Peyton Manning had surgery this week to alleviate a pinched nerve in his neck that had been bothering him on and off for the last four seasons. This procedure is likely to take care of the problem, and Manning is expected not to miss any offseason workouts and will be fine come the regular season. The question arises that with his neck feeling better, will it make him a more effective passer next season?…
While Manning will never admit if the injury hampered him in anyway, you still have to wonder. Knowing you have the injury, playing throught it has to have some effect on your passing ability. Manning has been a clutch regular season passer but has struggled in the playoffs including a costly interception in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl that sealed the fate for the Colts against the Saints. He played the whole Super Bowl tenatively and really took no downfield risks. He needed to let it all hang out and did not.
Manning is a gamer ala Brett Favre and has started 210 consecutive games second only to Favre. He will play through any injuries and maybe a healthy neck will make his play even better next season. Manning has a lot to play for next season. He will be out to avenge the Super Bowl loss to the Saints and his contract expires after the 2010 season. Manning will have no problem getting a contract extension from the Colts, but will have a lot more to bargain with if he shows he is totally healthy. He can now concentrate being a pain in the neck for his opponents next season instead of his own pain in the neck. I think Manning will be even better next season and will be out in earnest to get his second Super Bowl ring.
I have to wonder what Peyton Manning is really thinking a couple of days removed from his Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints. Is he still in disbelief? Or is he wondering if he and his teammates have what it takes to win another Super Bowl? I know he is a extremely confident quarterback but some doubt has to had creeped in his mind on what more he can do to win the big game.
How sure of himself is Peyton Manning?
Manning does have one Super Bowl win. The win was primarily sparked by the return of Bob Sanders. Sanders took a strugglingdefensive squad and breathed life into them like I have never seen before. Sanders was the biggest defensive impact player there ever has been to a playoff run. Without Sanders, Manning is still without a ring.
With all the regular season winning, Manning should have more rings. He has played sub par in his playoff chances and has had some of the worse games of his playoff career against his rival the New England Patriots. He seemed to lose poise and get out of rhythm on offense that resulted in poor passes and decisions. This type of play came to attrition Sunday night. The Colts jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead but failed to go for the kill. They played way too conservative and let the underdog Saints get confidence and back in the game. Manning seemed unsure of himself and did not want to throw the ball down field. This played into the Saints hands. He had a chance to tie the game late but threw a interception that resulted in a Saints touchdown and sealed the Colts fate. He seemed to have happy feet and was not sure of himself in the final drive. A great quarterback gets the job done at crunch time. One of the most proficient passers the game has ever seen was dumping the ball within a 10-12 yard range. It is the Super Bowl. Let it all hang out.
Manning is a very cerebral man so he will put this loss in perspective. But it is human to doubt yourself. Manning will have a very long season to think about it. Will he ever get back to the promise land and did he do everything in his power to get the Colts a Super bowl title. In his mind, how will he be rated in the annals of the greatest quarterbacks?
The New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts yesterday 31-17 inn the Super Bowl. While I will not take anything away from the Saints, the Colts played more not to lose than to win…
Peyton Manning cannot be satisfied with his conservative play on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and then tried to sit on the lead thinking the Saints were too demoralized to get up off the ground and fight. They miscalculated badly the New Orleans Saints fight and desire to win. They had the ball two times in the second quarter and promptly went three and out both times. The play calling was way too conservative,and they should of had a bigger lead at half instead of leading only by four points 10-6. The underdog Saints had confidence and life that they could more than play with the Colts.
Their conservative play continued into the second half ,and they still lead 17-16 but everyone knew the conservative play would come back to haunt them. The Colts fell behind 24-17 and then the great Peyton Manning made a poor decision on a pass to Reggie Wayne that resulted in a interception for a touchdown that sealed the Colt’s fate. Manning did not throw the ball down field at all until they fell behind by two touchdowns with only minutes remaining in the game. It was too late to open up the offensive play book.
It was this conservative game plan that did not help the Colts chances of winning. Manning is the best quarterback in football and has a number of receivers at his arsenal. He seemed content to dump the ball for ten yards or less and never took a shot down field during the game. I do not know if Manning is too blame, coach Caldwell or the offensive coordinator. This type of game plan in the Super Bowl does nothing but leave you with regret. The Colts did not let it all hang out in the biggest game of the year. They could of learned something from their opponents. The Saints let it all hang out, took chances, and they are the best team in the world because of it. The Saints played to win, the Colts did not.
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.
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”?
Football is a game of adjustments. The team that wins is usually the one that can re-craft their game plan to the new conditions. That was on full display in Indianapolis during the AFC Championship game. After a lackluster first half the Colts rattled off 24 unanswered points to tame the upstart New York Jets 30-17 and earn a spot in Super Bowl XLIV.
Peyton Manning was terrific, completing 26 of 39 passes for 377 yards and 3 TD, lighting up the top-ranked defense in the NFL which surrendered just 153 passing yards per game during the regular season. Manning entered the game knowing that he’d have to utilize all of his receiving threats with Darrelle Revis lining up across his top threat Reggie Wayne all day long. Revis did his job, but the rest of the Jets defense fizzled.
Colts receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie saved their best performances of the season for the big game. Garcon caught 11 passes for 151 yards, while Collie tallied 7 receptions for 123 yards. Both scored a touchdown each. Their effectiveness nullified a shutdown performance by Revis that took away half the football field for Manning to work with.
The unheralded Colts defense came up big as well. Overlooked by the media all week, the Colts solid rushing defense won the battle on the line of scrimmage, bottling up the top-rated running attack by holding Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to just 86 yards. A far cry from their average of 172 rushing yards per game during the regular season. Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden sealed the victory with a late 4th quarter interception of Mark Sanchez.
Momentum in the game shifted just before halftime as the Colts blew down the field on 4 plays for 80 yards in just 58 seconds. That drive ended with a blown defensive assignment that left Collie alone in the end zone for a touchdown catch. The Colts kept it going on the first possession of the second half, going down the field with relative ease again, ending with a Garcon touchdown catch.
The Jets defense, particularly the defensive backfield, often times appeared clueless. There were multiple blown assignments that proved costly. With Revis shutting down Wayne with man-to-man coverage, the defensive lapses were inexplicable and squandered an early lead the Jets offense spotted them.
The Colts were taken by surprise in the first half as they stacked the box to challenge the Jets to pass. Sanchez took advantage of a great play action fake, nailing Braylon Edwards in stride for an 80-yard touchdown pass. The Jets followed that up, shocking the overly aggressive Colts with a wildcat formation pass from Brad Smith to Jerricho Cotchery for 45 yards that setup a 9-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Dustin Keller.
Peyton Manning and the Colts now look forward to a matchup in two weeks against the NFC champion. Manning will look to become the first NFL regular season MVP to win the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner completed the trick during the 1999 season. Coach Jim Caldwell will attempt to become just the 3rd rookie coach to win the Super Bowl.
No matter who they play, either the Vikings or Saints, it will be an exciting Super Bowl.
