New Orleans is one of just five NFL franchises never to have made it to the Super Bowl. This is the first time in its history that the Superdome will be the site for the NFC Championship game, while ironically it has played host to six Super Bowls. This is only the Saints second ever appearance in the NFC Championship with the last coming three years ago, a 39-14 loss to the Bears.

Likewise, Minnesota has never won a Super Bowl, although they have appeared in the game four different times, the last coming in 1977. This is their first NFC Championship Game since 2001 when they were crushed by the Giants 41-0.

These were the two highest scoring offenses in the league with New Orleans averaging 32.6 points per game and Minnesota 29.6. Eight of the last 10 overall meetings between the teams have gone Over the total, including last year’s 30-27 win by the Vikings on this field with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. The Saints are even better at home, scoring 33.2 PPG and including last week have scored 45 or more points five times this year.

After losing their final three games of the regular season, New Orleans looked sharp coming off the bye week last Saturday, beating Arizona by 31 points. QB Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and 247 yards. There was also a rare Reggie Bush sighting in the game as the former Heisman Trophy Winner and #2 overall draft choice had a 46-yard TD run and an 83-yard punt return for a TD. In three career playoff games, Bush has four touchdowns.

Minnesota was equally as dominant in its 34-3 destruction of Dallas last week as Brett Favre had the first four touchdown game of his postseason career. This is the “old gunslinger’s” fifth time playing in the NFC Title game. He finished with a phenomenal 28-3 TD-INT ratio at the Metrodome this season and six different Vikings receivers had at least 40 catches, only the second time an offense has achieved such a feat since 1983.

While the Vikings were 9-0 at home this season, they were just 4-4 on the road. Defensively, they slipped significantly down the stretch when playing away from home, allowing 27, 26, 30, 26 and 36 points in their last five road games.

The Saints are a perfect 6-0 ATS under HC Sean Payton when facing teams that average better than 27 PPG.

The status of Minnesota WR Percy Harvin, who continues to suffer from migraines, is listed as questionable. New Orleans TE Jeremy Shockey missed practice on Friday with a sore knee.

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