After an excruciatingly long week that was both exciting and anxious, we have finally made it to Friday.  Just four teams remain in this NFL season.  According to Rex Ryan, "It's three good teams...and the F**** Jets."  There is no more Saturday playoff games, so the previews have (obviously) shifted to Friday and Saturday (contrary to the Thursday/Friday system we've been using.)

Four teams, two games.  What we lack in quantity this weekend, we will make up for with high-quality previews.  No more mini-summaries and "Team X can win if..."  Even though that logic went a perfect 4 for 4 last week, it's time to step it up a notch.  So get your fan caps on; you're about to be submerged in everything pertaining to this weekend's games.  As usual, I'm going to make you guys wait for the Jets game.  We'll start on the NFC side of things, where two high-powered teams will take the field in New Orleans.

                
I'm Drew Brees. Join Carlton in rooting for my Saints!          I'm Brett Favre.  And for me, it's Wrangler.


Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
Sunday, 6:30 PM

If you live in New York, you may have forgotten that this game is actually taking place.  Jets fever has taken over, and it's pretty darn rampant.  But if you ask a football fan outside of Indianapolis or the tri-state area, the NFC game is the more anticipated game of the week.  Both these teams trampled their opponents for the first three months of the season (combine the first 13 games for the two teams and you get a record of 24-2) and then things got a little rocky towards the end (last three games for both teams?  1-5.  And they weren't going Colts-style either.  They were playing those games to win.) 

Despite their poor finishes to the regular season, both teams earned their first round byes.  The bye is a funny thing, though.  The 'better' teams get a week off, while the lesser teams play a first round game and have a chance to soak up all the attention with great play.  Just look at last weekend...How many people were on board with the Cowboys and Cardinals?  Quite a few.  The bye weeks give the top seeds a chance to actually fly in under the radar a little.  Everyone forgets that the Saints and Vikings were indeed the best two NFC teams in the regular season.

Well, final scores of 45-14 and 34-3 did an adequate job of reminding everybody.  Last week answered the doubts of whether Minnesota and New Orleans were the class of the NFC.  There's only one question left to answer now: Which juggernaut is going to budge?  Let's find out, two days early!

For our new preview system, we'll take a look at the teams position-by-position.  We'll say who has the edge in each matchup, be it "slight," "moderate," or "Manute Bol" sized.  If it's even, we'll call it even.  Simple, right?  Hopefully this logic will give us a clear idea of who will win each game.  Enjoy! 

Quarterback
The marquee matchup of the game.  The gray-bearded, legendary gunslinger that may be here for the last time, or the wealth-spreading, stat-compiling colossus that has risen among the top of the heap of NFL quarterbacks?  The last time Favre was on this stage was in 2007, when he was playing for the Packers in sub-zero Lambeau.  The last pass he threw was an interception to the Giants' Corey Webster as Green Bay went down.  Brees last led the Saints to the NFC title in 2006, when they fell to the Bears' rushing attack.  After a couple of seasons falling short of expectations, Brees and Favre have been two of the top 5 NFL players this season.  Who's better?  Well that depends who you ask in which part of the country.  Sounds even to me.
EVEN   

Running Backs
This matchup got a whole lot closer with last week's games.  The Saints' Reggie Bush came out of nowhere and looked like he was back in his old Southern Cal uniform.  Shifting, twisting, shaking defenders out of their cleats.  He couldn't be touched by Arizona's defenders.  He adds a ton of flash to the steadiness of Pierre Thomas.  The Vikings answer with Adrian Peterson.  He has been in a horrific funk of late, and his knack for fumbling the football has worried me for a long time.  Nevertheless, Peterson's ceiling for greatness is higher than nearly anyone else in the NFL.  He made Bush's performance last week seem like the norm for him.
MODERATE EDGE: VIKINGS

Wide Receivers
There are no real huge names on either team as far as receivers go.  (I still say Marques Colston would be a reach.)  There is no doubt that both teams have serviceable receivers that are made into stars by their quarterbacks.  Brees made Coltston a top-10 pass catcher.  Favre looks to be doing the same with Sidney Rice.  Minnesota certainly has no shortages of guys that can get open, but I like New Orleans' depth just a little better.
SLIGHT EDGE: SAINTS

Offensive/Defensive Lines
The guys that never get any attention, but always decide the games.  New Orleans has the better offensive line, while the Vikings are the superior D-line.  Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen is the straw that stirs the Vikings' drink on defense, and the Saints will have their hands full with him.  With neither quarterback being sacked too much on the year, Allen is the guy that will make or break this matchup.  I think he will break it.
SLIGHT EDGE: VIKINGS

Linebackers/Defensive Backs
Here's where New Orleans gets a bit of a push.  The Saints boast an experienced linebacking corps, led by blog favorite Jonathan Vilma.  They also have a secondary that's always looking (and has the ability) to take the ball away on any play.  Led by Darren Sharper, New Orleans has more than double the amount of interceptions as the Vikings.  New Orleans' 'backers post better tackling numbers as well.
MANUTE BOL EDGE: SAINTS

Special Teams/Coaching/Intangibles 
Yeah, I know kicking can be instrumental in these playoff games (Nate Kaeding is still on a drinking binge from last Sunday.)  But in a preview section?   Yeah, it's just going to be grouped in.  In the return game, I have no problem saying that Percy Harvin and Reggie Bush cancel each other out.  And the Vikings have the edge in the kicking game.  But the coaching and intangibles both swing towards the Saints.  Many (understandable, legitimate) jokes have been made about Vikings coach Brad Childress.  Though the jokes are mean-spirited, there is no doubt that Sean Payton is the better coach in this matchup.  Just weeks ago, Childress and Favre were getting into slap-fights on the sidelines.  Payton and Brees have been lovey-dovey since they arrived in New Orleans.  The Superdome will be frantic, and it's the best home-field edge in the NFL.  This city is ready for something big from their team. 
MODERATE EDGE: SAINTS

The Perfiction
Those loyal followers from my Reilly Sports Blog days might remember my preseason Super Bowl prediction: Saints 27, Chargers 20.  Thanks to an upstart team in New York, I screwed up the AFC side.  But my Saints are still alive, and my Saints are still well.  I keep asking myself how much better the Vikings offense is than the Cardinals offense.  My answer: not that much better.  The Vikings defense won't allow anyone to run the ball, but that doesn't matter much to New Orleans.  They know who they are, and they are attacking with the pass.  The crowd comes into the Superdome ready to riot, and the Saints jump out early.  Favre and the Vikings will fight valiantly, but nobody wants a shootout with these Saints.  They march into Miami for the Super Bowl.

SAINTS 28, VIKINGS 17