Super Bowl Sunday is finally here and it is now time to analyze the game to determine who will come out on top. Both teams have a plethora of offensive weapons at the disposal of their outstanding quarterbacks. But it will come down to which defense steps up to get stops and turnovers that will determine who walks away with the victory in Super Bowl XLIV.
Peyton Manning will not be denied his second Super Bowl title.
The Colts rushing game has been less than spectacular on the ground this season. Perhaps Joseph Addai is saving his biggest game for the biggest stage. He has been inept a lot of the time this year but does have the talent to have a break through game at anytime.
The Colts have the passing weapons to compensate for the lack of a rushing game. Peyton Manning has four targets to chose from. Reggie Wayne is the stud who makes Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie much better receivers by forcing double teaming situations.
One on one coverage is just what the Colts want to see from the Saints defense.
Throw in a very versatile and talented tight end in Dallas Clark, and you have a passing game that will keep you guessing on who the ball is going to. Manning will use them all throughout the game and the Saints defense will be on their heels all night long.
The Colts defense has been steady all year long. They have depth and speed. They are small in size but are ball hawking and can disrupt an offense. They do have a major question on the injury front to their star pass rusher Dwight Freeney. He has been hobbled with an ankle injury and his effectiveness will be questionable at best on Sunday. The Saints do have a high powered offense, so the Colts defense will have to use that depth and speed to make up for it. They will need stops to get the ball back to Peyton Manning and the offense.
The Saints also have a diversified offense that has a number of weapons. They have been enjoying the resurgence of Reggie Bush in the postseason. Bush has been making big plays both on offense and special teams. That is the dual threat that the Saints were hoping for when they drafted him as the #2 overall pick. He is complemented in the backfield by Pierre Thomas who has fit in well when asked to catch or carry the ball.
Their receiving core is lead by Marques Colston who is their homerun threat. Colston takes pressure off Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson, opening up lanes for them to freely run their routes. He plays a role much like Wayne does for the Colts. If you pay too much attention to him, his fellow teammates will make you pay for it. Drew Brees does have the talent to light up the scoreboard which is why the Colts defense needs stops.
The Saints defense is opportunistic and looks for the turnover at all times. They will need to try to confuse Manning and come up with stops and turnovers to get the victory today. They did it to perfection against the Vikings in the NFC Championship game, coming up with five takeaways. Without those turnovers, they would not be playing today.
The defense will be scheming under their defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The game plan will be to come at all angles hoping to confuse Manning and force him into mistakes. This will be the key to a Saints victory. They must bend but not break as they have all year long. We will see if they can stop Manning and company.
Bend or Break.
After analyzing all this, my prediction is the Colts. The Saints defense will not be up to the task of stopping Manning. Manning will be too determined and figure out the schemes that will be coming at him. He is a master of calling the audible and the Saints defense just doesn’t have the talent to deal with this. He will use his receivers well and keep Brees and the Saints offense off the field. He will act like a type of defense therefore taking pressure off his own defense.
Manning just won’t be denied his second Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP trophy.
Gregg Williams will have to have his defense come up big on Super Bowl Sunday.
I think the Saints chances of winning the Super Bowl primarily rest on the shoulders of their defense. While Drew Brees and company will be a factor, the defense must come up with both stops and turnovers to get the victory over the favored Colts and Peyton Manning…
The Saints defense has been opportunistic all year long with the turnover. They have had a knack for coming up with the big play when needed and it resulted on them winning a whole bunch of games. I would consider the a bend but don’t break type of defense.You do not have to look too far to see what I mean. They took full advantage of the miscues by Bret Favre and the Vikings in the NFC Championship game. They converted five turnovers into a trip to the Super Bowl.They are going to need this kind of fortune to take out the Indianapolis Colts tomorrow night. The defense must come up big.
The Saints will use a gambling type of defense to try to confuse Manning and make him make bad hurried decisions. They will try to come at him at all angles and keep him guessing on where people are going to come from on the field. Manning will need to figure out and make adjustments on the run. If the Saints do not guess right, Manning will make them pay. This defense must pull this off or else there will be no celebration in the “Big Easy.” It will be a gamble, The Saints will hope to win the gamble.
The offense on the other hand will need to use ball control to move the chains and keep Manning and company off the field. Drew Brees will have to stay away form his own mistakes and keep his offense on the field. The Colts are banged up on defense and their premiere pass rusher Dwight Freeney is probable so the Saints can take advantage of this with proper management on offense. This will help them to victory but will need more from the defense to pull off the upset. Brees will have his shot to outshine the Hall Of Famer Manning.
A lot of people think the Saints are a “team of Destiny.” While they well could be, their destiny relies in the play or lack of play of their defense.
It is time to talk about what will it take for the Indianapolis Colts to win the Super Bowl. A closer look reveals that it will start and end with their superstar quarterback Peyton Manning…
Manning's Mangement will be the key for the Colts to win the Super Bowl.
It will all come down to proper management by the field general, and he knows what it takes to win the Super Bowl. The Saints will take gambles on defense and when those gambles fail, the cerebral Manning will make them pay dearly. Turnovers are the bread and butter for the Saints defense, and Manning will advert them with his reads and audibles when he comes to the line of scrimmage.
The Colts will try to establish the run with runningbacks Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. If they can run the ball, their passing game will be that more effective. The Colts have not been that effective rushing, so it will remain to be seen how long they will stick to this game plan if not effective.The Colts and Manning are good enough to overcome this because of the diversity they have on the receiving core. Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark can all beat you down field. These number of options will keep the Saints defense guessing on defense on which player will be the focus on any giving play. This is where Manning will eat you up alive.That is too many options for the Saint’s defense to cover all over the field.
As far as the Colts on defense themselves, they are banged up . Their primary pass rusher on defense Dwight Freeney has a hurt ankle. This could hinder the ,defense but they have enough speed and depth to overcome it. This is why it tis more vital for Manning to keep the chains moving on offense and keep Drew Brees and the Saints offense off the field. Proper management will be vital.
As long as Manning takes advantage of these opportunities, the Colts will be in great shape for the victory. In my opinion, he will have a ample amount of chances to exploit the Saint’s defense. The Saints came up big against the Vikings and Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game which is why they won the game.Relying on turnovers is a tough and hard way to win a football game. Peyton Manning is a different animal and will not make the same mistakes as the 40 year Favre did. Manning will use the football filed like he is playing chess, and it will be check mate for he Saints defense. I am not going to say that it will easy, but Manning will be up to the task. It could be a very long day for the Saint’s defense because of Manning Management.
Peyton Manning handled the numerous questions on media day much like he handled defenses all this year, masterfully with confidence. He talked as if he belonged there, and the infectious way in which he handled himself will be invaluable to his fellow teamates. Manning realizes the small window of opportunity he has to win another Super Bowl and will be focused on the ultimate prize in the NFL. He is a general on and off the field.
Manning is proud to be a Indianapolis Colt and knows he represents all the greats that came before him.
Manning will be looking for Super Bowl Ring #2
He can join the likes of legend Johnny Unitas if he can pull off Super Bowl #2. He embodies the difference between a cocky and confident quarterback. Manning has his playing do his talking and not his mouth. I love to see him make the adjustments at the line of scrimmage and make that great completion after the audible. He is as a cerebral quarterback as you get and that makes him truly masterful.
The Saints defense will have their hands full all night long.Manning’s ability to read the defense in front of him will keep them on their heels. A defense on their heels does not have the stability to stop Peyton and company. The Saints will have to take gambles for turnovers and those gambles could turn into big plays for the Colt’s offense. They will be at the mercy of the “Masterful Manning”.
Manning knows a win Sunday will supplant his name in Colts and NFL history. He realizes what is on the line and will nothing short of masterful. I do not envy the Saint’s defense, and Manning will be ready to sling the pigskin all night long. I t could be a very long night for them in South Florida.
The Indianapolis Colts are a little banged up right now about one week away form the Super Bowl. Starting Defensive End and major impact on defense, Dwight Freeney, missed his third straight practice on Friday with a sprained right ankle he suffered in last weeks AFC Championship victory over the New York Jets.
How effective will Dwight Freeneybe in the Super Bowl?
Along with Freeney, starting cornerback Jerraud Powers also missed a third straight practice Friday with a injured left foot. Both players are listed as questionable for next week, and the Colts remain hopeful that both players can step up and play on the biggest stage in sports today.
The impact of both of these players either not playing at all or playing with the injuries remains to be seen against the high powered Saints offense lead by Drew Brees.
Freeney is a pass rusher that relies on his speed to overcome any blocking and get to the quarterback. He can disrupt any offensive game plan, and his impact cannot be measured when he is on the field. He makes all the other defensive linemen around him much better, and the Colts would miss him terribly.
When he is double teamed, the additional attention frees up his fellow teamates which makes them more effective during the game. He is the Colts’ major impact player on defense.
With Freeney expected not to be at 100%, the Power injury could be more significant. Freeney also has a impact on his teammates that play behind him. Powers did miss the AFC Championship game, but Freeney was there to put the pressure on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez therefore taking pressure off of the Colts defensive backs. Powers will need to be in the lineup Sunday with a hobbled and limited Freeney to defend against a pass happy quarterback like Drew Brees.
It remains to be seen on how effective Freeney can be next Sunday. One thing is for sure, his impact or lack of impact will be felt by the Indianapolis Colts.
One of the many reasons I have a passion for sports is the power and impact it can have on a city. Winning a title in sports can lift up and bring a city to come together in celebration. There is no measure on the power of winning in sports. If the Saints can win one more game, this power would be put on display like never before in the city of New Orleans.
Can Drew Brees lead the city of New Orleans to a Super Bowl title?
The Saints have been perennial losers in the NFL for as long as I can remember. This is their glory time as they have been in existence for 43 years and have had very little to celebrate. You will always have a soft spot in your heart for a city and fans of a team who have suffered losing like the Saints have.
Beside all the losing the Saints have endured, everyone remembers the devastation form hurricane Katrina. This devastation will never be forgotten and is still felt to this day in New Orleans.
I went to Mardi Gras just before Karina hit and remember all the jubilation that surrounded this city. A Super Bowl will not let people forget Katrina, but it would lift this city more than words can say. The Saints would be considered winners, and a win would ease the pain of losing years and devastation.
In a ironic twist of fate, it will be Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts on the other side of the field trying to stand in the way of this title. Peyton is the son of Archie Manning. Archie was a great quarterback who played on some of the worst Saints teams that I saw growing up as a kid watching the NFL. While I know Archie will be rooting for his son, I know he has a soft spot in his heart for New Orleans. Archie got beat up physically and mentally during these years.
The people of New Orleans deserve this title and need it. I would love to see it happen . Mardi Gras would start early if the Saints win and Bourbon street could not contain the number of people that would join in the celebration. The Saints should be proud of their accomplishment this year even if they lose, but I do not think we could measure what a Super Bowl title would mean to this city. That is the power of sports.
This year the NFL is trying some new things to spice up the Pro Bowl in 2010. As we have all heard by now, the Pro Bowl is the week before the Superbowl, instead of afterward, and it will take place in Miami instead of the traditional location in Hawaii.
The location isn’t necessarily a bad thing since there are plenty of sunny weather locations in early February, but there are a couple things I liked every year about it being in Hawaii. I like that they wore jersey’s with aloha flower water marks on them; which made each jersey a little more unique (which helped increase their sales), and that they touted Hawaiian leis during interviews to really give you that Pro Bowl feeling.
Saying “You’ll be seeing him in Hawaii” to a player performing at Pro Bowl status during the regular season was always fun as well.
All of these things aside I can see why they would like to move locations to the US mainland. For one, it would make going to the Pro Bowl more accessible to people that were previously unable to incur the cost of the travel expenses it took to go to the Pro Bowl. The flight, the hotel, the intermittent traveling, all on top of the cost of a Pro Bowl ticket package could get rather costly.
Bringing it to the mainland means that people could drive the distance to see their favorite players, and inter-US flights would make it relatively cheaper. Cities could too benefit from having the extra tourist volume coming from hosting an event coming from a gigantic brand like the NFL.
What the Pro Bowl is ruining is the meaning of the honor itself due to its new scheduling. Now that the Pro Bowl is a week early of the Superbowl, many players that are participating in the Super Bowl are opting out of participating because…. they are getting ready for the f-in Superbowl. Who in their right mind would get voted into the Pro Bowl, and actually play in it if they were going to the Superbowl?
The Superbowl is the most important achievement in the sport; it’s what these players live for. Even if a player said “derr, I’ll play”, the coach and organization would stop that noise real quick. This eliminates anybody voted to the Pro Bowl who is in the Superbowl; so no Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma, Darren Sharper, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney, Antoine Bethea, and others.
Almost equally as important as who isn’t in the Pro Bowl would be who IS in the Pro Bowl as their replacements. This list includes: Donovan McNabb (for Drew Brees), London Fletcher (for Jonathan Vilma), Antrel Rolle (for Darren Sharper), Quintin Mikell (for Roman Harper), David Garrard (for Peyton Manning), Vincent Jackson (for Reggie Wayne), Heath Miller (for Dallas Clark), Kevin Mawae (for Jeff Saturday), Kyle Vanden Bosch (for Dwight Freeney), and Yeremiah Bell (for Antoine Bethea), and others.
This results in a total of 17 “replacement” pro bowl additions. All of these players are “good” NFL players, but if you’re telling me you’d rather see David Garrard over Peyton, or Heath Miller over Dallas Clark, or Vanden Bosch over Freeney, you must be insane. Now the Pro Bowl itself has been watered down by players that weren’t voted in because they weren’t the best at their position during the regular season.
The drop off for some of these positions is significant when considering the level at which a Peyton Manning is playing when compared to David Garrard. What will suffer will be the various skill games that are played by individual players before the game (by not showcasing the best player at that position in every case), and the game itself (by not having all of the best players on the field). Will this also have some effect on HOF players getting in where a player may get 1 or 2 more Pro Bowl visits during their career that wouldn’t normally have happened? You could make a case…
Now I know this is marginalized because it’s not a “real” game, but even if it isn’t, you don’t have to treat it like it’s not by instituting a new “twist” designed to increase attention given to the game, but makes those deserving players unavailable to participate. I don’t see this approach lasting more than this trial year before being moved back. Do you think this is a good idea? I do not.
Two other things I’d like to point out is that I am surprised this didn’t get vetoed by the owners considering that the players that make it to the Pro Bowl have incentives in their contracts that say “I get paid when I make the Pro Bowl”; meaning that owners and organizations are shelling out some bu-coo bucks where they normally wouldn’t have had to. The other thing is that it is being reported that the Pro Bowl in Miami might not even sell out, and tickets are as low as $20 to get in. Is this the result of the Pro Bowl not actually being “the best of the best”?
Adding to the misery of the Minnesota Vikings fans after their devastating loss in the NFC Championship is whether their starting quarterback Brett Favre will be back next season. The question arises on whether he should return or retire.
Favre Ponders Retirement Again
Favre is coming off of one of his best statistical seasons of his career. He passed for 4202 yards with 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also completed a impressive 68.4 of s passes. He led the Vikings to a 12-4 record , good enough to win the NFC North division.
Minnesota then defeated Dallas 34-3 in the division round of the playoffs in which Favre threw a career best four touchdown passes. He had the Vikings on the brink of the Super Bowl in New Orleans, when he made another poor decision that sealed their fate.
Most of the Minnesota players want him back next year. That is definitely in his favor for a return.
The poor decision in question is his third down pass that was intercepted when he had the Vikings in field gaol range at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship game. Instead of running, passing to a receiver in front of him, he threw cross field and got picked off.
This is what you get from a gunslinger like Favre.
He tries to force things when they are not there. While sometimes they pay off, this time it blew up in his face when it counted the most. Favre did the same thing a couple of years ago in Green Bay against the New York Giants. He again tried to force a pass, when there were other open receivers ,and it ended up with another interception. The Packers lost, and the Giants became Super Bowl Champions.
This seems to becoming a habit for #4.
I think that the rigors of the NFL season leaves Favre with nothing left at the end of the season both physically and mentally. This takes a toll on Favre and must effect his play deep in the playoffs. I would suggest that he hand the reigns to a younger quarterback. Favre does not have what it takes to to lead his team to the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl title. He should hang up the #4.
The Minnesota Vikings suffered a devastating loss yesterday at the hands of the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in overtime in the NFC Championship. It would be easy to blame some very shaky officiating in overtime, but a closer look tells the story of a team that has nobody to blame but themselves…
The Vikings outplayed the Saints everywhere but on the scoreboard. They moved the ball up and down on the field outgaining the Saints 475-257. The Vikes defense played more than well enough to get this team to the Superbowl. It was the miscues by the offense lead by Brett Favre that sealed their fate.
The Saints had more that a couple of “Home Town” calls in overtime. In particular was running back Pierre Thomas fourth and inches dive that appeared to be a certain first down. The officials went to replay. The replay showed that Thomas did not have control of the ball where the ball was spotted. It should have been spotted behind the first down marker giving the ball to the Vikings. Another big blown call was a catch by wideout Robert Meachem jut before the game winning field goal. Meachem’s catch was ruled a completion on the filed. The officials again reviewed the play that showed Meachem had trapped the ball. The Saints benefited again and Garret Hartley kicked a 40 yarder than sent them to the Super Bowl.The Vikings have reason to feel they were ripped off. If you going to rely on the instant replay, get the calls right. Everybody saw what I saw and it cost a team the right to play in the SuperBowl . WOW!
But as I said, this is only part of the story. If the Vikings protected the ball, it would of never have gotten to the point of overtime. Minnesota had five turnovers in all. Three fumbles and two interceptions. Percy Harvin fumbled deep in his own territory that lead to a Saints touchdown. Bernard Barrian also fumbled when the Vikes were on the move. But the biggest culprit was quarterback Brett Favre. Favre lost a fumble and had two picked off. The first two were drive killers and the last one sealed preventing them for ending the game at the end of regulation.
On third down and in field goal range, Favre made a decision that was reminiscent of a couple of years ago.Favre had room to run and a receiver right in front of him on the sideline that would of picked up very valuable yardage towards a game winning kick. But instead of seeing right in front of him, the gunslinger threw cross field that ended in a devastating interception. Green Bay fans will remember him doing that against the Giants a couple of years. Favre also had more viable options then but choked then as he did now. He will receive no sympathy form them. Favre ended up 28-46 for 310 yards, a touch and two picks. But it was his last pass, like Green Bay, that will be remembered by Viking fans. The Hall of Famer will have a long off season to think about a very poor decision.
The Vikings have lost five straight NFC Championship games. I have a little sympathy for them. I am a Eagles fan. They have lost four out of five. My advice for the fans of Minnesota is; Some things are not meant to be!
There is nothing worse in sports when poor officiating impacts the result of a game. It is magnified when it happens in a game that decides who plays for the championship. The NFL is dealing with just this problem tonight, as Pete Morrelli’s crew totally dropped the ball with their erroneous calls that led to a New Orleans Saints overtime victory and a spot in the Super Bowl.
Vikings Robbed By RefereesSaints Fans Rollick In Delight
During the overtime period, Morrelli’s crew had five erronous calls over a stretch of five plays where poor judgment was displayed, each time in favor of the Saints. The first error occurred on the spot of a Devery Henderson catch that gave the Saints about an extra half yard to the first down marker on third down. Despite clear evidence that it was a beneficial spot, backed up by Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the booth review didn’t change the spot.
On the very next play, fourth down, Pierre Thomas dive-bombed over top his line at what appeared to be a clear first down with forward momentum. Hold the phone.
Replays showed that Thomas lost secure control of the ball, meaning that forward momentum no longer applied. After a booth review, and again there is clear evidence that Thomas lost secure control, no change of spot occurred on the ball.
Now with a fresh set of downs thanks to the gratuitous nature of the officials, Brees drops back to pass. First, Minnesota Vikings DE Jared Allen is tackled from behind by Saints guard Jhari Evans. A textbook hold that they teach NFL officials the first day of training. No call.
To make matters worse, the referees decided to call a pass interference on the play against Ben Leber. First, Leber never even made physical contact with the intended receiver, David Thomas. Slow motion replay shows no contact occurred and Fox’s Aikman questioned whether contact was made. Second, the ball was overthrown by seven yards. Thomas turned to make the catch at the 30 yard line, the ball landed on the 23 yard line. This is what the rule book terms uncatchable.
After planting Reggie Bush into the ground for a 5 yard loss, the final nail was placed into the coffin by the referees. Brees delivers a pass over the middle to Robert Meachem. The pass was ruled a catch on the field. Clear replay evidence shows that Meachem never caught the ball, only trapped it against his leg before the ball touched the ground. Again textbook rule says no catch and once again, Fox’s Aikman says the pass should be ruled an incomplete pass.
Not today folks. Booth review rules that it was a catch, setting up the Saints for the game winning field goal that Garrett Hartley would knock down the middle.
Nothing disappoints fans more than watch athletes that give their all be robbed by officials. Even worse when it happens and decides who plays in the Super Bowl.
Obviously, Roger Goodell will be mum on this and support his officials. It would just be so politically incorrect to be mean to the people of New Orleans. They’ve suffered enough.
Congrats to the folks in the Big Easy on winning your first NFC Championship…asterisks and all.
