NFC Championship Capsules: Saints beat Vikings in OT, reach first Super Bowl

EDITOR'S NOTE: For a slideshow of images from this game, click here.

NEW ORLEANS — A 40-yard field goal in overtime by a little-known kicker could become as famous as jambalaya in these parts.

The New Orleans Saints, a team with no home and an uncertain future five years ago, are heading for their first Super Bowl. By battering Brett Favre and beating the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 Sunday, they set off celebrations on Bourbon Street that locals never could have imagined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"This is for everybody in this city," said coach Sean Payton, the architect of the Saints’ turnaround. "This stadium used to have holes in it and used to be wet. It’s not wet anymore. This is for the city of New Orleans."

And it came courtesy of Garrett Hartley and the Aints — who surely ain’t the Aints anymore.

"In reality, we had to lean on each other in order to survive and in order to get where we are now," quarterback Drew Brees said. "The city is on its way to recovery, and in a lot of ways has come back better than ever. We’ve used the strength and resiliency of our fans to go out and play every Sunday and play with the confidence that we can do it, that we can achieve everything we’ve set out to achieve."

Favre threw away Minnesota’s best chance to win, tossing an interception deep in New Orleans territory in the closing seconds of regulation. Then the Saints won the coin toss and ended it on Hartley’s kick 4:45 into OT.

"Just helping my team get to Miami," he said. "Just doing my part."

A team of nomads after Katrina ravaged its city and the Superdome, overcame a slew of mistakes in the biggest game the Big Easy has ever seen.

Forget the paper bag masks and that long history of losing that started in 1967. Moments after Hartley’s kick, they were toasting their hometown winners in the French Quarter and making plans for South Florida.

The Saints (15-3) will meet Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts (16-2) in the Super Bowl in two weeks in Miami. The Colts opened as 4-point favorites.

"Brett prepared us, but now we’ve got another challenge in Peyton," safety Darren Sharper said.

And in the Superdome, once a squalid refuge after Katrina, they boogied in the aisles as confetti covered the field.

"It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time and obviously we’re not done yet," said Brees, Payton’s hand-picked QB for the Saints’ renaissance.

It’s the first time the top seeds in each conference made the big game since the 1993 season.

There were nine fumbles and two interceptions, and the biggest mistake belonged to Favre. Flushed from the pocket in the final minute, he seemed to have room to run to set up a field goal. But hampered by a left leg injured in the third quarter, he threw cross-field and was intercepted by Tracy Porter at the 22.

That finished off Minnesota’s chance for its first Super Bowl trip in 33 years — and opportunity to win it for the first time after four defeats. The Vikings have lost five straight NFC title games.

"I’ve felt better," said Favre, who looked every bit his 40 years. "It was a physical game. A lot of hits. You win that and you sure feel a lot better."

New Orleans won the coin toss, Brees guided it to the Minnesota 22 after converting a fourth-and-1 on Pierre Thomas’ leap over the line, and Hartley — suspended at the start of the season for using a banned stimulant — split the uprights.

"It was as loud as I have ever heard it in the dome," Brees added. "It feels so good to know we have given our fans an NFC championship. We have another championship to go after in two weeks."

It was anything but easy for the Saints, in only their second conference championship game; they lost at Chicago three years ago.

They had to withstand yet one more comeback by Favre, who returned to the NFL with the Vikings (13-5) after another brief retirement. He was alternately spectacular and pedestrian Sunday, finally betrayed by his gambling style and, perhaps, an aging body.

Porter’s pick sent it into overtime, the third time an NFC title game has needed extra time and the second in three seasons. Two years ago, Favre’s interception in OT set up a field goal that sent the Giants past the Packers and into the Super Bowl.

The Saints can only hope they have the same happy ending as New York did back then.

"Yeah," said Reggie Bush, who scored a touchdown. "One more step."

The seesaw game saw All-Pro Adrian Peterson score three touchdowns for Minnesota and Saints running back Pierre Thomas get two. The Vikings handily won the possession and yardage battles — Peterson rushed for 122 yards and Minnesota gained 475 overall. But the Vikings were undone by five turnovers, including three fumbles.

"We really gave those guys the game," said Peterson, who peeked at the rousing celebrations on the Superdome floor. "Too many turnovers. It’s eating me up inside."

The seemingly indestructible Favre was hurt on one of those turnovers, on a combination hit by Bobby McCray and Remi Ayodele while throwing his first interception. And, despite being the closest Viking to the ball, he was helpless in the scramble to recover Percy Harvin’s fumble that seemingly turned the game in New Orleans’ favor early in the fourth period.

The Saints took over at the 7 and, on third down, Bush caught Brees’ rollout pass by the right pylon. He was ruled out at the 1, but Payton sprinted almost to the goal line to throw the red flag.

The challenge was upheld, and the dome rocked like never before — until Hartley’s winning field goal.

But Favre has been in enough hostile environs to be able to shrug at such challenges. He hit tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for 16 yards, Peterson ripped off a 20-yard run, and a pass interference against Porter set up Peterson’s tying 2-yard rush with 4:58 to go.

"I would have loved to represent the NFC," said Favre, who grew up in Mississippi a Saints fan. "But, as I told Sean throughout the year when we talked, if it’s not us, I hope it’s you guys."

NOTES: The crowd of 71,276 was the largest in the Superdome for a Saints game. ... Favre finished 28 of 46 for 310 yards. Brees went 17 of 31 for 197 yards and three TDs. ... With New Orleans having the only possession of overtime, it could spark more protests about the NFL’s sudden-death overtime system.

Payton’s faith in kicker Hartley rewarded

NEW ORLEANS — The phone rang at 2:15 a.m., and Garrett Hartley’s father wondered why on earth his son would be calling at such an hour on the day of the biggest game of his life.

"I said, ‘Dad, I have a feeling I’m going to hit a game winner from 42 yards on the right hash,"’ the Saints’ second-year kicker said. "It was funny, just the whole game how things played out and I just kept thinking about, ‘Is this really happening.’ It was like never-never land."

Hartley wound up staring down the biggest 40-yard field goal try in Saints history — yes, from the right hash — in overtime on Sunday night. He didn’t even see it go through, but he knew when he put his foot to it that it was true, and the Saints outlasted Minnesota 31-28 in the NFC championship game.

"I just turned around and, I guess, put my hands up in the air and hugged (Mark) Brunell, just knowing that this team’s headed to Miami now."

Suspended for the first four games of the regular season for using a banned stimulant, Hartley eventually won back his job in December.

Hartley then overcame his nerves — not to mention bad memories of a missed 37-yarder that could have spared the Saints an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay — and split the uprights, lifting New Orleans.

While he was mobbed by teammates, the Louisiana Superdome erupted in earsplitting cheers, then watery-eyed fans hugged one another and somewhere in east Texas Hartley’s father Bill had to be smiling.

For coach Sean Payton, the Super Bowl berth that the kick ensured was a reward for the patience the coach showed with his kicker.

"I just told him there’s a little fleur de lis up there right between both uprights and I said, ‘Why don’t you see if you can hit this fleur de lis dead center," Payton said, referring to the symbol of both the team and the city on the facade of the second deck of the stadium. "He has just been real consistent for us."

Hartley signed in October 2008, seemingly solving a run of problems in the Saints’ kicking game by making all 13 of his field goal attempts during his rookie season out of Oklahoma.

During the summer, however, Hartley tested positive for use of a banned stimulant and said it was because he used Adderall to stay awake on a long drive from Dallas to New Orleans.

The Saints then signed veteran John Carney, who held the job through the first 11 games of the season, but put Hartley back on the roster as soon as his four-game suspension ended.

Hartley finally saw his first action against the Washington Redskins in early December — a game that ended with Hartley winning it with a short field goal in overtime. Hartley came into the NFC title game 10 of 12 on field goals this season, making all but one attempt under 50 yards.

As for Carney, the Saints released him, but rehired him as a kicking consultant to work with Hartley.

Carney was instructing him on 50-yard kicks during warmups on Sunday night, and Hartley made several with ease, unable to know then just how big a role he’d play not only in this game, but in the history of the franchise that never had a victory of this scale.

Carney reflected back to the miss against the Buccaneers, and said that in some way it might have been beneficial.

"All kickers sooner or later go through growing pains," Carney said. "You learn from them and you become better and stronger mentally and emotionally. And next time you have an opportunity, you’ve made your corrections and you’re excited about having that opportunity arise again, and you come through in the clutch — and that was what Garrett did."

-- Brett Martel

Was NFC championship loss Brett Favre’s last game?

NEW ORLEANS — Battered and beaten, Brett Favre limped off the field for perhaps the final time.

His head down, the pained look on his face was brought on as much by a head-scratching turnover as it was by a bone-crunching hit from Bobby McCray.

With the NFC championship game tied, the Minnesota Vikings close to field goal range and mere seconds left, Favre made the kind of mistake he had avoided all season. He committed the No. 1 no-no for an NFL quarterback when he threw the ball late and back over the middle toward Sidney Rice, and Tracy Porter stepped in front to intercept the pass Sunday.

New Orleans won the coin toss in overtime, and before Favre could take the field, Drew Brees drove them into position for Garrett Hartley’s winning field goal that gave the Saints a 31-28 victory and their first Super Bowl berth.

After the game, a glassy-eyed Favre had scratches on his nose and bruises on his forehead. He said he wasn’t quite ready to make a decision on his future just yet.

"I know people are rolling their eyes or will roll their eyes," Favre said. "In a situation like this I really don’t want to make a decision right now based on what’s happened because I do know the year could not have gone any better aside from us not going to Miami. I really enjoyed it, to be honest.

"Just wondering if I can hold up, especially after a day like today. Physically and mentally. That was pretty draining. I am going to go home, a couple of days and just talk it over with the family."

The interception was a crushing end to an inspiring performance by Favre, who hobbled around the field for the entire final period after a hit by McCray put him on the trainer’s table with a left ankle he thought might be broken.

The NFL’s iron man, who has started a record 309 consecutive games, never missed a play and rallied the Vikings from 7 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

"I thought it was a gutty, gutty performance," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "He grinded it out."

Favre finished with 310 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, the last of which may haunt him for a long, long time. It was somewhat reminiscent of two years ago while he was with the Packers in the NFC title game. Favre threw an interception against the Giants that led to the field goal that put New York in the Super Bowl and started Favre’s annual will-he-or-won’t-he offseason drama.

After driving the Vikings for the tying score with under 5 minutes to go in regulation, Favre moved Minnesota into Saints territory again as the clock wound down. On third-and-15 from the New Orleans 38, Favre knew the Vikings needed to get closer to give Ryan Longwell a legitimate shot at a game-winning field goal.

So Favre made one more gamble, and lost big. He rolled right and then, instead of scrambling for the yards that might have put Minnesota in field goal range, threw cross-field to the left. Porter snagged it to end the threat.

Favre just shook his head, knowing that his best — and maybe last — chance to reach the Super Bowl may have just slipped away.

"I probably should have ran it," Favre said. "I don’t know how far I could have gotten. But in hindsight, that’s probably what I should have done. I don’t know how many yards we needed for a field goal, but I knew we needed some. I was just late to Sidney."

And with that, his chance for a third Super Bowl appearance, and the first for the Vikings in 33 years, was lost.

He took a beating all day from the Saints’ persistent rush. That 40-year-old body of his will likely look as purple as the Vikings helmet on his head when he wakes up on Monday morning.

He was flattened by McCray late in the third quarter, a crunching hit that put him flat on his back with pain in his left leg. As he lay on the trainer’s table, backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was warming up, and it seemed as though his night, and his career, might have been over.

Just like he’s done for the past 19 years, Favre got back up and stayed in the game.

"He’s a warrior," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "The guy is unbelievable. He battled. He’s a competitor. He always fights to the end and he gave such a great effort."

He added a few more records to an already endless list of them. Favre surpassed Joe Montana and now holds NFL career playoff records for completions and yards passing.

If this indeed was his last season, what a way to go out.

After an injury-plagued 2008 with the Jets, Favre joined the Vikings and put together his best statistical season.

He set career bests in completion percentage (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions (7), while throwing for 33 TDs and 4,202 yards. The Vikings (12-4) earned a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, and last week Favre became with the first 40-year-old QB to win a playoff game with a four-touchdown performance against the Cowboys.

How long it takes for him to make up his mind this time around, and how many times it will change before a final conclusion is reached, is anyone’s guess.

One thing is certain: The Vikings would be happy to have him back.

"I told him go home and lick your wounds and I’ll do the same and we’ll catch up down the road," Childress said. "Nobody wants to be rash about any decision-making, I’m sure, right now."

-- Jon Krawczynski

Bush’s mixed performance just enough for Saints

NEW ORLEANS — Reggie Bush’s playoff encore didn’t have to be dazzling for New Orleans to get to its first Super Bowl.

Bush couldn’t quite match his game-breaking performance from the Saints’ 45-14 victory over Arizona a week earlier — his punt returning hurt more than it helped because of a muffed punt. But he scored a key touchdown and had a big catch to sustain another scoring drive in New Orleans’ 31-28 win Sunday night.

"You know what? It’s a team game and that’s one of the things that I’m learning slowly but surely," Bush said. "I can’t just try to put the team on my back and win the game. It’s not like the college days or the high school days. Not every game am I going to be the star."

Bush scored a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a third-and-goal play from the 5, catching a short pass along the sideline, then twisting and muscling his way to the pylon to give the Saints a 28-21 lead.

"We opportunities come you make the most of it," Bush said. "I had a chance to bounce back, had a touchdown that was huge for us. It was the last touchdown we scored and it’s a tremendous feeling just to be a part of this."

Bush had two catches for 33 yards and seven rushes for only 8 yards and no punt return yards.

Still, the Saints might not have pulled out the biggest triumph in club history if not for Bush’s score. Had he been short of the goal line, the Saints would have been faced with fourth-and-goal.

Instead, New Orleans never trailed again and now Bush will get another chance to showcase his game-break, big-play ability on the NFL’s biggest stage in Miami in a couple weeks.

Bush’s desire to recreate his magic of a week earlier was never more apparent than on his muffed punt that could have cost the Saints dearly. Bush said he should have fair caught it on the 10.

Instead, he tried to catch the punt and make a move on Eric Frampton. Frampton hit him straight on and jarred the ball loose. Kenny Onatolu recovered, putting Minnesota in prime position to take a lead into halftime.

Bush said that when Chris Kluwe first hit that punt, it did not appear that the Vikings’ coverage team got off the line of scrimmage well.

"By the time I caught it I looked and he was right there in my face," Bush said. "It’s a game of inches. ... I was thinking, obviously it wasn’t meant to be, just try to bounce back. Do whatever you can, just don’t overdo it."

Brett Favre’s fumble on a botched exchange meant for Adrian Peterson, which linebacker Scott Fujita recovered, spared the Saints any damage from Bush’s gaffe.

After returning a punt 83 yards for a score against Arizona, Bush’s only attempted punt return was the one he muffed.

"Obviously the turnover is a bad mark on the day, but you look at his whole body of work and that touchdown he made, just what he brought to this team — he’s one of those dynamic players that a defense really has to account for," Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb said.

Saints coach Sean Payton did not call Bush’s number much early on. Bush looked anxious, and Payton motioned at him to settle down during the first half.

"It’s part of football. You’re going to have differences of opinions with your coaches. It’s an emotional game. He wants to win. I want to win," Bush said.

Bush only touched the ball twice on the Saints’ first four possessions, but the second time he got the ball came on a 28-yard reception over the middle on third-and-long, sustaining a 64-yard scoring drive capped by Devery Henderson’s 9-yard TD pass, which tied the score at 14 in the second quarter.

"This was special, but it will be even more special if we win the Super Bowl," Bush said, adding that he’s taken a valuable lesson out of his varying performances the past two weeks.

"Just let it come to you. When it’s your time, it’s your time. Don’t try to overdo it," Bush said, reflecting back on his muffed punt. "You can bet 100 percent that it won’t happen again in the Super Bowl."

-- Brett Martel

Harvin, Shockey active for NFC title game

NEW ORLEANS — Percy Harvin of the Vikings and Jeremy Shockey of the Saints are active for Sunday’s NFC championship game.

Harvin missed three practices with migraine headaches this week, a problem that has plagued him all season. But the Offensive Rookie of the Year is ready for Minnesota’s first conference title game in nine seasons.

New Orleans tight end Shockey missed practices this week with a sore right knee, but is going to play. So is wideout Robert Meachem, who has been dealing with a sprained right ankle.

Saints CB Malcolm Jenkins is out with a hamstring problem.

Vikings DLs Kevin Williams and Ray Edwards were both questionable with knee injuries, but are active.

The third quarterbacks are Sage Rosenfels for Minnesota and Chase Daniel for New Orleans.

Statistics

SAINTS 31, VIKINGS 28