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Heading into this game, because the Saints were clear favorites with homefield advantage and the most explosive offense in the NFL, I didn’t think it was possible for a loss of any kind to equal the utter devastation of the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

I was wrong.

11 years ago, absolutely nobody envisioned the Falcons beating the Vikings at the Metrodome. When Morten Anderson eventually booted the game-winning field goal in overtime, shock finally set in, and the scars still haven’t healed in Minnesota.

Sunday night’s game had the opposite feel. In 1998, a Vikings loss didn’t seem likely until less than two minutes remained in the 4th quarter. On Sunday night, a Vikings win didn’t seem likely until less than two minutes remained in the 4th quarter.

In fact, after Chester Taylor ripped a 14-yard run down to the Saints’ 33-yardline with 1:00 left in the 4th quarter, this game, quite frankly, was over. Despite five turnovers, with Ryan Longwell warming up on the sidelines, the game was over.

That’s why this loss was so heartbreaking and numbing. For 58 minutes, Vikings fans could watch with nervous enthusiasm and tempered expectations. But with two minutes left, the Super Bowl was within arm’s length.

But because the football gods simply aren’t ready to grant the Vikings a Super Bowl championship, for whatever reason, a series of 10 disastrous events took place. If any of the events would have gone in the Vikings favor, the outcome of the NFC Championship game likely would have been much different.

* We could obviously point to the five turnovers, the inexcusable red zone fumbles by Bernard Berrian and Adrian Peterson, and probably a few other things. But the fact is, Minnesota still had the ball in field goal range with a chance to win. There will be a time for ripping Peterson to shreds over his chronic fumbling. That time will come at a later date.

1.) Taylor’s huge run set the Vikings up with what would have been a 51-yard field goal opportunity if they didn’t gain another yard. Of course, as has become the norm throughout the second half of the season, Peterson and Taylor were each stuffed for no gain on two subsequent handoffs. The Vikings burned a timeout with 19 seconds left.

The Saints obviously knew the Vikings were going to run the ball, but in a game where Minnesota ran for 165 yards, it would have been helpful — if not dagger-like — to punch the ball inside the 30-yardline.

If the Vikings could have found a way to inch inside the 30-yardline, the following events were much less likely to occur.

2.) Coming out of the timeout, facing 3rd-and-10 from the Saints 33-yardline, the Vikings inexplicably wound up with 12 men in the huddle.

After the game, Brad Childress said fullback Naufahu Tahi was the extra man in the huddle. Whether that was a coaching mistake or a player brain fart, who knows. But Favre realized there were 12 men in the huddle and he attempted to call a timeout, which also would have been illegal, because the Vikings already burned a timeout before the play. Teams are not permitted to call back-to-back timeouts.

The 5-yard penalty pushed the Vikings back to the 38-yardline, which would have been a 56-yard field goal. Longwell’s season long is 52, and 56 is probably the back end of his range, so the Vikings found themselves needing to gain a few more yards.

If the Vikings don’t inexplicably screw up the huddle situation, a 51-yard field goal would have been perfectly acceptable as a worst-case scenario.

3.) Childress said he would have run the ball from the 33-yardline, but after the penalty (which pushed a potential 51-yard field goal attempt back to a 56-yard attempt) Childress and company decided to pass. Many fans will no doubt rip Childress’ decision to throw the ball in this spot, but after watching the Saints stuff the two previous rushing attempts — and knowing the Vikings run for more no-gains than almost any team in football — it’s hard to blame him for putting the ball in Favre’s hands at that point. The Vikings needed to gain a few yards, and running the ball wasn’t going to accomplish that task.

According to Childress, the play was a rollout designed for Bernard Berrian. When Berrian went in motion, the Saints recognized something, checked to a different defense, and covered appropriately. This caused Favre to throw late across his body to Sidney Rice, and Tracy Porter cut in front for the interception.

Longwell might be the best kicker in the NFL, and he didn’t even get a shot.

If not for the 12 men in the huddle penalty, the Vikings settle for a 51-yard field goal at worst.

If Favre would have simply run the ball instead of throwing into traffic, he probably had room to gain three or four yards.

And if Favre would have just thrown the ball away, Longwell would have had a chance to hit a 56-yard field goal with roughly 10 seconds remaining.

4.) At the start of overtime, Steve Hutchinson called heads. The coin landed tails.

If Hutch knew that “tails never fails,” the Vikings win the toss.

5.) With the Vikings likely still dazed from how regulation ended, Pierre Thomas ripped off a big kick return to the Saints’ 39-yardline. Cedric Griffin was injured on the play and had to be helped off the field. Rookie Asher Allen, who rarely plays, was thrust into action.

Three plays later, after two unsuccessful rushing attempts, Drew Brees dropped back and fired incomplete over the middle on third down to Marques Colston. Of course, Asher was called for defensive holding, giving the Saints an automatic first down.

If Griffin doesn’t come up lame on the kickoff, Asher doesn’t see the field. There are no guarantees that Griffin would have covered the play differently, or that the defensive alignment would have remained the same. But Asher is the culprit here, regardless.

6.) After an incomplete pass on first down, Brees dropped back again on second down, firing a dart over the middle toward Colston. The ball ping ponged off Colston and two Vikings defenders before resting in the hands of Tyrell Johnson. Unfortunately, Johnson was unable to corral the interception, and the ball fell harmlessly to the Superdome turf.

On the Falcons’ final drive of the ’98 NFC Championship Game, Robert Griffith had two golden opportunities to intercept Chris Chandler, and he dropped the ball both times. It was hard to avoid flashbacks when Johnson dropped this one.

If Johnson intercepts that pass, assuming he’s tackled on the spot, the Vikings regain possession near their own 20-yardline.

7.) A few plays later, on 4th-and-1 from the Vikings 43-yardline, Pierre Thomas dove over the pile, only to be met by Chad Greenway, who jarred the ball loose for a moment. The ball originally broke the first down plane, but Greenway’s hit pushed Thomas backwards and jarred the ball loose. Referee Pete Morelli went into the booth for a review, and he ruled (presumably) that because Thomas didn’t completely lose possession (he pinned the loose ball to his leg at the last second), the Saints earned a first down via forward progress.

If Thomas doesn’t regain possession at the last second, the Vikings turn the Saints over on downs near midfield, 20 yards from Longwell’s field goal range.

8.) On the next play, with the Saints needing roughly eight yards to inch into realistic field goal range, Brees lobbed a pass well over the head of tight end David Thomas, who was battling with Ben Leber. Leber was flagged for pass interference, even though the ball was completely uncatchable. This questionable call gave the Saints a first down at the Vikings’ 29-yardline.

If the refs correctly rule Brees’ pass uncatchable, the Saints face 2nd-and-10 from the Vikings’ 41-yardline, still out of field goal range.

9.) After stuffing Reggie Bush for a 5-yard loss to back the Saints up to the 34-yardline, Brees fired over the middle to Robert Meachem, who bobbled the ball on his way to the ground, but somehow found a way to pin it to his leg. Multiple replays showed inconclusive evidence. Morelli went under the curtain once again, but could not overturn the call.

If Meachem doesn’t find a way to pin the ball to his leg at the last second (much like Pierre Thomas a few plays earlier), the Saints face 3rd-and-15 from the outskirts of field goal range. Or, if the booth review showed more conclusive evidence of the ground helping Meachem retain possession… Instead, they faced 3rd-and-3 from the Vikings’ 22.

10.) Of course, we all know what happened next. Garrett Hartley split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal, sending the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl.

If Favre doesn’t sign with the Vikings in August, Hartley doesn’t make that kick. That’s because the Vikings never would have made it to the NFC Championship Game without Favre.

After the game, Favre looked and sounded completely dejected.

“I just wonder if I could hold up, especially after a day like today,” Favre said. “Physically and mentally. That was pretty draining.”

When asked if he thought this was a successful season, Favre said yes.

“I can’t print anything for you guys, but I’m going out on top one way or the other.”

Sunday’s loss will go down in Minnesota sports history as one of the absolute most devastating, hands down. What makes it sting more is the fact that the Saints didn’t actually beat the Vikings. The Vikings beat the Vikings.

After the game, Favre spent five minutes crying inside the Vikings locker room, and he declined a post-game interview with Fox. Jay Glazer reports that Vikings players believe Favre will retire, and many national pundits (and, predictably, Packer fans) will point to the fact that Brett Favre led his team and his new fan base to the brink of elation only to stick a dagger in their hearts, as expected.

Regardless, Vikings fans will pat Favre on the back, tell him thanks for the great ride, and welcome him back with open arms in 2010, if he so chooses.