Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
So you hate Peyton Manning? Well, get ready to do a little more hating after you see him hoist up the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Colts win the Super Bowl.
Yes, it's going to happen.
And yes, Peyton Manning is that good. Believe it Patriot Nation, Manning is even better than Tom Brady.
I said it, and it pains me to say that. Two years ago I wouldn't have made that statement, but Manning just keeps getting better, while Brady isn't.
As for the Super Bowl, I'll be wearing my NFL-issued Drew Brees No. 9 jersey and rooting on the Saints and the city of New Orleans.
But I think the Colts are a better team -- in all three phases of the game.
But I don't think it's going to be a cakewalk, either.
The Saints can win this game, but they need to play flawless football to do so. And I think the Colts won't let the Saints play perfect ball, either.
Manning is so good that even if the Colts trailed by 14 points in the first three quarters -- perhaps even in the fourth -- I'm not going to go run and hide and think the Colts don't have a chance. With Manning at the helm, it's hard not to be confident in him running the show. Plus, he's got so many weapons in the passing game (Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon). I don't care if the Colts can't run the football (but they can against a poor Saints run defense), they don't need to anyway.
With that offensive line protecting Manning like a mother and father do with their newborn, it doesn't matter what the Saints throw at the Colts and Manning. He's seen it all before. The Saints physically beat up an old Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game, but Manning is stronger and his offensive line is great at identifying the blitz and picking it up. If Manning has time in the pocket, expect a completion and potentially a big play.
But if the Saints can get base pressure without leaving their corners on an island one one one because they have to blitz, they've got a chance to frustrate Manning (admit it, we all want to puke when Manning is shown shaking his head after a poor play) and get a much-needed turnover.
Forcing turnovers is the only way the Saints have a shot to win.
Plus, Drew Brees and the Saints offense -- perhaps the only offense in the league that could go score for score with the Colts -- need to sustain drives and scored TDs, and not settle for field goals.
The Saints have balance -- Brees is a master in the pocket and also has great targets (Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson), plus they also feature the X-factor, Reggie Bush, a running back that is more like a wide receiver.
Bush is also scary on special teams where he can return a punt for a TD at any time, but I think the Colts can neutralize Bush because the Colts' defense is based on pure team speed, not beef. They flow to the football and it's hard to make big plays against them (credit playing Cover 2 for that), although those corners are weak and something I'm betting Brees is going to attack.
I've seen so many Saints games this year and down the stretch, that offense sputtered at times for a multitude of reasons. Whether it was poor pass protection, receivers not getting open, or running backs (Pierre Thomas must be a factor in the run game for the Saints) not doing the job, for as good as that offense has been, they've had slight issues moving the ball down and they can't do that in the Super Bowl.
Chad's Take: Manning is going to pick apart the Saints. The Saints will dial up every blitz under the sun, but it's not going to fluster Manning and the Colts. Indy knows how to break down opponents, and chucking the ball against the Saints is the way to go, although don't be surprised to see Joseph Addai have a good game out of the backfield since the Saints will be so focused on stopping the pass.
The Colts just might run up and down the field scoring a boatload of points, but the Saints will do it, too. The Saints' defense has been opportunistic in the turnover department all season -- they are not that great as a team defense because they give up so many yards in the air and on the ground -- but don't expect to see Manning throw more than one pick. The Colts know how to protect the pigskin and they also know that's why the Saints are here because that defense is a ball-hawking unit.
This is going to be a great Super Bowl, but I think Manning steals the show. He's the best in the NFL at what he does, and he'll show everyone again that he's the best.
Expect more commercials with Manning's mug on the TV screen after he wins another Super Bowl title.
Prediction: Colts, 37-30
