Q: I watched the exciting NFC playoff championship game between Minnesota and New Orleans, which was won by the Saints in overtime. How many other NFL conference and Super Bowl championships have been won in overtime and who were the teams?
—Jerry Schwartz, Alpharetta
A: Two other NFC Championship games and one AFC Championship game have been decided in overtime, according to NFL.com. On Jan. 17, 1999, the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-27 on Morten Andersen’s 38-yard field goal with 3:22 left in overtime to reach the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl. The New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-20 on Jan. 20, 2008. Coincidentally, the Packers were quarterbacked by Brett Favre that season. On Jan. 11, 1987, the Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-20 in the only AFC Championship game to reach overtime. No Super Bowl game has gone into overtime.
Q: Much of the heavy rain in the past six months has been attributed to the "El Nino" current in the Pacific Ocean. Do meteorologists expect a change anytime soon?
—Theo Messerlie, Sandy Springs
A: Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist with WSB-TV, said it appears that El Nino will continue until the summer. “This means a very active severe storm season with more flooding rains,” he said.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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