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In what should go down as a classic, the 11-6 New Orleans Saints will fight in the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game for the first time in their 40-year history, against the vaunted defense of the 14-3 Chicago Bears. The winner goes to the Super Bowl and the Bears last appeared there in January 1986; the Saints will be playing to reach the big game for the very first time.
Both these teams got to this NFC title game by winning identical 27-24 contests; close games against strong opponents who easily could have been here as well. The Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bears were pushed to the limits in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks before kicker Robbie Gould nailed a 49-yarder and ended it.
The boys of Bourbon Street used the running of Deuce McAllister, who ripped through Seattle’s run defense for 143 yards on 21 carries, nearly a seven-yard average. He also got in the end zone twice, once off a short run and the other from an eleven-yard pass.
Starting Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees had what he would probably call an okay game, passing for a moderate 243 yards with a touchdown. The New Orleans defense allowed big plays via the air and the ground, but managed to do enough to hold on for victory. The win marked the biggest one-year turnaround in the history of the NFL, with the Saints being the only team ever to reach a championship game after losing 13 or more games the previous year.
Against Chicago, the Saints will have to replicate the balance they displayed against the Eagles. Saints’ rookie phenom Reggie Bush also factored in last week with a rushing touchdown, and, along with McAllister, he provides a backfield dual threat that the Bears can match in Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. What the Bears cannot match is the air arsenal that the Saints present with wideouts Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Joe Horn, who should return from injury. The Saints also found a ‘new’ weapon in tight end Billy Miller, who led the team last week in receiving yards with 64, in spite of accumulating just 129 yards during the entire regular season.
Chicago will look to the running back duo of Jones and Benson to slice through a Saints run defense that ranked 23rd in the league… the defenses of Arizona, Houston and Detroit fared better against the run, so these two should get the ball a lot. Especially with the tendency for Bears quarterback Rex Grossman to show inconsistency; he had an absolutely brutal regular season finale before playing quite well against Philly. The Bears know that they will need Grossman to play well for them to win, but they definitely expect the running duo to show up. Jones had two touchdown runs, but he and Benson only produced a combined total of 111 yards, and head coach Lovie Smith will be demanding more this time.
Defensively, the Bears’ stalwart linebacking duo of Pro Bowlers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher headline the fifth-best defense in the league, facing the #1-ranked offense in these Saints. Cornerback Charles Tillman will have a prime matchup against the Saints’ Colston, the team’s leading receiver this year as a rookie. At 6’4”, Colston should provide an interesting challenge for Tillman, who is tall for his own position, at 6’1”.
The Saints will go after Grossman with their defensive ends, Pro Bowler Will Smith and Charles Grant. If they fail to reach him, they can rely on a secondary that helped the Saints hold opponents to just over 178 passing yards/game, third best mark behind the Indianapolis Colts and a shocking league-leading pass defense from an Oakland Raiders squad.
In predicting a winner, these teams have met only once during the playoffs, in Jan 1991 during the Wild Cards in which the Bears won 16-6. But the Saints have won three of the past four visits to Soldier Field and they never appeared to have destiny on their side like they do now. Quarterback play is vital in championship games, and many have feelings that Grossman, placed under intense scrutiny this season, will fold under the extreme pressure of this game. Those feelings are warranted.
PREDICTION: Saints to cover +2.5 and under 43.5 (lines at time of writing)
Sep 6 2007 8:30PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderNew Orleans Saints6-11022052.5-110Indianapolis Colts-6-110-26052.5-110Favorite:Indianapolis ColtsBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderKansas City Chiefs3-11014038-110Houston Texans-3-110-16038-110Favorite:Houston TexansBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderDenver Broncos-3-120-17537-110Buffalo Bills3-12015537-110Favorite:Denver BroncosBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderPittsburgh Steelers-4.5-110-22036.5-110Cleveland Browns4.5-11018036.5-110Favorite:Pittsburgh SteelersBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderTennessee Titans6.5-11024037.5-110Jacksonville Jaguars-6.5-110-29037.5-110Favorite:Jacksonville JaguarsBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderCarolina Panthers0-11043-110St Louis Rams0-11043-110Favorite:Carolina PanthersBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderPhiladelphia Eagles-3-110-17043.5-110Green Bay Packers3-11015043.5-110Favorite:Philadelphia EaglesBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderAtlanta Falcons3-11514036-110Minnesota Vikings-3-115-16036-110Favorite:Minnesota VikingsBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderMiami Dolphins3-12013035-110Washington Redskins-3-120-15035-110Favorite:Washington RedskinsBet NowSep 9 2007 1:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderNew England Patriots-6.5-110-29041-110New York Jets6.5-11024041-110Favorite:New England PatriotsBet NowSep 9 2007 4:15PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderTampa Bay Buccaneers6-11023041-110Seattle Seahawks-6-110-27041-110Favorite:Seattle SeahawksBet NowSep 9 2007 4:15PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderChicago Bears6-11023042.5-110San Diego Chargers-6-110-27042.5-110Favorite:San Diego ChargersBet NowSep 9 2007 4:15PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderDetroit Lions1-11039.5-110Oakland Raiders-1-11039.5-110Favorite:Oakland RaidersBet NowSep 9 2007 8:15PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderNew York Giants5.5-11021044-110Dallas Cowboys-5.5-110-25044-110Favorite:Dallas CowboysBet NowSep 10 2007 7:00PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderBaltimore Ravens3-12013040.5-110Cincinnati Bengals-3-120-15040.5-110Favorite:Cincinnati BengalsBet NowSep 10 2007 10:15PMSpreadMoneylineOver/UnderArizona Cardinals310516045-110San Francisco 49ers-3105-19045-110Favorite:San Francisco 49ersBet NowGet the latest NFL football odds and props on this and every football game in the BetUS.com Sportsbook. Join BetUS.com for free today!