NFC Championship Preview -- Saints at Bears
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by user Joebook
Finally... the main event.
The New Orleans Saints will travel to the Windy City Sunday afternoon to meet the Chicago Bears for the right to dance in South Beach on February 4th.
While everyone has done a preview of the offenses, defenses, special teams, coaching, etc., I've decided to take a different angle. This will be a preview of the storylines and small things that could decide this game.
Story
No competition here. The Saints are the best feel good story in sports in a long time, emerging from the rubble left behind by Hurricane Katrina to earn an NFC bye, one year after a 3-13 season. There isn't a prevailing story out of Chicago, other than the fact that the city is hungry for another Super Bowl appearance.
Advantage: Saints
Experience
While the Saints are playing in their first ever NFC Championship, the Bears have won nine NFL Titles, and have made 24 playoff appearances. Coach Sean Payton leads a team that has very few players that have seen the playoffs before. The Bears won the division title last year before losing to the Carolina Panthers.
Advantage: Bears
Numbers
The Saints are 6-2 on the road, while the Bears boast a 7-2 mark at home. Chicago's only loss in the NFC came as a meaningless defeat at Soldier Field against the Green Bay Packers on the last day of the regular season. The Saints are 10-3 in the NFC, with only one road conference loss. The NFC home team is 6-4 in the last 10 title games.
Advantage: Bears
Numbers II
This is the 11th time that the top offense (Saints) and top defense (Bears) in the conference meet in the Championship Game. The top offensive team is 7-3 in the first 10 games. Drew Brees has a 99.0 career passer rating in the playoffs. Rex Grossman is 17-6 as a starter, but just 1-1 in the playoffs.
Advantage: Saints
Super Rookies
Only once in NFL history has the Heisman Trophy winner gone to the Super Bowl in his rookie year. Reggie Bush will try to join Tony Dorsett in that elite club. Bush and fellow rookie Marques Colston accounted for 158 of the club's 372 receptions. Bears rookie Devin Hester set an NFL record by returning six kicks for touchdowns. Chicago defensive rookie Mark Anderson led the team with 12 sacks.
Advantage: Saints
Bizarre Digits
The Saints had no player with three interceptions, and they finished with a turnover ratio of -4. The Bears had five different players score exactly six touchdowns. Both teams have a losing playoff record...the Bears are 15-16 and the Saints are 2-5. Both punters had exactly 77 punts this season, and neither John Carney nor Robbie Gould missed a kick inside 30 yards. Brees and Grossman combined for 66 carries for 34 yards.
Advantage: Even
After breaking down the intangibles and reading every review in the book, it's hard to see the Bears losing this game. Soldier Field is a huge factor, but not the deciding one. I expect an offensive game, and a well-coached contest.
Prediction
Bears 30 -- Saints 24
