Querterback Drew Brees, third left, and the New Orleans Saints start their title defence against the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of the dramatic NFC Championship last season. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The story
"Lombardi Gras" is over, and now the New Orleans Saints begin the difficult task of defending their Super Bowl title when the NFL season kicks off on Thursday.
And what better way to do it than with a rematch of the incredibly dramatic NFC championship last season against the Minnesota Vikings?
Last time the two teams met at the Superdome in The Big Easy, the timeless (and retire-less) Brett Favre was marching the Vikes' offence down the field in the dying seconds of a tie game in the fourth quarter, only to be picked off by Saints corner Tracy Porter in field-goal range.
The rest is history. The Saints won in overtime, and two weeks later MVP quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of New Orleans were celebrating the city's first Super Bowl win.
New Orleans' Super Bowl banner will rise in a ceremony before kickoff, and Minnesota would love nothing more than to end the celebrations and start the defending champs off at 0-1.
Gameday quarterbacks (2009 stats)
Minnesota: Brett Favre — 16 GP, 363-531 (68.4%), 4,202 yards, 33 TDs, 7 INTs
New Orleans: Drew Brees — 15 GP, 363-514 (70.6%), 4,388 yards, 34 TDs, 11 INTs
Only the New England Patriots have repeated as Super Bowl champions in the last decade, proving how tough it has become for a team to defend its title in the NFL. But amid all the feel-good stories, endorsements, engagements, and giant oversized spotlights now fixed on the Bayou, Brees has one big thing going for him heading into 2010: all of his key offensive players have returned this season. Could he possibly improve on his NFL-record 70.6 completion percentage and league-leading 109.6 passer rating?
And now we come to Favre, who has made a yearly tradition of retiring/contemplating retirement in the off-season. It was the same story for summer of 2010, which is a bit surprising since the 40-year-old had one of the best statistical seasons of his career last season and was one ill-conceived pass away from the Super Bowl. But after Vikings teammates convinced him to come back for another season, will he be able to bring the same intensity in 2010?
Quick note: Brees and Favre finished 1-2 in QB rating in 2009. Brees led the league at 109.6, with Favre right behind at 107.2.
Players to watch
Hard to see anyone pulling their eyes away from either Super Bowl MVP Brees or The Return of Brett Favre III.
Injury update
Minnesota will be without the services of Favre target Sidney Rice, who was fourth in the NFL in receiving yards last season with 1,312. Off-season hip surgery will sideline him for at least eight weeks. The team signed veteran Javon Walker to compensate.
New Orleans will be missing All-Pro free safety Darren Sharper, who is still rehabilitating his knee after off-season surgery. He had 71 tackles last season along with nine interceptions (three returned for TDs). Sophomore Malcolm Jenkins will take his place.
Last matchup
Last year's NFC Championship, a roller coaster of a game that went back-and-forth which will always be remembered for Favre's final pick at the Saints' 22-yard-line. The Vikings out-played New Orleans for large sections of the game, and if not for five crucial turnovers, they could've been the ones hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy over their heads two weeks later.
What they said
"I feel pretty good. People continue to say, 'Can he hold up the whole year?' You can say that about any quarterback that plays the game. It seems like at age 40, and soon to be 41, that I am the easy target to pick on … yet I continue to outlast all these guys." — Vikings quarterback Brett Favre
"[Minnesota] took us to the brink of destruction [last season]. If it wasn't for another Tracy Porter pick, who knows where we would be .… It was a great game last year, and should be a great game this year." — Saints safety Roman Harper
With files from The Associated Press
