Ah, Super Bowl Sunday, the greatest day of the year. We circle around the biggest screen we can find, order an obscene amount of food and yell and argue as the NFL’s best vie for a championship. Nothing better.
This year the “big game” features the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, two teams that have dominated their respective divisions throughout the season.
For the first time since 1993 the two first-seeded teams in the playoffs have made it to the Super Bowl, and it’s shaping up to be one to remember, pitting a dynasty in the making against “Who Dat.”
So for the hardcore fan, or someone who just wants to know what everyone else is talking about at the party, here are five things to consider when watching Super Bowl XLIV.
1. For the Colts to win:
Peyton Manning needs to be Peyton Manning. Undeniably, Manning is the primary reason the Colts are such a dominant team. Manning won his fourth MVP award even after losing his longtime primary receiver Marvin Harrison, and is still an unstoppable force working with a rookie and a second year receiver. The only way to stop him is to bring enough rushers to put him on his back, and even that is a risky proposition, as Manning’s pass completion percentage, total pass yardage and yards per pass attempt actually improve when five or more defensive players blitz at him. You can’t stop Manning, you can only hope to slow him down.
Receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon need to continue to defy the odds. Nobody expected the fourth and sixth round draft picks to have the impact that they have had on the Colts passing game. Collie led all rookies in receiving.
Garcon burned the Jets in the AFC Championship for 151 yards and a touchdown. The Saints will have to pick their poison between these two youngsters and three-time Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne.
Running back Joseph Addai needs to keep the defense honest. The Colts finished dead last in rushing offense in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t effective. Indianapolis ran the ball just enough to keep the defenses guessing, and often their proficiency in the passing game opened up opportunities to keep the ball on the ground. What the Colts lack in quantity in rushing they make up for in quality of their passing game.
2. For the Saints to win:
They need to run the ball. The Saints have a stable of talented running backs that run around and over defenses. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combined for over 200 rushing yards against the Vikings, who have the best defensive line and one of the elite defenses in the NFL. Mike Bell has proven to be a more than adequate backup who brings a physical running style to the Saints backfield. The Colts defense finished the regular season ranked 24th against the run. If the Saints get their ground game on a roll it could get ugly for the Colts defense.
They need to have big plays on defense. The Saints led the NFL in defensive scoring with eight touchdowns in the regular season, five coming by interception and three from fumble recoveries. If the Colts make any mistakes on offense, the Saints need to do what they do best and take full advantage of them.
They need to exploit the Colts secondary. Without two-time All Pro safety Bob Sanders the Colts defense ranked only 14th in pass defense. The Saints finished fourth in the NFL in passing. Look for Drew Brees to connect with Devery Henderson, Marques Colston and Robert Meachem all night. Don’t be surprised if tight end Jeremy Shockey turns out to be a major factor in this game. He missed his first chance to play in a Super Bowl with the Giants because of injury and he is eager to perform on the big stage.
3. Key Matchups:
Colts Defensive End Dwight Freeney vs. Saints Left Tackle Jermon Bushrod:
Dwight Freeney has been a force coming off the edge for the Colts all the season, tallying 13.5 sacks and is considered an elite pass rusher, the type of player Jermon Bushrod has struggled against. The Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware finished with 11 sacks this season, two of those came against Bushrod. The Dolphins’ Jason Taylor also got two sacks against Bushrod, both of which led to fumbles. This matchup will be a critical factor to how effective Drew Brees is passing the ball. The Colts announced late last week that Freeney has a torn ligament in his right ankle, and could be limited to only pass-rushing situations.
Colts Center Jeff Saturday vs. Saints defensive front 7:
The quarterback-center relationship is one of the most underrated factors in a team’s success and Jeff Saturday is the best in the business. As the leader of the Colts offensive line, Saturday is just as good at calling blocking schemes and audibles as Peyton Manning is at reading coverages. He will need every bit of his experience on Sunday to prevent the Saints big play defense from using their potent blitzing schemes to force turnovers.
Saints Quarterback Drew Brees vs. Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning:
By far the best quarterback match-up of the 2009 season, the cranial Payton Manning vs. the ruthlessly efficient Drew Brees. When quarterbacks of this caliber square off, the deciding factor of the game could very well be which one makes the first mistake. The only sure way to stop either of them is to keep your own quarterback on the field as long as possible.
4. X-Factors:
Colts: Dallas Clark:
Easily the best tight end in football right now, Clark is Peyton Manning’s comfort zone. Clark has the best hands of any tight end in the NFL and always seems to be in position to make big plays. If the Saints secondary has the Colts receivers covered, Peyton Manning will be targeting his go-to-guy throughout the night. Clark finished with 100 receptions for over 1,100 yards this season. Compare that to Houston’s Andre Johnson, the league leader in receiving for 2009, who only had one more reception and 400 yards more receiving, and you begin to see what a weapon Clark is in the Colts offense.
Saints: Kim Kardashian: Okay, so she’s not exactly playing, but her boyfriend Reggie Bush is, and when she’s present he always seems to have big games. He ran back a punt 83 yards for a touchdown, broke off a 46-yard rushing touchdown, and had 217 all purpose yards in the Divisional round against the Cardinals. He also rushed for a touchdown and caught another in the NFC Championship, all when she was in the Superdome.
5. Who walks away with the Lombardi Trophy?
This game has the potential to be one of the biggest shootouts in Super Bowl history. Elite offenses on both sides are going up against less than stellar defenses. The Saints will have a big day on the ground against the Colts 24th ranked rush defense, which will keep them in the game. But in the end, Peyton Manning and the second ranked pass attack will cut through the Saints 26th ranked pass defense for the Colts second Super Bowl win in four years.
By Townsend Keller, Signal Writer
