<span style="">                 <span style="">NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS</span>                   
            <span style="">SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2010</span>                

            <span style="text-decoration: underline;">MINNESOTA VIKINGS–NFC NORTH (13-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS–NFC SOUTH (14-3)</span>                

            <span style="">SERIES  

• The Minnesota Vikings lead the all-time regular season series between the two teams, 18-7, with the Vikings have won seven-of-the-past eight against the Saints.
  
• Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress owns a 1-0 lifetime mark as a head coach against the Saints, while New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is 0-1 against the Vikings.
• Saints Head Coach Sean Payton owns a 2-1 career record in postseason games, while Childress is now 1-1.
• In games against common opponents this season, both the Saints and the Vikings are 4-1:  
• (REGULAR SEASON) 
• Min.: 4-1 (Car. 0-1, Det. 2-0, NYG 1-0, StL. 1-0)
• NO: 4-1 (Car. 1-1, Det. 1-0, NYG 1-0, StL. 1-0)
• The Vikings own a career record in the postseason of 19-25, while the Saints are 3-6 in postseason contests.
• LAST GAME 10/6/08: Vikings 30 at Saints 27. Minnesota K Ryan Longwell kicks game-winning 30-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in comeback win. Vikings CB Antoine Winfield returns blocked FG 59 yards for TD. New Orleans RB Reggie Bush has 2 PR-TDs. 
• LAST GAME AT SITE 10/6/08
• LAST PLAYOFF GAME BETWEEN THE TWO FRANCHISES 1/6/01: Saints 16 at Vikings 34. Minnesota QB Daunte Culpepper throws for 302 yards & 3 TDs, including 53- and 68-yarders to WR Randy Moss. Vikings WR Cris Carter adds 120 receiving yards & TD in NFC Divisional Playoff win.
  BROADCAST FOX (5:30 PM CT): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver & Chris Myers (Field reporters). Westwood One Radio: Dave Sims, James Lofton, Hub Arkush (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 125 (Min.), 123 (NO). XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (Min.), 102 (NO).

'09 STAT LEADERS

PASSING

• MIN: Brett Favre: 363-531-4,202-33 (T2L)-7-107.2 (2L)
• NO: Drew Brees: 363-514-4,388 (3C)-34 (1L)-11-109.6 (1L)RUSHING
  

• MIN: Adrian Peterson: 314-1,383 (2C)-4.4-18 (1L)
• NO: Pierre Thomas: 147-793-5.4-6RECEIVING
  

• MIN: Sidney Rice: 83-1,312 (2C)-15.8-8
• NO: Marques Colston: 70-1,074-15.3-9OFFENSE
  

• MIN: 379.6 yards per game average (3rd in the NFC)
• NO: 403.8 yards per game average (1st in the NFL)TAKE/GIVE
  

• MIN: 6
• NO: 11 (3rd in the NFL)DEFENSE
  

• MIN: 305.5 yards per game average (2nd in the NFC)
• NO: 357.8 yards per game average
  SACKS
  

• MIN: Jared Allen: 14.5 (1st in the NFC)
• NO: Smith: 13 (2nd in the NFC)INTERCEPTIONS
  

• MIN: CB Cedric Griffin: 4
• NO: FS Darren Sharper: 9 (tied for 1st in the NFL)PUNT RETURNS
  

• MIN: Darius Reynaud: 10.3
• NO: Reggie Bush: 4.8KICKOFF RETURNS
  

• MIN: Percy Harvin (R): 27.52 (3rd in the NFC)
• NO: Courtney Roby: 27.47 (4th in the NFC)
  PUNTING
  

• MIN: Chris Kluwe: 43.9
• NO: Thomas Morstead (rookie): 43.6KICKING
  

• MIN: Ryan Longwell: 132 (3L) (54/55 PAT; 26/28 FG)
• NO: Garrett Hartley: 37 (10/11 PAT; 9/11 FG)
  NOTES

TEAMS MEET for 3rd time in postseason (Minnesota 2-0). Vikings lead all-time regular-season series 18-7. Meeting marks 5th time in NFL history top-2 scoring teams in NFL meet in Conference Championship Game.

SAINTS: Led NFL with 510 points, 9th most points scored by team in NFL history. Topped NFL in total offense (403.8). Ranked 4th in pass offense (272.2) & 6th in rush offense (131.6). Only team in NFL to rank in top 6 in both. Club won 13 games, most in franchise history, incl. team-record 13-game winning streak. Saints have 5 players selected to Pro Bowl: QB DREW BREES (4th), G JAHRI EVANS (1st), S DARREN SHARPER (5th), T JON STINCHCOMB (1st) & LB JONATHAN VILMA (2nd). 19 different Saints scored TD this season…QB Brees set NFL record with 70.62 comp. pct. (363 of 514). Led NFL with career-high & franchise-record 109.6 rating. Owns top 4 marks in club annals. Had 4,388 pass yards, 4th consecutive 4,000-yard season. Has only 4 4,000-yard seasons in team history. Tied own club record with 34 TD passes. In 4 playoff games, has completed 65.2 percent of passes for 1,163 pass yards (290.8 per game), with 8 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 99.5 passer rating. Has led NO to 2 NFC Champ Games in past 4 years. In last game vs. Min., threw for 330 yards & TD…RB PIERRE THOMAS has 10 TDs (7 rush, 3 rec.) in past 10 home games. Led team with career-high 793 rush yards. RB REGGIE BUSH has 333 scrimmage yards (111 per game) & 4 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec., 1 PR) in 3 career playoff games. Has scored TD in all 3 career playoff games & became 1st player in NFL history with 80 yard TD in 2 straight postseason games. Had 46-yard rush TD & 83-yard PR-TD in Div. Playoff. Became 2nd player in postseason history with rush TD & PR-TD in same game (HOFer CHARLEY TRIPPI) & 2nd with 80 & 40 yard TD in same game (RICKY SANDERS). Had NFL-record tying 2 PR-TDs in last meeting vs. Min. WR ROBERT MEACHEM led team with career-best 10 TDs (9 rec., 1 FR). Averaged 16 yards per catch. WR MARQUES COLSTON led team with 70 receptions & 1,074 yards, his 3rd 1,000-yard season in career. Tied Meachem for club lead with 9 rec. TDs. In Div. Playoff, Colston had 6 catches for 83 yards & TD. WR DEVERY HENDERSON averages 24.6 yards per catch in postseason. Had 44-yard TD catch last week. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY had 17-yard TD catch in Div. Playoff. Ranks 4th among NFL TEs with 469 catches & 5,280 yards since 2002…S Sharper tied for NFL lead with 9 INTs. Set single-season NFL record with 376 INT return yards. Had 3 INT-TDs & has 11 in career, 2nd most in NFL history. LB Vilma led team with 110 tackles. Tied career-high with 3 INTs. S ROMAN HARPER was 2nd on team with 99 tackles. DT SEDRICK ELLIS had sack last week & has sack in 2 of past 3. CB TRACY PORTER ranked 2nd on Saints with career-high 4 INTs & had 12 PD.

VIKINGS: Participating in 26th postseason, tied for 4th most in NFL history. Have 19 playoff victories. Vikings have NFL-high 9 players named to Pro Bowl: DE JARED ALLEN (3rd), ST HEATH FARWELL (1st), QB BRETT FAVRE (11th), rookie WR-KR PERCY HARVIN (1st), G STEVE HUTCHINSON (7th), T BRYANT MC KINNIE (1st), RB ADRIAN PETERSON (3rd), WR SIDNEY RICE (1st) & DT KEVIN WILLIAMS (5th). Team averaged 29.4 points per game, 2nd best mark in NFL behind NO…Favre was selected to 11th Pro Bowl, most ever by QB. Had career-high 107.4 rating & reached 30 TD passes (33) for 9th time, most in NFL history. Ranks 2nd in postseason history with 453 comp., 5,545 pass yards & 43 pass TDs. Has TD pass in NFL playoff-record 19 consecutive games. Threw for postseason career-high 4 TD passes in Div. Playoff. At 40 years, 106 days old on Sunday, will become oldest QB to ever start Conference Championship Game…RB Peterson rushed for 1,383 yards & 18 TDs, joining HOFers EARL CAMPBELL & BARRY SANDERS as only players with 1,300 yards & 10 TDs in each of 1st 3 years. Peterson's 18 rush TDs were franchise record for season. Has 6 rush TDs in past 5 & 2 rush TDs in 2 career playoff games. Selected to start Pro Bowl in each of 1st 3 seasons, 1st RB since Sanders to accomplish feat…Club is only team in NFL history with 6 players with more than 40 receptions: Rice (83), Harvin (60), TE VISANTHE SHIANCOE (56), WR BERNARD BERRIAN (55), RB CHESTER TAYLOR (44) & Peterson (43). WR Rice was 2nd in NFC with career-best 1,320 yards. Had 141 receiving yards & 3 TDs last week, tying NFL postseason record. Became 3rd player in past 25 seasons with 3 TD catches in 1st career playoff start (STERLING SHARPE, WILLIE JACKSON). WR-KR Harvin was named AP Offensive Rookie Of The Year. Tied for NFL rookie lead with 60 catches & 790 yards. Led NFC rookies with 8 TDs (6 rec., 2 KR). Set team single-season record with 2,081 combined yards (1,156 KR, 790 rec., 135 rush) & 2 KR-TDs. Shiancoe was 2nd among NFL TEs with 11 rec. TDs. Caught 11-yard TD pass in Div. Playoff. Offense was 2nd in NFC with 62.3 TD pct. in redzone…Team ranked 2nd in NFC in total defense (305.5) & rush defense (87.1). DE Allen has 3 sacks & 2 FF in last 2 playoff games. Had 14.5 sacks & is only player in NFL with 14.5 sacks in each of past 3 seasons. CB ANTOINE WINFIELD had 59-yard blocked punt TD & sack in last game vs. NO. DE RAY EDWARDS had 3 sacks & FF last week. LB BEN LEBER had INT & FR last week.