The New Orleans Saints reached their first Super Bowl after a thrilling 31-28 over-time victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday earned them a match-up with the Indianapolis Colts.
The game finished 28-28 in regulation after Vikings quarterback Brett Favre had thrown an interception with 19 seconds on the clock with his team close to field-goal range.
The Saints won the toss for possession and kicker Garrett Hartley kept his cool for a 40-yard field-goal to set off emotional celebrations in a city that less than five years ago was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Vikings, who have not reached a Super Bowl since their defeat at the end of the 1976 season, have now lost their last five NFC Championship games.
In front of a raucous 71,000 crowd at the Louisiana Superdome, the Saints also thwarted 40-year-old Favre’s dream of being the oldest quarterback to play a Super Bowl.
Instead, it will be Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who threw three touchdowns, heading to Miami for the Feb. 7 showdown with Peyton Manning and the Colts.
Favre, who retired at the end of last season before a change of heart, showed all of his rugged determination and class — although he regretted the late interception.
“I probably should have ran it,” Favre said.
“I don’t know how far I could have gotten, but in hindsight that is probably what I should have done,” he said, describing the mistake as “costly.”
The Vikings’ outstanding running back Adrian Peterson scored three times in a losing cause, but a game of this nature was always going to bring injustice along with the rewards and joy.
It was a pulsating encounter, with the teams matching each other hit for hit and point for point all the way throughout the four quarters.
The Vikings drew first blood, but the teams went in 14-14 at halftime. The next two quarters followed the same pattern — the Saints scored and then the Vikings came back to level.
Favre, who hobbled after suffering two heavy hits, recovered to help lead the drive that brought the Vikings level at 28-28, Peterson making his third touchdown with a two yard run.
With 19 seconds left on the clock, Favre, looking to make ground toward a game-winning field goal, threw a pass toward Sidney Rice that was snaffled up by Tracy Porter to effectively put the game into overtime.
The drama was not over yet. The Saints had to run on a fourth and one to get a first down that allowed them to move into field goal territory, Pierre Thomas making the crucial yard.
The luck of winning the coin toss for overtime and the steady nerves of Hartley were all that truly separated two excellent teams, although the Saints will feel that having forced five turnovers they deserved victory.
The significance of the win to New Orleans was highlighted by Saints head coach Sean Payton, who recalled when the damaged Superdome was home to thousands of homeless after Katrina.
“This is for everybody in this city. 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,” Payton said after receiving the first NFC Championship trophy in the team’s 43-year history.
Barely a kilometer from the downtown venue, fans danced into Bourbon Street, home to the city’s Mardi Gras, to begin a long night of festivities.
Brees, who joined the Saints as a free agent half a year after Katrina, described the journey of the team and city as “unbelievable,” but also had time to reflect on Favre.
“He’s a warrior, he always has been, I remember watching him in middle school,” Brees said. “He battled, he is a competitor and he fought to the end, their entire team did. It was a hard fought battle. I am just glad we came out on top in the end.”
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