New Orleans SaintsVERSUSMinnesota Vikings

Minnesota had built one of the league's best defenses and earned a chance to become the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium, despite losing its original starting quarterback and running back. New Orleans had reinvented itself around a strong rookie class and a running game after three straight losing seasons.

• Journeyman Case Keenum had replaced injured starter Sam Bradford and turned an emergency assignment into a career season.
• The Vikings were still chasing their first championship and carrying a history of painful postseason endings into a rare home playoff game.
• New Orleans had won the teams' previous postseason meeting in the 2009 NFC Championship Game before capturing its only Super Bowl title.

Sources: NFL 100: Minneapolis Miracle · Saints postseason history