Vikings Ship Sets Sail For The Big Easy

Mission Miami is Phase Three.  Phase One was a good regular season, check.  Phase Two was winning the Divisional Round, check.  The NFC title game this Sunday is Phase Three.  For the first time since the turn of the year 2000 the Vikings are back in the NFC Championship.  Here's to hoping this year turns out better.

The Vikings will be forced to play on the road in the Superdome in New Orleans.  Had the Vikings been able to beat the Bears, this game is taking place in the Metrodome.  The Vikings for their part haven't won a road game since the first of November at Lambeau Field.  We will be looking to snap a three game road skid this Sunday.

To state the obvious, it's going to be loud in the Superdome.  Luckily the Vikings just played there last year on Monday Night Football, so the players at least have some experience there, not that a random Monday Night game is going to be as loud as the NFC Championship but still.  The Superdome is the sight of Brett Favre's Super Bowl win, and it's only 60 miles from his hometown of Kiln, Mississippi.

The Saints had the #1 ranked offense in the NFL.  The media loves this tidbit and runs with it when consistently picking against the Vikings.  The Saints can put up some points, especially at home, so it will be important for our front 7 to play lights out.  The front 4 especially needs to be able to get Brees uncomfortable and out of rhythm early.  Brees NEEDS rhythm, as does the Saints offense.  The key to beating them is getting them uncomfortable early and often.  We can't let them score quickly and get that crowd really into it.  Brees can spread the ball around like Favre so you can't just key in on one specific player.  The Saints offensive line is much better than Dallas' but I think they are bit...inflated by the fact that Brees runs a bunch of 3 step drops and gets the ball out quick.  We need to get pressure  immediately on Brees.

For as much as the media likes to make it seem like New Orleans is "unstoppable" they were beat three times this season and twice at home.  We need to follow the Dallas blueprint on defense anyways.  Demarcus Ware owned Drew Brees that game.  Our defense isn't a bunch of slouches, earth to the media, our defense is ranked #6.  We can get some pressure on quarterbacks, ask Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, etc.  We don't necessarily need to get to Brees as often as we got to Romo but we need to get there consistently.  Our secondary can't have a bad day either. 

Really, the two keys on defense are A) pressure on Brees and B) tackling.  We can't tackle like a bunch of kitty cats out there like we have at times this season.  Last week we were awesome tackling.  The downfall for the Cardinals wasn't that they couldn't cover anybody, I mean honestly no one can cover all of those Saint receivers, it was that when they would catch a little 5 yard slant route mistackling would turn it into 30 yards.  They made Reggie Bush, Reggie freaking Bush of all people look like Earl Campbell and Jim Brown's lovechild.  He was just running over people (seriously this is Reggie Bush, normally you just have to breath on him to get him down) and break tackles.  If we can't tackle then this game could get out of hand.

On offense, no surprise, lets get Adrian Peterson going.  I am serious this time.  The Saints run defense is soft, they can be run on.  If we can the run game going we can grind the clock out and keep the ball away from Drew.  When the Saints offense has to sit on the sidelines they can get cold.  The Saints offense can get hot and cold sometimes even in the same game.  The key is long drives.  If they are selling out to stop the run then short passes.  I want long, methodical drives.  That will also kill the crowd noise.  I just have a feeling the Saints are going to drop back into coverage.  We just can't force what's not there.  This is to go to the Super Bowl we can't waste time trying to implement a game plan that's simply not there.

I know the media is all over Darren Sharper and they're trying to hype up the Favre vs. old team mate/Vikings vs. former player angle but that's overrated.  Sharper is overrated.  I mean Favre has played his old team, who I am sure "knew" all of his tendancies and such but that didn't slow Favre down.  Seriously, everyone in the NFL knows everyone's tendancies.  Players watch 1000s of hours of game tape.  The whole "oh former player X is going to team Y and he's going to tell them everything."  That works in pop warner, the NFL is complex and things change in the middle of a game on the fly.

Here's a memo to Brad Childress, don't let Kluwe punt to Reggie Bush.  I know our special teams are better than last year but let's not tempt fate.  We need to hit Reggie Bush, and remind him that he's a scatback, not a power back.  I also suspect that this Saints team may be a wee bit soft.  I think if we can out physical them we can discourage them a bit.  I really think we should try and copy the Cowboys game plan and blueprint.  They "brought the wood" against them and got them out of their high flying ways early.  If we can bring pressure of Brees and get him out of his game we have a real good shot at beating the Saints. 

These types of games are why the Gunslinger came back.  I just can't see him letting this opportunity slip through his fingers.  He's so close he can taste it.  That interception against the Giants I think still haunts him.  He didn't want to go out on such a sour note.  Now he has a chance to have his John Elway moment and ride off into the sunset (with Phat Pat in tow) with his second ring.  I think then Brett can sit on his tractor down in Hattisburg without looking back.  Here's hoping that's the scenario that plays out.  (Though I don't foresee Phat Pat wanting to sit on a tractor down in Hattisburg.)

Skol Vikings