Much has changed since the last time the Vikings traveled to New Orleans for a playoff game a decade ago. Defenders can no longer pummel quarterbacks at will, pass interference calls are reviewable and overtime doesn’t end when the first team to get the ball kicks a field goal.

So, much of what got the Vikings beaten in the 2009 NFC Championship.

Ten years after the Vikings’ suffered one of their most excruciating losses in franchise history — and that’s saying something — here’s a look at rules changes that have since occurred, and whether those changes would have affected the result that sent Minnesota home and propelled New Orleans to a Super Bowl victory.

QUARTERBACK PROTECTION

The 2009 NFC Championship is known for, as much as anything else, “Bounty Gate.” Years later, an NFL investigation revealed New Orleans’ players and coaches were pooling money together to provide bonuses for injuring opposing players.

There certainly appeared to be a target on Brett Favre’s head that day. Then-NFL official John Parry vividly remembers the numerous vicious hits the Vikings’ quarterback took in that game.

“It just seemed like play after play, he was hit and hit,” said Parry, now an officiating analyst for ESPN. “Some were legal then, some were legal now, some have certainly (resulted) in rule changes. But it was like a boxing match. He just spent so much time on the turf, and you watched him get up and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is he going to get up?’ ”

There were hits Favre took that day that should’ve been flagged, such as when he took a hit to the knee on a play in which he threw an interception. Or when Favre was destroyed well after handing off a reverse to Percy Harvin. Such hits on a quarterback would have almost no chance of flying in today’s game.

Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber believes there would have been “multiple” additional roughing-the-passer calls made against the Saints under today’s officiating.

“Certainly, there has been a point of emphasis to protect the game’s quarterbacks,” Parry said. “I think it’s a significant increase (in protection).”

That’s not even to say Leber is entirely in favor of the added protections, by the way.

“It’s been unbelievable. It’s really hard to find any target or area on the quarterback’s body that you can hit,” he said. “The way they protect these quarterbacks, especially when they are breaking the pocket and becoming a runner, my goodness, they expect defenders to run up to them full speed, stop, have a casual conversation and say, ‘Hey, what’s your intention here? Are you going to dive headfirst? And are you going to slide with your feet? Alright, let’s resume play, and then I’ll adjust accordingly.’

“It gets really hard to hit those guys when they become ball carriers.”

PASS INTERFERENCE

A call that didn’t go New Orleans’ way in last year’s NFC Championship game sparked a change. After a blatant pass interference that would have all but sealed a Saints’ victory over the Rams, the competition committee passed a ruling that made pass interference calls reviewable.

Which caused Leber to flash back to the start of the decade.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it,” he said. “I did.”

On the opening drive of overtime, Leber was called for pass interference on a play that appeared to feature little to no contact. The penalty moved the Saints into field-goal range, which eventually led to the game-winning kick. In today’s game, that call could have been reviewed.

“It would be in play,” Parry said. “Depending on what it looked like, it potentially could’ve been stopped, reviewed and potentially the flag would be picked up.”

Leber isn’t so sure it would have, if only because of how frugal the league has been this year with changing pass interference calls or non-calls.

“The rule was set aside for the ‘egregious’ penalties, and I don’t know if mine would’ve fallen into that category,” Leber said. “Yes, it would’ve been nice to have that option to review it. I don’t think it would’ve changed the outcome.”

Who’s to say? Those watching at home certainly didn’t agree with the call on the field.

“Show me the pass interference here?” ESPN’s Trey Wingo said later that week on NFL Live. “Did he sneeze on David Thomas?”

“There is no way that’s pass interference,” former Pro Bowl safety Darren Woodson said to Wingo.

ONE AND DONE

One rule change did directly result from that game. In the ensuing offseason, the competition committee determined the game would not end if the first possession of overtime ended in a field goal. Should that occur, the other team would get a chance on offense.

Too little, too late for the Vikings. But, had Minnesota’s offense gotten the opportunity to rebut, Leber has little doubt what would have occurred.

“We had so many unforced errors on our own part, that if it came down to our offense getting the ball and just going down the field,” Leber said, “shoot, man, no doubt we would’ve scored.” Related Articles Vikings’ Harrison Smith calls it ‘cool’ being named a captain for first time in NFL career

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DOES IT MATTER?

One rule that doomed the Vikings all those years ago still stands: You can’t have 12 in a huddle.

As for the other changes, Parry noted the league’s competition committee is always looking for ways to improve the game, which will undoubtedly lead to the continued evolution of the way the game is officiated.

But he’s not sure it’s worth it for people to try to retroactively apply new rules to old situations to prove a team was “wronged.”

“Ten years from now, they’ll be talking about something that took place two or three years from now and [saying], ‘Hey, that wouldn’t have stood,’ ” Parry said. “Where does it end?”