FIRST LOOK: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

* How they got here: Minnesota--The Vikings ended a three-game slide at the end the regular season with a 34-16 victory over the Saints in the divisional playoffs. New York--The Giants’ Ron Dixon raced 97 yards untouched with the opening kickoff as the Giants defeated the Eagles, 20-10, to advance to the NFC title game for the first time since 1990.

* Last meeting: The Vikings defeated the Giants, 34-17, at Giants Stadium on Dec. 26, 1999. Key play: Randy Moss’ 27-yard touchdown pass to Cris Carter near the start of the second half, giving the Vikings a 21-6 lead. Vikings lead the all-time series, 9-6.

* About Minnesota: The Vikings seem to have straightened out whatever caused their end-of-season troubles. Minnesota’s defense finally stepped up to make some plays, and the offense got its usual big plays from Moss and Carter. Every year, analysts say defense wins in the playoffs, but the Rams disproved that theory last year, and the Vikings are trying to disprove it again. The Vikings are 2-2 on natural fields this season, 10-3 on artificial turf.

* About New York: The Giants have won six in a row. They had the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFC during the season and are extremely physical. They will need every bit of it to stop the Vikings. As for the home-field advantage, New York was 6-3 at Giants Stadium this season, including Sunday’s victory, and 7-1 on the road.