The 2009 NFC Championship game between the Vikings and Saints in the Louisiana Superdome on the evening of January 24, 2010 was one with two major storylines: New Orleans, less than five years after Hurricane Katrina and coming off consecutive seasons without a winning record, were looking to win their first-ever conference championship. And the Vikings, quarterbacked by the 40-year-old Brett Favre in perhaps his final playoff game, were trying to reach their first Super Bowl since the 1970s. The game didn’t disappoint: the teams exchanged touchdowns throughout, with neither side leading by more than 7, and when the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson scored a touchdown with under five minutes to go, one of three for him on the night, it was 28-28. Favre had been bruised and battered throughout the game by a physical Saints defense. In the final moments, Favre again led the Vikings down the field, but with 19 seconds left, a pass intended for Sidney Rice was intercepted – one of five Minnesota turnovers – and the game went into overtime. After New Orleans won the coin flip, a 40-yard field goal by the Saints’ Garrett Hartley lifted the Saints into the Super Bowl. “It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time and obviously we’re not done yet,” quarterback Drew Brees said afterward. And he was right: the Saints upset the Colts, 31-17, to win Super Bowl XLIV. ― NFL 100
Box Score: Football Reference
Short on time? Watch the condensed version:
