Bodog NFC Championship Preview

It showed as much last Saturday when the Saints knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-24.

But when the Chicago Bears dispatched the Seattle Seahawks on a 49-yard Robbie Gould field goal in overtime, it meant the Superdome would lay quiet until next year. It also meant the Saints became underdogs to reach Super Bowl XLI. Two-point underdogs in the Windy City, to be exact.

You'll be hearing a lot about weather this week, because traveling to Soldier Field in the middle of January is about as attractive to an NFL team as traveling to Buffalo is for anyone, regardless of the month. The only thing that makes the former tolerable is the notion that something big must be on the line.

The forecast for Sunday in Chicago? Temperatures in the mid- to low-30's with intermittent snow showers. Throw in some wind and a muddy or frozen (or both) field and the Saints turn into strangers in a foreign land.

It's well known that indoor teams rarely fare well in the cold. Most recently, in 2004, Philadelphia (along with Freddy Mitchell's hands) hosted and beat two indoor teams - Minnesota and Atlanta - on the way to the Super Bowl. That same year, the Indianapolis Colts crapped out to New England at Gillette Stadium. Minnesota was able to beat Green Bay at Lambeau in the wild-card round, but that was more an exception that proved the rule - at the time, it was Brett Favre's third loss in 41 cold-weather games at home.

And it's not just history that should have Saints backers worried; it's a style thing, too. Consider Reggie Bush, the New Orleans speedster with three TDs in his last three games. Bush earns his money with jukes and jives, and that could become a problem on an inconsistent playing field. Did anyone notice the turf in Chicago resembled a pasture last Sunday? There were reports William Perry went grazing at halftime.

Heck, maybe all this cold weather talk is a waste of time. It's not like the Saints are the Jamaican bobsled team from Cool Runnings. They've experienced cold weather. They've also experienced success on the road, to the tune of 7-1 against the spread in their last eight games. Meanwhile, the Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five games in January. Remember that Carolina, hardly a frigid locale, traveled north to beat them 29-21 in last year's conference championship game.

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Adrian Brijbassi: WHO'S GOING TO MESS WITH DESTINY?

After his determination pushed the Saints to victory over the Eagles on Saturday, Deuce McAllister told reporters, "This year, some things have happened for us and it's like, wow, this may be destiny." Bettors shouldn't throw out the numbers and go all cosmic. Conventional wisdom says defense trumps offense and dome teams on the road in January are a bad play. It also says a downtrodden franchise that's 3-13 one year shouldn't turn around and be a game from the Super Bowl the next. So, wager carefully, but remember it's not too often destiny gets points.
Carlisle Richards: SAINTS WILL MARCH, BEARS WILL WALK

Honestly, when's the last time the Chicago Bears played a solid four quarters of football? We're talking Week 11 when Rex Grossman was being touted as the second coming of Brett Favre and the defense was compared to the Super Bowl Shuffle squad of '85. Since then, Rex has been racking up QB ratings that look like Mark Prior's ERA and the defense has given up 21-plus points in five of six games. It spells nothing but trouble as the Saints' league-leading offense prepares to march into Soldier Field.

Michael Halford: CINDERELLA CAN'T STOP THE RUN

How do you stop an explosive offense? Keep it off the field. That’s exactly what Lovie Smith and the Bears will do to Drew Brees and his high-octane unit this weekend. With a two-headed RB monster in Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, the Bears can run-run-run against a Saints defense that gave up 128.9 yards per game during the regular season, and 123 against Philly last weekend. While that was going on, Jones ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns and Benson contributed 45 yards on 12 carries as the Bears beat Seattle 27-24 in overtime. Dominate time of possession, limit the Saints’ opportunities to score, and take advantage of their undersized linebackers. Game, set, match.

PHOTO: Reggie Bush might not be flying so high off the uneven Soldier Field turf. (AP Photo)

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