Woodburn residents want stop sign removed
September 7, 2010Claudis Dalcour
September 9, 2010
The first time they met, it was a battle of epic proportions. Touchdown passes, big hits, players playing through pain, last-second turnovers – all of which led ultimately to an all-or-nothing field goal with the weight of an entire city on the kicker’s shoulders and a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
Those are pretty big shoes to fill for an encore matchup.
But the whole world will again be watching tomorrow night when the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of last season’s classic NFC Championship game – a game the Saints won 31-28 in overtime.
Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
And even though the calendar still reads early September, Saints safety Darren Sharper told the NFL Network recently that the season opener will go a long way in helping the quest for “Two Dat” in New Orleans.
“This game [will send] a big statement,” Sharper said. “We know that Minnesota is a team that’s going to again be vying for a Super Bowl title, and we feel as though we’re going to be doing the same thing. The first game is usually the tone setter for the whole season. It doesn’t mean a lot [in the standings] when you get toward December and January, but it’s going to mean a lot for us, because the banner will be let down that day, and we want to protect our home turf.”
This offseason has been pretty hectic for the Super Bowl Champions, as they’ve seemingly toured the globe to showcase their prized Lombardi Trophy.
But with the celebration now complete and the focus back on the football field, the Saints have shown little signs of a letdown so far, dropping 38 and 36 points respectively in their second and third preseason games – the outings where starters traditionally see the most action.
But don’t expect Saints quarterback Drew Brees to sleep easily anytime soon, because he knows the Vikings contained the Black and Gold offense as well as anyone in last year’s contest.
“I am pleased, but not totally satisfied. I would never be satisfied, even if we scored on every possession,” Brees said following the team’s preseason victory against the San Diego Chargers. “There are always things that you can do just a little bit better. Obviously you understand that once you get to the regular season there is a very small margin and we want to continue to look sharp and eliminate penalties and mental errors.”
The personnel is mostly the same, as the Saints retained all 11 of their offensive starters from February’s Super Bowl win.
But one added wrinkle in head coach Sean Payton’s attack might be halfback Reggie Bush, who has torched opposing defenses in the preseason after a solid postseason run.
The coach said Bush’s progression will be key this season – especially against a Vikings defense that will put an emphasis on pressuring Brees and making him throw short, quick passes.
“He’s in good shape, he’s healthy, there is nothing really holding him back,” Payton said of his fifth-year halfback. “Certainly mentally and physically, he’s in as good a shape as he’s been since he joined us.”
On the other end of the sidelines, the Vikings’ offseason hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park, either, as for a second-straight season, the team didn’t know whether or not Brett Favre would play.
But the Hall of Fame quarterback is back for a 21st season, joining the team midway through training camp.
And the NFL’s leader in virtually every historical passing statistic doesn’t shy away from saying that the reason for his return is one last chance to avenge last season’s loss to the Saints.
The Vikings were driving for a last second score and victory in regulation of that game before a Favre interception sent the game to overtime.
“As we were driving on that last drive it seemed like it was destiny for us,” Favre told reporters when he announced his return to the team. “I was so close, so close to getting these guys to the Super Bowl. I owe it to this organization to give it one more try.”
The team Favre will anchor is eerily similar to last year’s squad, as the Vikings return most of their 2009 team.
Joining Favre on the offense are Pro Bowlers Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Bryant McKinnie, Percy Harvin and Steve Hutchinson,
The defense is just as stout on paper, with Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and Antoine Winfield back from a unit that ranked in the Top 10 in virtually every statistical category a year ago.
“This is a very good football team. The chances [of going to the Super Bowl] here are much greater than other places,” Favre said. “From that standpoint, it was always going to be easier [to return].”
So the battle lines are drawn and the rematch will cap what will be an all-day party in New Orleans.
Prior to the game, world famous musical stars Taylor Swift and the Dave Matthews Band will rev up the New Orleans faithful – not that they usually need an excuse to make noise.
Vikings coach Brad Childress knows it will be tough dealing with the Superdome faithful.
But he embraces the chance to try in what he says will be a great game for football.
“I can’t imagine it being any more charged than the last time we were down there,” Childress told the Associated Press when the schedules were released. “That’s always a great, hostile environment to play in.”
