Vikings Have Substance Behind Favre Hype
Clifton Brown - SportingNews.com
Jan 19, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS -- By pummeling the Cowboys, 34-3, the Vikings head to the NFC championship game coming off their most impressive performance of the season.
Whether the Vikings will reach Super Bowl 44 by winning at New Orleans next Sunday night remains to be seen. But here are five things that make the Vikings a threat to win it all:
1. A dominant pass rush
Defensive end Jared Allen is just the tip of the rush. The Vikings led the NFL in sacks with 48 during the regular season, and they wrapped up the elusive Tony Romo six more times in their first playoff game.
The Vikings can bring pressure on the edges and up the middle. That gives them a chance to upset the timing of Saints QB Drew Brees and his receivers.
"Any time you get a quarterback to move his feet in the pocket, you got a chance," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "The hits wear out a quarterback. Sometimes, it's not measuring the sacks. It's measuring the knockdowns and that type of thing."
Not only are the Vikings good at applying pressure, but they are disciplined. Even when Romo escaped the first or second pass rusher Sunday, the Vikings were able to keep him from getting outside the pocket. They hope to do the same to Brees.
"Playing against New Orleans, we know they can put up points," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "Drew Brees is having a great year. It is going to be a challenge for us, but we are excited and are going to be up to it."
2. Avoidance of turnovers
Only the Packers and Chargers had fewer turnovers this season than the Vikings (18). It will be interesting to see the Vikings' offense operate against a Saints defense that forced the second-most turnovers (39) in the NFL. Something has to give, and Brett Favre is wary of the Saints' ability to force turnovers.
"The Saints are explosive, we all know that," Favre said. "They are explosive on defense as well."
3. Sure tacklers
How many times do you see missed tackles lead to big plays? That does not happen often to the Vikings. Winfield is one of the league's surest tackling cornerbacks. The Vikings' linebackers tackle well. Even the Vikings' pass rushers are good tacklers.
Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin was impressed by the Vikings' ability to prevent big plays Sunday.
"They played great," Austin said. "We didn't play as well as we should have, and hats off to them. They played great D. They played a great game. They were ready."
4. Game-breakers
Sidney Rice was the receiving star of Sunday's victory with three touchdown receptions. But just like the Saints, the Vikings have a multitude of weapons. Maybe rookie wide receiver/return man Percy Harvin will have a huge day against the Saints. Or it could be running back Adrian Peterson, or wide receiver Bernard Berrian, or tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.
No doubt, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will have his hands full trying to take away Favre's options.
"Adrian has hogged the spotlight here since he's been here, deservingly so, and will continue to get it," Favre said. "But I know he'd be the first to tell you that he's happy for Sidney and Percy and Bernard and Chester (Taylor). That's the beauty of it.
"This is a special team."
5. A reliable field goal kicker
We already have seen how costly and deflating a missed field-goal attempt can be during the playoffs. Ask the Chargers.
If Sunday's game at New Orleans comes down to a field goal, the Vikings have confidence that Ryan Longwell will deliver. He made 26-of-28 field-goal attempts this season, including a pair from 52 yards. Longwell will also get a break, kicking indoors in New Orleans as he does in Minnesota.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
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