain your team's mediocre 4-4 road record where you lost to any respectable team except the one road win in Green Bay which was likely as big or bigger than any game for Favre in his career. The Vikings statistically (since you seem to be enamored with them) look average at best on the road compared to their home performances with alarming lower stats on both sides of the football. Realistically should you not be comparing your road stats to our home stats to get a more accurate picture. You aren't in the friendly confines of the Metrodome this weekend.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

I think you throw the stats out of the window for this game.

The defensive rank means nothing to us because our players are all finally healthy for once. It's up to Gregg Williams to put our guys in the right spot to make plays.

Both teams are healthy and have momentum. I wouldn't ask for the NFC Championship to be played any other way.

I think it comes down to who can protect their QB the best and limit turnovers.

I could see a close game and a 3 point win.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

Excuses? First, let's go ahead and look at the fact that the Saints defense was in the top ten, in the first half of the season, against both the pass, and the run. Then we lost one of our starting DTs for the season. Two of our lbs went down for about three weeks, and here's the kicker, BOTH of our starting corners went down for what was almost the rest of the season.

As soon as both of our starting corners came back, our pass defense has been MUCH better, and they are playing exactly like they were the first of the year. So if I were you, I wouldn't underestimate our defense, whether it's against the run, or the pass. Arizona did the same thing, and they were all soaking in ice for about a day, after Saturday.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

I prefer they continue to underestimate - especially the coaches.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

Saints D looked pretty good last week against a team that scored 45 the week before. They completely shut down Fitzgerald until the game was over.

When the Saints go 4 or 5 wide who is going to cover those guys? Winfield is injured and not very good at this time because of said injury and their safeties are terrible. If the Saints LT gets injured early then maybe Allen will do some damage, he seems to make huge waves against 2nd and 3rd stringers (yes I realize Brown is technically the starting LT but he's been out all year).

Unlike the Cowboys the Saints actually throw to their WR. I don't think Tony Stinko actually threw a pass to a WR the entire 2nd half. Everything was to Witten and nothing else.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

"Favre has protected the ball all year, so I don't think he's going to collapse against the Saints."

How many ints did he throw in the losses to Carolina, Arizona, and Chicago? In three games.... Just curious. If he could do it in three season games, that basically would have given you guys homefield, because of our "3 game slide", then why wouldn't you believe he could do it for the shot at the superbowl? He did it before in Green Bay, many times. ESPECIALLY in the NFCCG.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

One thing I'd like to add is that the Saints MUST run the football well to win.

Our success running vs AZ helped win that game. (171yds)

It'll be a tough task, bc MINN's run D has looked good recently and especially against Dallas' RB's.

Paging Willie Roaf...

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

Please fill free to cruch road vs home stats. If I recall you have been having a bit of problems at home recently, so your home cherry is broken. So I would be more worried about losing at home if I were you. Especially playing a team with a real D.

Re: #1 O vs #6 D and #5 O vs #25 D Who wins?
 

I agree 100%. We have got to get the run game going. That's what opened up that flea flicker against the red birds. As well as the rest of our passing game.

I say, screen, screen, screen... Back those LBs up, as well as those DEs.