K Garrett Hartley hit a 40-yard field goal straight through the uprights in overtime to give the Saints a 31-28 victory and the club's first trip to the Super Bowl. The Vikings took an early 7-0 lead on a 19-yard TD run by RB Adrian Peterson. The Saints tied the score when QB Drew Brees threw a screen to RB Pierre Thomas, which he took 38 yards for a TD. The Vikings took the lead back at the end of the first quarter on a five-yard scoring pass from QB Brett Favre to WR Sidney Rice. New Orleans took their first lead in the third quarter following a nine-yard TD pass from Brees to WR Devery Henderson and a nine-yard scoring run by Thomas. Peterson would run for two more TDs and CB Tracy Porter picked off Favre at the end of the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Saints opened up overtime with possession and scored on the drive.

Minnesota Vikings     14        0          7          7          0          28

New Orleans Saints   7          7          7          7          3          31

Team   Q         Time      Play Description (Extra Point) (Drive Info)                                    V-H

MIN     1       9:35     Peterson 19 run (Longwell kick) (10-80, 5:25)                       7-0

NO      1       6:30     P.Thomas 38 pass from Brees (Hartley kick) (7-76, 3:05)       7-7

MIN     1       2:11     Rice 5 pass from Favre (Longwell kick) (10-73, 4:19)             14-7

NO      2       10:30   Henderson 9 pass from Brees (Hartley kick) (7-64, 2:51)        14-14

NO      3       12:56   P.Thomas 9 run (Hartley kick) (4-37, 2:04)                           14-21

MIN     3       7:35    Peterson 1 run (Longwell kick) (9-80, 5:21)                            21-21

NO      4       12:39   Bush 5 pass from Brees (Hartley kick) (3-7, 1:31)                   21-28

MIN     4       4:58     Peterson 2 run (Longwell kick) (7-57, 2:59)                           28-21

NO      OT     10:15    Hartley 40 FG (10-39, 4:45)                                                28-31

                                    MIN NO

Total First Downs             31 15

Total Net yards               475 257

Rushes-yards                  36-165 23-68

Net yards Passing          310 189

Passing (A-C-I)         46-28-2 31-17-0

Sacked-yards                  0-0 1-8

Punts-Average             4-39.0 7-51.3

Fumbles-Lost                   6-3 1-1

Penalties-yards Lost       5-32 2-14

Time of Possession       36:49 27:56

RUSHING

MIN: Peterson 25-122, 3 TDs; Taylor 6-28; Harvin 4-15; Favre 1-0

NO: P.Thomas 14-61, 1 TD; Bush 7-8; Brees 1-0; Hamilton 1-(-1)

PASSING

MIN: Favre 46-28-2, 310 yards, 1 TD

NO: Brees 31-17-0, 197 yards, 3 TDs

RECEIVING

MIN: Berrian 9-102; Harvin 5-38; Shiancoe 4-83; Rice 4-43, 1 TD; Taylor 3-18; Peterson 2-14; Kleinsasser 1-12

NO: Henderson 4-39, 1 TD; D.Thomas 3-32; P.Thomas 2-38, 1 TD; Bush 2-33, 1 TD; Colston 2-22; Meachem 2-19; Shockey 1-9; Moore 1-5