New England Patriots: Picks and predictions for the NFL playoff games

NFC

#4 New Orleans Saints at #2 Minnesota Vikings

The NFC Championship game could pit a top offense against a top defense. The Minnesota Vikings would be able to limit the New Orleans Saints as best as anyone possibly could, but would it be enough?

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings would be counting on Case Keenum to get them into a home Super Bowl.

This should be a very low-scoring game, and it really could go either way. In the end, though, the upper hand goes to the team with the more experienced players. Drew Brees would absolutely find a way to win this NFC title game. He has only been able to play in the NFC Championship Game twice, in 2007 and 2010, winning once. In January 2007, Brees and the Saints were overmatched by the Chicago Bears and lost 39-14, but in 2010 he actually beat the Vikings. It was a great game that went into overtime with the Saints winning 31-28 on a game-winning field goal. The Saints then went on to win the Super Bowl over Peyton Manning’s Colts.

History will repeat itself, and Brees will take down the Vikings in another NFC title game to pull out their hearts and then play in the same stadium two weeks later right in their faces.

Prediction: Saints 17, Vikings 14