NFC Championship Game: What to Look For

Note: This was not written by me. It is an official NFL release. 

  

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

TOP-TWO SQUARE OFF:  For the fifth time since the 2000 season, the top-two seeds will square off in the NFC Championship Game (Sunday, 6:40 PM ET, FOX).  The New Orleans Saints aim to reach their first Super Bowl in franchise history, and the Minnesota Vikings seek their fifth Super Bowl berth.

 

  

 

SCORING BONANZA:  The NFC Championship Game will match the two highest scoring teams in the NFL in 2009.  The Saints, who recorded the ninth-highest single-season points total in NFL history with 510, will face the Vikings, who averaged 29.4 points per game (470 total) this year.  The meeting will be just the fifth Conference Championship Gamefeaturing the top two scoring teams in the league.  All such matchups have taken place in the NFC Championship Game.

 

Conference Championship Games featuring the top two scoring teams in the league:

 

 

The Saints and Vikings showed off their high-powered offenses in the Divisional Playoffs, posting 45 (New Orleans) and 34 (Minnesota) points.  The two tie for the second-highest combined points scored in the Divisional Playoffs by Conference Championship opponents.

 

 

  

 

FAVRE AND AWAY:  Minnesota quarterback BRETT FAVRE will be 40 years and 106 days old on Sunday when he faces the New Orleans Saints.  If he starts that game as expected, he will become the oldest quarterback ever to start a Conference Championship Game.  Favre’s four touchdown passes last week against Dallas are twice as many as all other 40-year old quarterbacks have thrown in NFL postseason history combined. 

 

The oldest quarterbacks to start a Conference Championship Game:

 

 

Favre ranks second in NFL playoff history in completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.  He needs eight completions, 228 passing yards and three touchdowns on Sunday to set postseason records in each passing category.  He is already the all-time postseason leader in attempts with 745.

 

The top two quarterbacks in playoff completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes:

 

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BEEN HERE BEFORE:  When he takes the field on Sunday, Favre will tie Philadelphia Eagles quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB for third-most starts by a quarterback in the NFC Championship Game.  Pro Football Hall of Famers JOE MONTANA and ROGER STAUBACH have each started an NFL-record six NFC Championship Games.

 

The quarterbacks with the most NFC Championship Game starts:

 

 

  

 

TRIPLE CROWN QUARTERBACKS:  New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES and the Vikings’ Favre both passed for 4,000+ yards, 30+ touchdowns and had a passer rating of 100+ this season.  When they face off on Sunday, it will be the first matchup of quarterbacks with such passing totals in Conference Championship Game history. 

 

There has been only one previous Conference Championship Game matchup in which both starting quarterbacks passed for even 4,000+ yards during the regular season.

 

Conference Championship Game matchups of quarterbacks with 4,000+ passing yards in the regular season:

 

 

  

 

PUNT RETURN PROWESS:  New Orleans running back/punt returner REGGIE BUSH recorded an 83-yard punt-return touchdown in the Saints’ Divisional Playoff win over Arizona, becoming just the 20th player with a punt-return touchdown in playoff history.  With a punt-return touchdown against Minnesota, Bush will become the first player in postseason history with two punt-return touchdowns and just the fourth player with two combined kick-and punt-return touchdowns. 

 

In his last game against Minnesota (10/6/08), Bush tied an NFL record with two punt-return touchdowns.

 

The players in NFL history with two combined kick-and punt-return touchdowns in postseason history:

 

 

Bush has recorded a touchdown in each of his three career playoff games, and has scored an 80+ yard touchdown in an NFL-record two consecutive playoff games.  He aims for his third straight such game on Sunday.

 

  

 

NFC TROPHY PRESENTATION:  The winner of the NFC Championship Game will be presented with the GEORGE HALAS TROPHY. 

 

Halas, the late owner of the Chicago Bears and a founder of the NFL, is the second-winningest coach in history (324-151-31) behind DON SHULA (347-173-6).  He won six NFL championships with the Bears and is a charter enshrinee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1963).