The NFC Championship game will be played on Sunday night between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. There are great story lines in this game: Brett Favre returning to the NFL, possibly leading the Vikings to the Super Bowl and of course there’s the Saints who are a story in and of themselves. The Saints are one of only five teams in the entire NFL to have never played in a Super Bowl. Will this be their lucky year?

One thing I love about the Saints in their ability to spread the ball. The Saints are one of those teams that can beat you on the ground and through the air. They have a three-headed monster in the backfield with Thomas, Bush and Bell plus a very fast and talented receiving core with Colston, Henderson and Meachem. Let’s not forget the man leading the offense – Drew Brees. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league and can see the field as good as anyone. On defense the Saints are risky – they tend to give up a lot of points but also create turnovers. The Saints had 26 interceptions this year, five of which were returned for touchdowns.

The Minnesota Vikings are going to have a tougher fight because the game is in New Orleans. That dome gets loud and becomes one of the toughest places to play on gameday. But the Vikings have a man at quarterback that is no stranger to big games. Brett Favre has played in plenty of them in his 19 seasons. The Vikings had a strong running game with Adrian Peterson and they have have two Pro Bowl wide receivers in Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. If the Saints strike fast there’s no doubt in my mind the Vikings can’t keep up. They also have a great pass rush and defense lead by Jared Allen.

Of both the games this weekend I am looking forward to the NFC Championship Game more. These two teams are exciting – they score points, yet play fast defense at the same time. Who do you think is going to win the NFC Championship? Post a comment and let me know.

Don’t forget that Football Fanatics will have NFC Champs apparel & merchandise for sale immediately following the game.